Summit set to discuss buffer zones
AN ABORTION summit will today be an important opportunity to “reaffirm women’s autonomy and right to choose”, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has said.
The event in Edinburgh aims to ensure that women in Scotland can access services without fear, harassment or intimidation and will look at legal mechanisms to establish buffer zones around clinics.
It will also seek to identify ways to protect women from harassment or intimidation outside hospitals and sexual health clinics, following protests by anti-abortion campaigners outside such facilities in recent weeks.
The summit comes days after the decision to overturn Roe v Wade in the US, which Sturgeon called “one of the darkest days for women’s rights in my lifetime”.
The summit will bring together representatives from local government, third sector organisations, Police Scotland, the NHS and campaigners, and will include cross-party representation.
Sturgeon said: “The summit will consider in general terms what needs to be done to improve access to abortion services, including second trimester abortions, in Scotland.
“However, its main and most immediate focus will be on mechanisms to establish effective buffer zones. It starts from the clear view that women must be able to access healthcare, including abortion services, free of harassment or intimidation.”
Sturgeon said that the proper focus for anyone protesting against abortion should be Parliament and lawmakers, not hospitals or sexual health clinics.
She said: “The situation is unacceptable, and it’s one which we must address as a matter of urgency. I am determined that we do so.”
Scottish Green MSP Gillian Mackay, who will attend the summit, last month launched a consultation on her proposed Member’s Bill, which would see 150m (492ft) buffer zones put in place around healthcare facilities which provide abortion services.
Mackay said: “While the parliamentary process can seem frustratingly slow, it is right that there is time for thorough consultation and scrutiny before any proposal becomes law.”