Ministers must support a woman’s right to abortion
WE ARE writing to express our extreme disappointment and sadness regarding the decision to revoke the constitutional right to abortion in America. It sends a dangerous message to the world at a time when women in many countries, including Northern Ireland, are still struggling to achieve abortion rights.
We would like you (Minister for Social Justice, Jane Hutt MS and Minister for Health and Social Services Eluned Morgan MS) to make a strong statement of support for a woman’s right to abortion as soon as possible.
Also, we would like to ask for an improvement of the provision in Wales. We know that many women in Wales must still travel extensively for abortion services and that later abortion services remain difficult to access across much of Wales.
There are currently no services within Wales that provide abortion beyond 19 weeks, and no general hospitals in Wales are willing to accept cases with complex medical conditions and needs, meaning women are required to travel to England. This needs to change.
Buffer zones are needed around clinics providing abortion care, such as Cardiff Clinic where protesters have been intimidating and bullying women. This must not be allowed to continue and pressure should be placed on the UK Government to allow buffer zones to be established so that women can access the healthcare they need.
In the meantime, Cardiff Council needs to do all it can to protect individuals accessing health services and local residents from harassment, intimidation and disruption, including the issuing of a Public Spaces Protection Order in the area around the clinic.
Finally, we would request you urgently make representation to the UK Government that Stormont’s Department of Health in Northern Ireland implements the right to abortion and sets up a fully funded abortion service. The Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis announced this in a statement to Parliament on May 19. At that point, Mr Lewis said he wanted action in “days and weeks”, and yet progress has still not been made.
The women of Northern Ireland must be able to access their reproductive rights.
Catherine Fookes, director, WEN Wales; Alicja Zalesinska, CEO, Tai Pawb; Leila Usmani, lobbying and influencing officer, Race Alliance Wales; Debbie Shaffer, founder, FTWW: Fair Treatment for the Women of Wales; Sara Kirkpatrick, CEO, Welsh Women’s Aid; Mary Ann Brocklesby, chair, WEN Wales; Cerys Furlong, chief executive, Chwarae Teg; Sarah Rees, head of Oxfam Cymru; Stacey Grant-Canham founder Black & Beech LTD; Krista Powell Edwards, founder, The Credibility Expert Limited; Christina Tanti, research and evaluation manager, Race Equality First; Laura O’Keeffe; Kelly Harris, lead for Brook Cymru; Chris Dunn, CEO, Diverse Cymru; Frances Beecher, chief executive, Llamau; Megan Thomas, policy and research officer, Disability Wales; Debbie Beadle, CEO, Cardiff Women’s Aid; Nkechi Allen Dawson, policy officer, Race Council Cymru; Sabiha Azad, community engagement officer, Welsh Women’s Aid; Fadhilah Gubari, advocacy advisor, Oxfam Cymru; Jessica Laimann, policy and public affairs officer, WEN Wales; Gwendolyn Sterk, UK expert representative on EWL Observatory on VAWG; Lucia Sivori, wellbeing officer Willow Holloway, Autistic Women’s
Empowerment Project, Autistic UK ; Leanne Waring, business development manager, Cardiff and Vale College; Lisa Isherwood, Britain & Ireland School of Feminist Theology; Nicola Shone, Race Equality First; Laura Murphy & Team - Vicious Cycle: PMDD Awareness Campaign; Laura Kent, Race Equality First; Aliya Mohammed, chief executive officer, Race Equality First; Dr Edward Morris, president, Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists; Suzy Davies, Women’s Equality Network, board member; Dr Olga Jurasz, The Open University ; The Whole Team, Trans Aid Cymru; Prof Laura McAllister, Wales Governance Centre; Bobbie Sheldrake, programme action co-ordinator Soroptimist International Wales South Region; Sandra Ajax programme; Susie Blacklaw-Jones, programme action officer, Soroptimist International Haverfordwest & District; Margaret Slater-Harries, president, Soroptimist International Haverfordwest & District; Jackie Jones, councillor Deena Irving, Soroptimist International Haverfordwest & District; Heidi Lewis, Soroptimist International Wales South Region joint president; Shahien Taj, influencing and policy officer Women Connect First.
Many women in Wales must still travel extensively for abortion services – this needs to change
Bale is doing right thing with US move
THERE seems to be a great deal of disappointment being expressed in the media about Gareth Bale’s decision to play football in the US rather than for Cardiff City.
However, one crucial factor is being overlooked. If Bale played for Cardiff in early autumn, every glory-hunting English “clogger” would be out to get him, with some vicious tackling. They would all be aware of the indisputable fact that Bale is crucial to the success of the Welsh team in the World Cup in Qatar in November.
Am I being cynical in thinking that one or two “patriotic” English footballers may want to help England’s chances, in a group containing Wales, by removing Bale from the finals with a “hard”, even dubious, ankle tackle?
The Championship has some notoriously tough tacklers. I think Gareth Bale is doing the wise thing in avoiding it. After all, the last thing he wants is to miss out on representing Wales in the World Cup at the end of a gloriously successful career.
Good luck Wales and good luck Gareth Bale. Pob lwc Cymru.
Lyn Jenkins
Cardigan
Johnson no better than Trump or Putin
THERESA May slaps down Boris and his Government for wanting to change an international trade deal. All because Boris didn’t read the small print or discuss the deal with the DUP. Just goes to show Brexit was a pipe dream.
If the Government had a no-deal with the EU there would be a hard border, if the Government joined
the WTO there would be a hard border. Both scenarios would have broken an international deal over the Northern Irish Protocol.
Ahead of a vote in which the Bill was expected to clear its first hurdle in the Commons, Ms May told MPs: “The UK’s standing in the world – our ability to convene and encourage others in the defence of our shared values – depends on the respect others have for us as a country, a country that keeps its word and displays those shared values in its actions. As a patriot, I would not want to do anything that would diminish this country in the eyes of the world. I have to say to the Government, this Bill is not in my view legal in international law, it will not achieve its aims, and it will diminish the standing of the United Kingdom in the eyes of the world, and I cannot support it.”
The arrogance of Boris is no better than Trump or Putin, willing to change laws and change signed trade deals.