Pass legislation that guarantees a woman’s reproductive rights under the Canada Health Care Act and requires provinces to support women’s reproductive rights in order to obtain Health Care transfers.

It is not enough for the nation’s Supreme Court to recognize women’s reproductive rights, it must be codified in Federal legislation.

For those who believe that sex-selection abortion should not be legal then this needs to be put into legislation. For those who do not know what this means ‘sex selection abortion’ 99% of them are female fetuses.

Freedom to choose and have access to abortion is something in Canada we have had since 1988. https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/abortion-is-legal-in-canada-but-is-it-accessible-1.5892397

“There is a renewed conversation about abortion accessibility and rights for women in Canada after U.S. Supreme Court justices overturned the Roe v. Wade case on Friday, allowing states to ban abortions.

Since abortion was decriminalized in Canada in 1988, it has long been considered that Canada is an abortion-friendly country for women around the world.

However, decriminalization of abortion has not ensured abortion equity or necessarily improved access, experts say.

“As a country, we say we are pro-choice and that we care. But to be pro-choice, we need to be able to offer the choice in the first place,” says Frederique Chabot, the director of domestic health promotion at Action Canada for Sexual Health and Rights.”

What can we do?

We, as Canadians, must guard against any political party daring to challenge this law and ensure our voice and vote keeps them out of power. All my life the abortion law in the US Roe vs Wade has been a constant and it was a terrible blow for women’s rights with the reversal of that decision. My heart goes out to the women who had their access immediately taken away, the confusion, anger, and the unknown future must be terrifying.

Speaking from experience as a sexual assault survivor. After the attack, was terrified of being pregnant. As a single mom, dealing with bullying in the RCMP, I was terrified. If I would have been pregnant then there was no hesitation in seeking access to an abortion. Women have unique life experiences that can change.  It is their right to choose an abortion for their own personal reasons. No one has the right to judge or condemn this decision.

In my life, I have known several women who made this decision. Each woman took time to seek out proper medical advice and emotional support for their decision. Their circumstances were all different. They were all able to move forward after the abortion. Imagine if they had to get a ‘back alley’ abortion like women did prior to Roe vs Wade and prior to 1988 in Canada?  Lives were ruined, and people died.

As Canadians, we need to be aware of the ‘potential erosion of rights in Canada. The far-right anti-abortion movement can create barriers for women who want an abortion and keep pushing down that slope eroding women’s rights even further. I ask what is next ‘the right to rape your wife’ ‘women’s right to vote? This is a slippery slope. Back to the archaic thinking. In Canada abortion is legal yet there are some obstacles for many women seeking an abortion. Depending on your community, we continue to have problems with access due to the location of the clinics, and funding from the provinces.

It is important to speak up for those of us today and our girls in their tomorrow. Each voice is a vote. Make your voice and vote count. Choosing an abortion needs to be a ‘women’s right’.

I speak up for all women in defending their reproductive rights to an abortion.

It is their body, their choice, their voice.