“Abortion affects all of us ». This catch phrase for this year’s annual March for Life has a special resonance, since the march will take place just before the new law about numerical obstruction to abortion is passed. The French Government imposed it using a legislative emergency process without any real prior debate.
Alliance VITA encourages its supporters to take part in this March on Sunday, January 22 in Paris.
Alliance VITA is committed to helping both pregnant women and those who have experienced an abortion, via their crisis listening service. Alliance VITA opposes the government’s policy which is targeted at stifling any voices that refuse to admit that abortion is nothing but trivial. This represents an abuse of authority and a unilateral ban which does not respect women, and constitutes an unprecedented attack on the freedom of expression in this country.
Every day, Alliance VITA listens to pregnant women who are under pressure from their partner, their employer, or even because of a general state of mind that tends to blame or stigmatize any unexpected or difficult pregnancy. Trivializing abortion and imposing silence on abortion are not a correct answer to women’s’ needs. Above all, they need to be listened to, with respect, caring and help since many women are under pressure and endure sufferings.
A genuine prevention policy for abortion is still more than necessary, especially for young women, and yet public services have given up more than ever the idea of such a policy. During the past 5-year term, the government has taken consistent measures to free society from any responsibility: notably by cancelling the concept of distress, and the week’s waiting period for reflection before an abortion. But in truth, abortion affects all men and women.
This is why, in this pre-electoral period, Alliance VITA calls for a national commitment for this March and for a genuine prevention policy for abortion. This requires an unbiased and complete public information as a prerequisite. In December, Alliance VITA’s lawyer addressed a registered letter to French health Minister, Marisol Touraine, officially requesting that all biased information on abortion be deleted from the government’s “official” website (www.ivg.social-sante.gouv.fr), since such information could deceive individuals who visit their site.
Alliance VITA pleads for women to have the right of freedom of expression, and for people to have the right and liberty to help them avoid abortion, as many of them would like to.
