Women's Electoral Lobby (Australia) Inc. representing the interests of Australian women in maintaining the right to choose
By 1975, WEL had an established policy on birth control (family planning). WEL called for establishment of clinics separate from existing medical services, staffed by specially trained personnel. The policy recommended clinics should offer a full range of contraceptive advice and services, including abortion referral, and be publicly funded. Sex education was an integral part of the policy.
In 1977, a WEL group submitted a request to the Warrnambool City Council for establishment of a Birth Control Clinic. Drawing upon the 1968 UN Declaration on Population and Family Planning which stated "Family planning is a basic human right", the submission noted the lack of local services to inform and counsel women about pregnancy and contraception, and argued that such services should be freely available.
In March 1982, The Right to Choose Coalition (WEL, the Union of Australian Women, and the YWCA) nominated Dr Bertram Wainer to stand for the Victorian seat of Monbulk, in order to allow electors a means of expressing opposition to a Right to Life candidate, Mrs Jean Langworthy. The result clearly showed that people supported pro-choice policies: Dr Wainer achieved nearly four times as many primary votes as Mrs Langworthy, and the Right to Life movement failed to control the direction of preferences.
In 1986, WEL recommended that Federal funds be directed to teaching health and human relationships courses in all Australian schools, and to extending family planning services (particularly in isolated areas and among non English speaking background Australians). WEL also recommended that termination of pregnancy be considered as any other medical procedure and called for the repeal of all state and territory laws restricting abortion. WEL called for continuation of Medicare funding of abortion.
In 1988, WEL made a submission to the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, pointing out that Australia appears to be the only country in the world where abortion law differs in different parts of the country. WEL argued that while judicial interpretation of the law has liberalised access in some states, restrictive statutes remain. Access to safe abortion is therefore unequal and sporadic enforcement of statutory laws causes uncertainty and fear. Because most abortions are conducted in special clinics and these are generally located in capital cities, women from rural and remote areas lack equal access to services.
Also in 1988, WEL submitted a response to the Discussion Paper on a National Policy on Women's Health to the Special Consultant to the Minister for Community Services and Health. While endorsing the Discussion Paper's recommendations, WEL called for more emphasis on acknowledgement of the health risks associated with motherhood, especially for those who are geographically or socially isolated. It recommended tied funding be used to expand the role of Infant and Maternal Health Centres into "Neighbourhood Health Centres".
A submission was also made by the Right To Choose Coalition, representing WEL, the Union of Australian Women and the YWCA of Melbourne. This submission asserted that it is vital to a woman's health during her reproductive years to have the choice of abortion if she does not wish to continue a pregnancy. It pointed out that legislation banning abortion does not prevent women from terminating pregnancies but causes them to resort to illegal and unsafe abortion. It recommended:
On a number of occasions, there have been attempts to restrict access to abortions by removing their funding from Medicare. In 1979, the Lusher Bill was defeated after a concerted campaign by WEL in conjunction with a coalition of other interested women's groups. Again in 1990, Alisdair Webster (Liberal NSW) sought to introduce a bill to abolish Medicare funding for abortions. WEL lobbied vigorously to ensure this bill did not proceed, on the basis that its intent was not to prohibit abortion but to prevent poor women having access to a safe medical procedure and having to resort instead to backyard abortion. WEL pointed out that no legislation has ever prevented desperate women from terminating unwanted pregnancies.
Last year, WEL supported all the recommendations of the Review of Services for the Termination of Pregnancy in Australia (National Health and Medical Research Council Draft Consultation Document, October 1995) but added the need to ensure abortion was finally removed from the criminal codes by recommending “That all State and Territory Governments be strongly encouraged to remove sections referring to abortion from their respective Crimes Acts immediately”.
Page created 01 October 1996; last updated 21 June 1999