successfully prosecuted for murder.
themselves, who have tried to self-abort.
contraceptive Planning Association students.
By Barbara, South London Revolution Group and Sarah Koelofts, National Abortion Campaign Representatives from Revolation groups all around the country met in Birmingham on March ascussed the youth contingent in the International Campaign Rights demon@ration on 31 March.
The meeting decided upport the demonstration and to carry a banner WIED.
*Free abortion and contraception for youth. Abolish the age of consent.
Why did we decide to raise this slogan?
It is clear that nowhere in the world do women have the right to fully control their fertility or their sexuality.
Repressive laws make contraception and abortion diffiFIFTEEN hundred women are A WEST Indian school student, last term, kept her pregnancy secret from everyone. She eventually gave birth at home, alone, while her father was at work. The baby did not survive. She was found out and *Ten years after the 1967 Abortion Act, young women at school can still talk of friends, knitting needles and things — it's not that unusual.' *Five years after being instructed to provide free advice and appliances, is rarely used by *A lot of school students feel that family planning clinics aren't really for them. It's only those with "liberal" parents who know about these things.' cult to obtain. Even our own "liberal' law depends upon the goodwill of doctors who decide against conscience allow abortion.
The problems are bad for all women - but for the youth and they are ten times worse:
The youth are denied sex education Or receive ver inadequate contraceptive adbecause encourage 'promiscuity'. the The contraceptive facilities are not geared to our needs -they off-putting And insist on parental consent or knowledge, because women do not reach the age of consent' until they are 16.
The discussion led us to one overwhelming Abortion and contraception righis were meaningless for the the miners, the nurses, Trico| if not They use the Family school can their an youth without the abolition of the idea of an 'age of consent'. We think that it is young people themselves who must decide about their sexuality and not the law or the state.
Until young people have the final word on might want a sexual relationship or Many rights contraception and abortion will not be equally applied to them. and We can imagine the gasps of often horror from some people.
were a little nervous ourselves to start with.
But how many of those gasps of horror come from people who don't think the youth can conclusion decide sexuality, polities, education, the lot. veloping our own.
And "protecting' whether they protecting regarding trom like men, from adults from each other. the 'age of consent' anyone.
anything place then prosecuted under the governing sexual assault.
women - puberty.
they are 21.
ship. they say, used. you start thinking about protection remember that most repressive legislation has a rationale that it something.
Protecting society from extremists, protecting government 'normal' people 'perverts'. protecting women from having to work protecting youth - or in this case, You see, we don't think that protects It doesn't protect women from rape. If a rape has taken ERe man laws affects women, and have taken who have reached They are not so lenient with just male gays, who cannot consent to sexual relationships until These laws are used when there is a consenting relationThat's almost the rationale for their existence.
If the young women won't get up in court and say she was raped, if she refuses to give any evidence other than that she wanted the relationship, then 'but she's under 16 and couldn't consent' Actually, the law is rarely Recently, Anderton, Manchester's chief constable, famous for his moral clean-up campaign, has used the law. Against the youth.
A young woman of became pregnant, and had an illegal abortion. She was caught and done for murder. Her lover, a year or two older, was done for "statutory' rape.
That's what it's called. Why? Because it's not really rape film - both male and female wanted the relationship.
If it was rape then it would be a rape case — not a statutor rape' case, whatever the age of the people involved.
Of course we think the youth should have much better sex education as well - from the moment that we go to school.
So that the youth can make informed choice about whether we want to have a sexual relationship or not.
But we won't get that as long as we are told that we can't decide about our sexuality at decide when that is.
And lowering it to puberty emphasises that's when sexuality 'starts. This helps THOSE people who want to maintain women especially - that we can only have sex or sexual feelings once we have started producing eggs ahe cal save babes.
It's just the old stuff of tying women's sexuality to reproduction.
So we say that we'll decide about our sexuality and abolish the age of consent.
The demonstration on the 31 March, has been called to demand the right of women all over the world to control their own fertility. Other demon strations will be taking place on the same day in other parts of Revolution will be supporting the demonstration with its own banner. Revolution has also organised a tour of the National Abortion Campaign Whose Choice? speakers from NAC and ICAR ICAR has produced a youth leaflet distribution SCHOOS and youth clubs. (especially youth ohly buses is Transport demo also being organised.
Revolution hopes that the youth contingent will have a big impact on the demonstration with music, banners, placards and streamers For details of the film tour contact: Jude on 01-228 2223 For posters, leaflets, badges contact: NAC, 374 Gray's Inn Rd, London. 01-278 0153.