evolve discuss cuts and closures in large the health service. The idea atutes, elf to a of a Women and Health mass Tribunal, raised at the recent Women and Health Conference, is also being discussed.
It is hoped to national trade union conference on abortion facilities by spring 1980.
More immediately, campaigners will be confronting prospective candidates the General demand that they actively fight for changes legislation, as well as for more facilities now. ng the NAC will be holding a pro- meeting for people willing to ities is support the day-care camthe paign at the ring all Garrett Anderson Hospital it pre- in London - itself at the reising centre of a struggle for women's health rights — on npaign 27 April.
TONI GORTON, convenor of the planned this Saturday's events. hold a happens next.
to is trying are internationally.
Elizabeth The Church, agencies, the international drug companies La united kind.
H88018 Labour Abortion Rights Campaign, has attended most of the international meetings which have She spoke to Socialist Challenge about how the collaboration come about and what How did the international coordination reach its present impressive level?
there The beginnings were tentative, but the need was obvious. Everywhere the state exert its control over women's fertility, and the anti-aborthighly organised population control Right to Lifers, all Havctaken oracuca measures to noun offensive against women's interests. So women have to respond in The need for collaboration was also evident at the practical level in cases where women are unable to obtain their ownl country because of restrictive laws.
In Britain, abortions have been easier to obtain than in Spain or Italy, so links were often first established through these channels.
And once abortion campaigns got off the ground in different countries, was need exchange information and experiences.
Will the internationalist co-ordination extend beyond 31 March?
Most definitely. One major proposal to GISCUSSEE next planning meeting to be held Amsterdam next month, for example Is an appeal 10l an internatonal conference on fertility control.
Some of the debates which needed at such a conference have already become clear from the planning meetings. For instance, some Maoists have argued that it's necessary to build the abortion movement women's movement before taking up the broader fight.
I don't think we can envisage the campaign as developing "stages. feminist movement and ensure it takes the lead, but that doesn't preclude winning support in movement.
This is just one example. But it points to the need for a thorough international debate on strateev for an internationa campaign.
Amsterdam discussing an abortion manifesto for the Common Market in June. We want a united offensive to put candidates on the spot about their commitment to women's tertility control.
are that CONSCHSUS inside the our label?
these We want to involve the capitalism labour report we will asc be organise in for venue).
your discussed strategy discussed wanted plenaries. Could we decide things there really change women's activities? Were we trying to develop a was that even possible?
What, in fact, did we mean by socialist feminism, and how much was there contradiction between the two halves ol None of these questions could be resolved, but the discussions which ranged over many other issues what we would do in the General Election to whether it is possible to make a free choice on childbirth under - seemed to many of us to be a step forward from our previous conferences, despite the unevenness.
*Follow up meeting to produce a this year's socialist feminist conference and begin to next year's. Sanna Hall April 1.30pm-6рm St Ann's Venn St, London SW4 (check WIRES If you can't come but want to send comments, please write to: Villa Road, Brixton. London SWI1.
Socialist Challenge 29 March 1979 page