A march for reproductive rights is being held today at 12:30pm. The march is being organised by Organise Aotearoa, ALRANZ, the Victoria University Feminist Organisation, and the Feminist Law Society.

Speakers will include Jan Logie from the Green Party, Priyanca Radhakrishnan from the Labour Party, long time women’s-rights advocate Sue Bradford, and sex workers rights advocate Dame Catherine Healy.

“The state of abortion rights in New Zealand is embarrassing,” says Organise Aotearoa spokesperson Kate McIntyre. “The law has been stuck in a state of unacceptable compromise since 1977, and has caused significant stress and grief for those seeking abortions.”

In 1977, the Contraception, Sterilisation, and Abortion Act allowed for abortions to be signed off by two GPs in instances where incest or foetal impairment was involved, or if continuing the pregnancy would significantly danger their health or mental health.

According to McIntyre, this has resulted in people having to lie and jump through hoops to receive abortions.

“Unplanned pregnancies can result in job losses and significant financial strain,” says McIntyre. “Poor, working class, and rural women in particular feel the weight of our current state of abortion access. It shouldn’t be this difficult.”

“We’re asking for a choice-based model that trusts us to make informed decisions about our own health, our own bodies, and how we plan our own families. Just as nobody should be denied the right to continue a pregnancy if they wish to, they also shouldn’t be pressured to continue a pregnancy against their will.”

The march will be held from Frank Kitts Park to Parliament at 12:30pm. Live music performances will follow a lineup of speakers.

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