Abortion Rights, the national pro-choice campaign, has produced a model motion (below) to help women students across the country ensure wide support for a continued strong pro-choice stance at March 2007’s NUS Women’s Conference. The deadline for submitting motions is 8th December 2006.

NUS Women's Conference is where women students come together to debate and agree the priorities and actions for the NUS Women’s Campaign. The conference will take place in Coventry on 13-15 March 2007.

For information about how to get this motion agreed at your university or college and submitted to NUS, please see the NUS Notice of Conference document available at http://www.officeronline.co.uk/women/

Motion for NUS Women’s Conference 2009

Campaigning to protect and improve women’s abortion rights

Conference believes

Abortion rights are crucial to women’s equality and are supported by over three quarters of people in Britain.

The defeat in May 2008 of attempts to drive back women’s rights by lowering the abortion time limit was a huge victory for women, the pro-choice movement and Abortion Rights.

Working with supportive MPs, trade unionists, NUS and students, health workers and thousands of individuals, Abortion Rights led the campaigning – organising a myriad of national and local protests, demonstrations, rallies, public meetings, street stalls, fundraisers and lobbying initiatives.

The campaign also placed the call for improved rights, including for Northern Irish women, high on the political agenda. Abortion Rights, NUS, the TUC, many MPs and others believe that women deserved a decision in Parliament to improve the abortion law.

Worldwide 68,000 women die each year because of barriers to safe, legal abortion. US President Obama’s overturning of the ‘Global Gag’ rule is to be applauded.

Conference further believes

Anti-abortionists have pledged to attack rights again after the general election. Strong national campaigning will be needed to oppose this.

Women in Britain still commonly face unfair barriers to abortion - from obstructive GPs to NHS delays.Northern Irish women have virtually no abortion rights and every year thousands are forced to continue with their pregnancy or pay hundreds of pounds for services in Britain. Abortion Rights is working to make a powerful, evidence-based case for NHS funded care for Northern Irish women and improvements in NHS service provision in Britain.

Conference resolves to:

Reaffirm strong support for a woman’s right to choose an abortion, the 24-week time limit, and for improved to access to abortion services across the UK.

Re-affiliate to Abortion Rights – the national pro-choice campaign costing £175, donate £100 and actively support its campaigns including distributing its literature.