No return to the back-streets. Support a woman's right to choose.

‘The release of ‘Vera Drake' could not be more timely', says Anne Quesney, Director of Abortion Rights. ‘Women's reproductive freedom and abortion rights are under threat across the world. Even in the UK, anti-choice groups relentlessly campaign to make abortion illegal. This film acts as a powerful reminder that making abortion illegal does not make it go away. Instead, it kills women. According to the World Health Organisation, every year at least 80,000 women die due to unsafe abortion. This is unacceptable'.

Abortion Rights applauds Mike Leigh's latest film. It is a compelling testimony of the hardship endured by women before abortion became legal in Britain. Prior to 1967, women who were faced with unwanted pregnancies, especially those from poorer backgrounds, had only two choices: they were either forced to continue with the pregnancy against their will or resort to a back-street abortionist. Many viewers will not remember the era prior to the legalisation of abortion when scores of women died or got severely injured.

ENDS

Abortion Rights is a grassroots campaigning organisation. It was formed in 2003 out of a merger between the Abortion Law Reform Association (ALRA) and the National Abortion Campaign (NAC). We campaign for the liberalisation of the current UK abortion law to ensure that all women in the UK have equal access to safe, legal, free abortion on request.

For further information, please contact Anne Quesney, Director of Abortion Rights on 020 7278 5539 or 07909 974 101