EMILYs List Australia Congratulate McGowan on a Step in the Right Direction
25/11/2022
EMILYs List Australia welcomes the McGowan Government steps to reform WA’s Abortion laws. WA was the first jurisdiction to decriminalise abortion, however these rules have remained unchanged for over 25 years. Although decriminalised accessibility has remained a hurdle with women needing to travel interstate to seek the treatment they required. EMILYs List Australia congratulate the McGowan government on taking the steps to amend the legislation to allow WA women to have access to health care in their own state. The four-week consultation process which began earlier this week will allow WA women to have their voice heard and to bring WA laws inline with other jurisdictions. Repealing abortion from the criminal code and decriminalising it fully acknowledges as it should that abortion is a medical treatment that should be between a woman and her Dr as do other medical treatments and not in politics.
Quote from Ms Pamela Anderson , CEO, EMILYs List Australia
“It is a very welcome change and we are pleased that the McGowan Government see’s the importance in women’s health to make this change now, the current laws are not workable especially for regional or remote women. It’s one thing to decriminalise abortion, they have to be accessible, I expect this to be the outcome of these changes.”
Quote from Ms Emily Hamilton MP, WA State Convenor, EMILYs List Australia
“Women across Western Australia should have access to safe abortion care. WA was the first state to decriminalise abortion 25 years ago through the work of former Upper House backbencher Labor’s Cheryl Davenport. Now it’s time to continue to modernise the laws to ensure that it is safe and accessible. The release of this week’s discussion paper builds on the McGowan Government’s safe access zone legislation that was passed last year in the WA Parliament.