Canadians for Choice Bowl-a-Thon Striking Down Barriers to Abortion Local Sexual Health and Reproductive Rights Activists Gear Up for Bowling Fundraiser to Help Women in Need Exercise their Choice

 

Ottawa, February 10th, 2011 - On April 28th, supporters of sexual health and reproductive rights will be trying something new: bowling for abortion access!  The event will take place at the West Park Bowling Centre, located at 1205 Wellington Street.

 

Canadians for Choice (CFC) is a pro-choice, non-profit charitable organization dedicated to ensuring reproductive choice for all Canadians. They provide unbiased information on all options available to women facing an unplanned pregnancy. CFC is hosting the Canadians for Choice Bowl-a-Thon, a community fundraiser for their Norma Scarborough Emergency Fund. It is part of a series of events planned by the National Network of Abortion Funds (NNAF) happening throughout the month of April across the United States. This will be the first time that a NNAF bowl-a-thon takes place in Canada.

 

The Norma Scarborough Emergency Fund provides financial support to women who must travel long distances in order to access abortion services. One such case was a young woman in British Columbia. She phoned her local hospital and was told that abortions were not available there. She called Canadians for Choice a week later in desperate need of support. With two young children, she could not bear to continue her pregnancy. By that time, she had passed the gestational limit for abortions where she lived. She now had to travel to Vancouver to obtain an abortion, but she could not afford the cost of a bus ticket. The Norma Scarborough Emergency Fund helped her get to Vancouver where she was finally able to obtain the medical care she so urgently needed.

 

“The women who call us face incredible barriers when trying to exercise their reproductive choice,” says Agathe Gramet-Kedzior, Acting Executive Director of Canadians for Choice. “Fortunately, Canadians for Choice is there to help. Now members of the community will have the opportunity to help as well.”

 

To get involved with the fundraiser, community members captain Bowl-a-Thon teams of 4-6 people.  Captains ensure that their team meets the fundraising goal for the event – fundraising that goes directly to help women across Canada get to the abortion care they need. Canadians for Choice is encouraging bowlers to be creative with their team names as well as their fundraising efforts.

 

To sign up for the Bowl-a-Thon, visit http://bowlathon.nnaf.org/ or volunteer@canadiansforchoice.ca.

 

For more information or to schedule an interview, contact Agathe Gramet-Kedzior, Acting Executive Director at 613-789-9958 ext. 223 or director@canadiansforchoice.ca.







Focus on abortion services in Quebec

November 30, 2010 _  _ Canadians for Choice and the Fédération du Québec pour le planning des naissances unveil the results of the research “Focus on abortion services in Quebec.”

“The feminist movement in Quebec has ardently fought to obtain accessible and free abortion services. Yet the fact remains that Quebec women still face many obstacles when they choose to terminate a pregnancy,” deplores Ainsley Jenicek, Project Manager of the Fédération du Québec pour le planning des naissances (FPQN).

“We were shocked to see that it is still difficult to obtain information about abortion in Quebec,” says Patricia LaRue, Executive Director of Canadians for Choice (CFC). “In facilities providing abortion services, information about available services is easily accessible in only 55% of cases. Several hospitals and CLSCs not offering the service are unable to refer women to appropriate services, sometimes even permitting themselves to express value judgments about abortion,” she said.

The research document presents a number of conclusions regarding the organization of pregnancy termination services across Quebec based on anonymous calls to all hospitals and CLSCs in Quebec as well as interviews with abortion providers. “We found that even today, some women are made to wait up to three or four weeks before ending a pregnancy. Moreover, the cost of this procedure remains a barrier for women without health insurance cards and who cannot afford it since more than half of the points of service are unable to offer financial aid,” continues Ms. Jenicek.

“One of the most significant barriers to access is the presence of certain crisis pregnancy centers that do not present themselves as being opposed to abortion but offer false information about the consequences of abortion,” she says.

“Despite these barriers, Quebec remains the province with the most accessible abortion services,” concludes Ms. LaRue. “Abortion providers across Quebec have shown great dedication, often working overtime in order to provide quality services to women in need.”

“Focus on abortion services in Quebec” is available online at:
French: www.fqpn.qc.ca/contenu/pdf/RechercheACLCFQPN2010.pdf

English: http://www.canadiansforchoice.ca/focus_on_quebec.html

 

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For more information:
Patricia LaRue
Executive Director, Canadians for Choice
(613) 789-9958 ext 223

Ainsley Jenicek
Project Manager, Fédération du Québec pour le planning des naissances

(514) 866-3721






Opinion Statement for 14 May 2009

On May 14th, Ottawa will be the stage for a pro-life march, an action to countermark the 40 years since the adoption of the Omnibus Bill which amended the laws on abortion and contraception. This march is part of a series of actions that have taken place since the beginning of February 2009. On each day of Lent, demonstrators have organized vigils at abortion clinics across Canada and the United States, the origin of the initiative four years ago. These vigils are the work of anti-choice Canadian organizations who are on a crusade to maintain “good morality”, to respect life in all its forms including the unborn, and to maintain the traditional family.

As pro-choice groups, the Fédération du Québec pour le Planning des Naissances, Canadians For Choice, and Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada, we are hardly against life, but in favor of women’s rights to exercise a most fundamental choice, that is, whether or not to give birth. We cannot stand by silently while these vigils take place.

The demonstrators in front of the clinics are anti-choice religious groups that, on the pretext of respecting life, show no respect for women’s rights to choose either the privacy or the medical treatment that is their right in confidence. These demonstrations intend to intimidate and pass moral judgment on the women seeking abortion services by making them hostages at the entrances to the clinics, tormenting them at the very time and place they seek this medically and legally recognized procedure. This, despite numerous laws, court decisions and injunctions that have limited or banned such activities in front of the clinics in order to preserve confidentiality and the right to privacy for women who face a personal choice that is important for their future.

These recent actions of the anti-choice movement reveal the demonstrators’ complete lack of respect for women. We are reminded of the recent controversy involving a 9-year old Brazilian girl, pregnant with twins as a result of being raped by her father-in-law. After having undergone an abortion, her mother and her medical team were all excommunicated from the Catholic church. The religious leaders clearly demonstrated no understanding of the girl’s situation. Moreover, these anti-choice actions remind us once again of the “debate” surrounding women’s rights, most specifically, the right for women to choose which is necessary for them, the right to equality and respect for their decisions, the right for a risk-free pregnancy. A woman who chooses an abortion never takes the decision lightly. It is a complex and difficult choice. This choice deserves our respect and support. In parallel with these actions, petitions have been distributed, especially by some Catholic school boards, to propose a new law “to protect the foetus”. Once again, it is inconceivable to us that a number of Catholic primary schools, all of whom receive funding from our Canadian taxes, would promote such archaic and disrespectful anti-woman ideas. We mustn’t forget that access to abortion services has saved the lives of countless thousands of women worldwide. We know that respect for life includes respect for women's lives and their reproductive rights.

For 20 years, women have continued the struggle to guarantee abortion rights in Canada. Many anti-choice threats, coming from the conservative religious right-wing, constitute a relentless abortion-centered attack which no longer has legitimate purpose in our society in 2009. Shouldn’t we be moving on to more important struggles?



Canadians for Choice congratulates Dr. Morgentaler on being invested into the Order of Canada

October 10th , 2008 _ _Canadians for Choice congratulates Dr. Henry Morgentaler on being invested into the Order of Canada. This is a historic day that recognizes the deep commitment and contributions that Dr. Morgentaler has made in ensuring the health and well-being of women across Canada by promoting their reproductive health and rights. “In the face of seemingly insurmountable challenges, Dr. Morgentaler persevered to achieve women’s safety which is compromised by illegal abortions, and can lead to severe complications and death.” says Dr. Norman Barwin, President of Canadians for Choice and fellow member of the Order of Canada

“We speak to women every day who are faced with an unplanned pregnancy.” says Erin Leigh, Acting Executive Director of Canadians for Choice “Many are relieved to have the option of abortion, and to have the right to make decisions about their future and control over their own destiny”. Dr. Morgentaler’s indefatigable dedication to reproductive rights is highly commendable, and deserving of the Order of Canada.

Canadians for Choice (CFC) is a national pro-choice charitable organisation that regards sexual and reproductive rights as an integral part of the health and well-being of all persons. Launched in 2004, CFC has a mandate to conduct research on the social, legal, medical and policy aspects of reproductive health, and to use that information to educate and train health care professionals in the delivery of reproductive health services, and to provide sexual and reproductive health information, including information about service availability, to the general public.

CFC envisages a world where individuals- regardless of age, ability, race, gender, sexual orientation, place of residence, socio-economic and other status- have access to the information, resources and services required to make and exercise informed choices on all aspects of their sexual and reproductive health and rights.

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For further information, contact:

Dr. Norman Barwin,
President, Canadians for Choice 613-728-5711

Or

Erin Leigh,
Acting Executive Director, Canadians for Choice Tel: 613-789-9958 x223



Canadians for Choice applauds Dr. Morgentaler’s appointment to the Order of Canada

July 4th, 2008 _ _“Dr. Morgentaler is a physician who has demonstrated strength of character, a sense of determination and despite many setbacks has been an outstanding example of a caring person who has persevered for the safety of women and saved untold women from the complications of illegal abortion and death. For this reason, Dr Morgentaler is worthy of the Order of Canada and recognition of his contribution to the health of women”, says Dr. Norman Barwin, President of Canadians for Choice and fellow member of the Order of Canada

On July 1st, 2008, Governor General Michaëlle Jean announced the appointment of Dr. Henry Morgentaler to the Order of Canada for his “commitment to increased health care options for women, his determined efforts to influence Canadian public policy and his leadership in humanist and civil liberties organizations”. The Order of Canada, the country’s highest civilian award, is meant to celebrate people who dedicate their entire life to make Canada a better county.

Dr. Henry Morgentaler spent his professional life fighting to ensure that Canadian women could have control over their bodies. He has risked his career, his health and even his own safety to provide women with access to safe medical abortions.

“Every day, I speak to women who are faced with an unplanned pregnancy” says Patricia LaRue, Executive Director at Canadians for Choice. “Many of these women are relieved to know they have the option to have an abortion. Without Dr. Morgentaler, they would not have a choice. Many would resort to clandestine, unsafe abortions like they did before the 1988 Morgentaler decision.” Women from all walks of life are deeply thankful to Dr. Morgentaler for his efforts and the personal sacrifices he has made to promote their health and well-being by giving them the possibility to control their destiny.

Dr. Morgentaler deserves the award because he has changed the course of history for Canadian women. Canadians for Choice applauds the decision to appoint him as a member of the Order of Canada.

Canadians for Choice is a national pro-choice charitable organisation that regards sexual and reproductive rights as an integral part of the health and well-being of all persons. Launched in 2004, CFC has a mandate to conduct research on the social, legal, medical and policy aspects of reproductive health, and to use that information to educate and train health care professionals in the delivery of reproductive health services, and to provide sexual and reproductive health information, including information about service availability, to the general public.

CFC envisages a world where individuals- regardless of age, ability, race, gender, sexual orientation, place of residence, socio-economic and other status- have access to the information, resources and services required to make and exercise informed choices on all aspects of their sexual and reproductive health and rights.

###
For further information, contact:

Dr. Norman Barwin,
President, Canadians for Choice 613-728-5711

Or

Patricia LaRue,
Executive Director, Canadians for Choice Tel: 613-789-9958 x223



20th Anniversary of the Decriminalization of Abortion in Canada - Time to Celebrate but Also Acknowledge the Challenges Ahead in Safeguarding a Woman's Right to Choose
Launch of the "Proudly Pro-Choice" Year-Long Campaign and Web site


Ottawa, January 28, 2008 -- Today, on January 28th, women and men all over Canada will be remembering and celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Morgentaler decision which decriminalized abortion in Canada and in doing so made the accessibility of safe abortions a reality to Canadian women. Be "Proudly Pro-Choice", say pro-choice organizations Action Canada for Population and Development (ACPD), Canadians for Choice (CFC) and the Canadian Federation for Sexual Health (CFSH) during the Parliament Hill launch of an on-line campaign in support of women's right to choose. “We ask Canadians to stand with us and affirm your pro-choice beliefs”, they say collectively. “Wear your pro-choice buttons, get involved in the pro-choice movement and celebrate how far we’ve come.”

However, while it is a time for celebration, the anniversary is also an opportunity to acknowledge the challenges that lay ahead in safeguarding a woman's right to choose.

"Many Canadian women still face incredible barriers such as unknowledgeable staff members, anti-choice healthcare professionals, unexpected costs and travel time, a lack of reciprocal billing, bad referrals and the fact that they have to leave a message on a voicemail instead of talking to a live person. All of these barriers prevent women from exercising their right to control their fertility”, states Patricia LaRue, Executive Director of Canadians for Choice.

In 2006, Canadians for Choice initiated a comprehensive study that documented the accessibility of abortion services in Canadian hospitals. In April 2007, the findings of the research were released in a report entitled "Reality Check" and presented the following observations:
  • Since 2003, the percentage of hospitals with accessible abortion services has decreased from 17.8% to 15.9%; this means that abortion services are only accessible at 1 in every 6 hospitals.

  • 3 out of 4 times, the researcher spoke with hospital staff members who were ignorant about the issue of abortion and the services their hospital provided. 75% of staff members reacted to inquiries about abortion with disbelief, confusion or a complete lack of knowledge.

  • Hospital abortion services are poorly dispersed across Canada, the majority of which are located in urban areas, within 150 kilometres of the American border.


Peggy Cooke, winner of the Pro-Choice Canada Contest has experienced first hand the hurdles women in New-Brunswick have to overcome when trying to express their right to choose. Ms. Cooke writes of her experience as a Fredericton Morgentaler Clinic escort and says, “How can women be so abused by the system when all this time we thought we were living in an enlightened society? No woman, faced with an unplanned pregnancy should have to go through the ordeal that many of the women in New Brunswick have to go through. As long as there is still one woman facing that kind of judgement in order to have an abortion, we do not live in a pro-choice Canada.”

“Though the Morgentaler decision clearly represents a legal victory in support of women's rights, an anti-choice government could damage such rights without doing more than pass legislation,” declares Katherine McDonald, LL.M, LL.B, Executive Director of Action Canada for Population and Development. “From a governmental perspective, anti-choice actions can range from appointing anti-choice Ministers, or senior bureaucrats, who then make anti-choice policy on women’s rights, human rights, and sexual and reproductive health. They can appoint anti-choice judges. They can stop funding clinics, refuse to approve new contraceptives, refuse to approve medical abortion, refuse to ensure that provinces provide abortion services, and not actively intervene to ensure that provinces provide comprehensive sexual education programs to effectively reduce the incidence of teen pregnancy and HIV/AIDS.”

“We at Canadian Federation for Sexual Health are fearing for the next generation who are being bombarded by shocking misinformation and anti-choice campaigns based on fear-mongering. In the absence of consistent sexual health education and youth-friendly services, youth are being denied the information they need to make informed decisions,” says Linda Capperauld, Executive Director of the Canadian Federation for Sexual Health.

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For further information, please contact: Johanne Fillion, Phone: (613) 562-0880 ext. 228 or Cell. (613) 852-8392



NOTE: The ‘Proudly Pro-Choice’ Web site and information to order buttons can be found at: www.proudlyprochoice.com. The Canadians for Choice report “Reality Check: A Close Look at Accessing Abortion Services in Canadian Hospitals” is available on line at www.canadiansforchoice.ca.




The Reality of Accessing Abortion Services in Canadian Hospitals Canadians for Choice unveils Canada’s most recent study on how accessible abortion services really are


Ottawa, April 2, 2007 – Today, Canadians for Choice (CFC) released Canada’s most current report on the accessibility of abortion services in Canadian hospitals.

Some of the key findings of Reality Check: A Close Look at Accessing Abortion Services in Canadian include:
  • Since 2003, the percentage of hospitals with accessible abortion services has decreased from 17.8% to 15.9%; this means that abortion services are only accessible at 1 in every 6 hospitals.
  • 3 out of 4 times, our researcher spoke with hospital staff members who were ignorant about the issue of abortion and the services their hospital provided abortion. 75% of staff members react to inquiries about abortion with disbelief, confusion or a complete lack of knowledge.
  • Hospital abortion services are poorly dispersed across Canada, the majority of which are located in urban areas, within 150 kilometres of the American border.

“The fight for reproductive freedom in Canada is still an area that needs a lot of attention” explains Dr. Norman Barwin, President of Canadians for Choice. “Too many Canadians think that when abortion became decriminalised through the Morgentaler decision of 1988, that access became a non-issue. Our research shows that this is not the case.” Aside from outlining the national findings of the study, Reality Check breaks down the situation by province and territory, giving each region in Canada a thorough examination.

“It’s shocking to see the way women are still being treated when they ask about abortion services”, comments Patricia LaRue, Executive Director of Canadians for Choice. “The personal testimonies from women who have sought abortion services illustrates that healthcare professionals often express incredibly judgmental and coercive comments or attitudes.”

Jessica Shaw, Research Coordinator of Canadians for Choice and chief investigator of the report, explains that, “despite the fact that abortion has been decriminalised for over nineteen years, many Canadian women still face incredible barriers such as unknowledgeable staff members, anti-choice healthcare professionals, unexpected costs and travel time, the lack of reciprocal billing, bad referrals and the fact that they have to leave a message on a voicemail instead of talking to a live person. All of these barriers prevent women from exercising their right to control their fertility. This is why Canadians for Choice has committed to conducting research on the accessibility of abortion services every three years. Updating this information is critical in ensuring that all Canadians are well informed about their sexual and reproductive health and rights.”

Canadians for Choice is a national pro-choice charitable organisation that regards sexual and reproductive rights as an integral part of the health and well-being of all persons. Launched in 2004, CFC has a mandate to conduct research on the social, legal, medical and policy aspects of reproductive health, and to use that information to educate and train health care professionals in the delivery of reproductive health services, and to provide sexual and reproductive health information, including information about service availability, to the general public.

CFC envisages a world where individuals- regardless of age, ability, race, gender, sexual orientation, place of residence, socio-economic and other status- have access to the information, resources and services required to make and exercise informed choices on all aspects of their sexual and reproductive health and rights.

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For further information, please view the Reality Check: A Close Look at Accessing Abortion Services in Canadian Hospitals promotional brochure online at www.canadiansforchoice.ca or contact Canadians for Choice:

Patricia LaRue, Executive Director
Tel: 613-789-9958 x223
Toll-free: 1-888-642-2725
Fax: 613-789-9960
Email: director@canadiansforchoice.ca




Choice Update:
Access to abortion and other critical services: where are we 18 years later?


Ottawa, January 26, 2006 - Canadians for Choice (CFC) announced today a plan to mark the anniversary of the Supreme Court's 1988 Morgentaler decision with an annual update on sexual and reproductive choice in Canada.

Canadian women and men deserve to know whether access to sexual and reproductive health services is getting better or worse, explains Dr. Norman Barwin, Chair of Canadians for Choice. We have a baseline against which to measure whether a woman's right to choose is being rolled back.

That baseline shows that eighteen years after the historic Morgentaler decision, Canadian women still face challenges with realizing choice, in particular with access to abortion services. A recent national study of access to abortion servicesi at hospitals across Canada found that:


• only 17.8% of all general hospitals in Canada perform abortions, with some jurisdictions, such as Prince Edward Island and Nunavut offering no hospital abortion services at all;
• even hospitals providing abortions place obstacles in the way of women trying to obtain one, including restrictive gestational limits and long wait times (sometimes 2-3 weeks);
• in many cases, hospital employees are not able to provide women with information about alternative resources;
• physicians and hospital employees deny women access by refusing information and referrals, or by referring women to anti-choice agencies; and
• many women have to travel significant distances to obtain abortion services, which is time consuming, expensive, and conflicts with work and child care. Canadian women still lack access to medicalized abortion, by which an early pregnancy can be terminated through taking drugs. The abortion drug mifepristone (RU486) is not yet available in Canada, even though it was recently added to the World Health Organization's list of "essential medicines" needed to improve health and save lives in 2005.ii

Many people, particularly young women, think that because abortion is legal in Canada, it will also be readily accessible if they need it, noted Morag Humble, a Canadians for Choice member. People need to understand the complexity of the situation, both to protect themselves and to ensure that basic rights are not eroded.

CFC will work in the coming year to update data on the availability of both hospital and clinic abortion services in Canada, and will closely monitor other services such as access to medicalized abortion, emergency contraception, and other important sexual and reproductive health services that form the foundation of a comprehensive view on choice. This information will be the foundation for educational campaigns among both health professionals and the general public. While abortion access is problematic for many women, there were two significant achievements improving sexual and reproductive choice in Canada during 2005: ! the House of Commons voted in June to guarantee full marriage rights to same-sex couples, a major step in eliminating discrimination on the basis of sexuality; and ! in April, Health Canada approved emergency contraception for sale in pharmacies without a doctor's prescription. Emergency Contraception, marketed in Canada as "Plan B" can prevent pregnancy if taken within 72 hours of unprotected sex. These are significant achievements that will improve the lives of many Canadians. CFC will celebrate all aspects of choice for Canadians, said Dr. Barwin. On January 28, 1988, the Supreme Court declared Canada's abortion law unconstitutional and struck it down, declaring that it unreasonably restricted a woman's right to life, liberty, dignity and security of person. This ruling, known as the Morgentaler decision, removed abortion from the Criminal Code.

Canadians for Choice is a national pro-choice charitable organization that regards sexual and reproductive rights as an integral part of the health and well-being of all persons. Launched in 2004, CFC has a mandate to conduct research on the social, legal, medical and policy aspects of reproductive health, and to use that information to educate and train health care professionals in the delivery of reproductive health services, and to provide sexual and reproductive health information, including information about service availability, to the general public.

CFC envisages a world where individuals regardless of age, ability, race, gender, sexual orientation, place of residence, socio-economic and other status have access to the information, resources and services required to make and exercise informed choices on all aspects of their sexual and reproductive health and rights.

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For further information, please contact:
CFC, 613-789-9958, or toll-free: 1-888-642-2725
Note:
Press kit and copies of the baseline 2003 report Freedom of Choice: Protecting Abortion Rights in Canada are available on line at www.canadiansforchoice.ca


i Canadian Abortion Rights Action League, Freedom of Choice: Protecting Abortion Rights in Canada. Ottawa, CARAL, 2003.
ii RU486 has been available in France since 1988 and in the US since 2000.