We know that, unfortunately, harassment and intimidation from protestors outside abortion clinics is a growing problem in the UK. Women attending appointments at these clinics often face verbal abuse and threats, they are filmed, followed and intimidated by anti-abortion protestors. To decide to have an abortion is a very personal decision, and women have the right to make that choice without facing harassment every time they try to access their legal right to healthcare.
For years, pro-choice groups and health clinics have been asking for ‘buffer zones’ to be enforced in the UK in order to protect women entering abortion clinics. This would prohibit protesting outside clinics, in order to create a safe space for women seeking medical advice. It is a measure that has been explored internationally; Victoria, Australia for example, passed a bill enforcing anti-protest zones in 2015. The idea has even been discussed in the UK before, but without any results.
On Tuesday, Ealing Council became the first to make a real step towards addressing the problem when it agreed to look into a possible Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) around the Marie Stopes clinic in West London.
Julian Bell, the Labour leader of Ealing Council, said: "Ealing Council is committed to ending the intimidation and harassment faced by those seeking legally available medical support." Mr Bell also called for Government to provide a "national solution" to harassment outside abortion clinics." Since Ealing first raised this issue, it has become clear that behaviour of this kind is happening at clinics across the country," he added.
Hopefully a national solution could be on its way soon, since the government are finally addressing the problem directly and looking into protections for women using abortion clinics.
Home secretary Amber Rudd issued a review into harassment and intimidation outside clinics back in November, and now the Home Office is appealing for people who have experienced protest activity outside abortion clinics to fill out a questionnaire.
This appeal has been issued in order to gauge the scale, frequency and nature of the protests. ‘The review will collect the detailed evidence and firm recommendations that allow us to take the right action to tackle this problem,’ says Amber Rudd.
Anyone who has ‘experience of protest activity outside abortion clinics’ is invited to contribute evidence.
It is important that the government receives this anecdotal evidence so that the extent of the problem can be observed, and we can finally move towards better protections for women attending abortion clinics.
To share your experience, you can complete this online questionnaire, or alternatively send your story to ACPReview@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk
All contributions must be received by 19 February.
Follow Annie Simon on Twitter: @annieasimon
This article originally appeared on The Debrief.