It’s 2:30pm and the sun is blazing on the Dundee streets as I leave the International Women’s Centre. Engender has just hosted a "Vital Voices Gather" event, welcoming women to share their experiences of violence and transport.
"Get yer hand out yer pocket," is his opening line and to my astonishment, I do. I lift my hand and a nervous laugh escapes me. There’s a beat of silence as I cross paths with the man in question, then, "… and yer too fat!" I’m not sure if it’s decades of harassment or the unoriginality of the ‘insult’ – but I fold into laughter, tell the guy in question to "back off"- but in spicier language - pop my hand back in my pocket and stroll on.
I share this example, not because it’s unusual, it's an everyday occurrence for women across Scotland. For me, it provided further confirmation that the policing of women’s bodies is endemic in our society, in a week where this has come into sharp focus.
Sometimes it is pervasive, yelled on the street, sometimes it is quiet, behind closed doors and all too often it is entrenched within the very laws that ought to protect us.
Public Health Scotland has recently published statistics for 2022 which demonstrate a 19% increase in women accessing abortions in the past year.
Writing for Abortion Rights Scotland, Dr Audrey Brown notes that while there are many factors that influence the decision to have an abortion, the ongoing economic crisis is likely to be having a significant impact.
Data shows that the abortion rate in the most deprived areas in Scotland is now double that of the least deprived areas and while the increase is seen across all ages, there is a significant rise in the 16–19 age group.
The context makes the example of a mother of three in England being sentenced to two years for taking abortion pills at home after the legal time limit, all the more horrific. Organisations including the Royal Colleges of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists wrote to the judge in April to urge against the conviction, which is based on legislation from 1861. This appalling sentence serves no one least of all her three children who will now be separated from their mother for the duration of her time in prison.
Harassed on the street, punished under arcane Victorian criminal laws, or having to make reproductive decisions in part due to disproportionate economic pressures, women continue to face injustice.
Thankfully, it’s not all bad news. Three progressive changes are on the horizon.
In Scotland the First Minister has made a commitment to decriminalise abortion. Engender joined Abortion Rights Scotland and others outside parliament this week to call for the urgent delivery of this commitment.
MSP Gillian Mackay’s Safe Access Zones Bill will now progress through parliament, legislation which aims to prevent abortion protests around hospitals and clinics. It is crucial this bill comes to pass before the next election.
The Scottish Government consulted on new misogynistic harassment laws this week. While productive, it is essential that resource and leadership investment is made in this area.
These are welcome steps to progress, but the events of past weeks demonstrate that urgent leaps are needed to protect women.
Jade Stein is Communications & Engagement Manager with Engender
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