Supporting a woman’s right to choose

SINCE she reopened the abortion debate in 2018, Member of Parliament Juliet Cuthbert-Flynn has become the face of the fight. It has indeed been a challenge for the Minister of State in the Ministry of Health and Wellness to remain in the ring, but she keeps fighting for Jamaican women’s right to choose whether they want to bear children. Cuthbert-Flynn has been an unwavering voice for the cause that she chose to challenge on behalf of her constituents, and today, on International Women’s Day, we celebrate her resilience in refusing to be silenced or ‘reined in’.

But Cuthbert-Flynn is not fighting alone. While she leads the charge in calling for action to be taken this time around where laws prohibiting abortions are concerned, she also has a number of allies on both sides of the house. Because of the polarising views that exist whenever the the topic of abortion comes up, many representatives have chosen to remain mum on the issue. But in recent weeks some of Cuthbert-Flynn’s allies have been explicitly stating their position on the matter, many of them in response to calls made on social media by Abortion Jamaica, a local volunteer-run group seeking to decriminalise abortions.

Among the parliamentarians who #ChooseToChallenge the law that makes abortions illegal are:

Lisa Hanna

Hanna has always been a champion of women’s reproductive rights, and as then minister of youth and culture, she called for a review of the laws in 2013. Now that the debate has been reignited, she fully supports Cuthbert-Flynn, despite them being on opposite sides of the floor, and has called on others to do the same.

“My stance on this issue is well known. But this needs all hands on deck,” she tweeted. “This isn’t about our political alliances, but about the countless women who need our representation on the fundamental issue of a women’s right to choose what happens to HER body.”

Alando Terrelonge

Minister of State in the Ministry of Culture Gender Entertainment and Sports Alando Terrelonge has been a very vocal male ally in the house.

“Though the arguments for or against abortion are politically polarising, the perceived immorality of abortion must no longer frustrate legislative action,” he wrote in a letter to the editor last month. “Rather than implementing laws that are fair and just for all, we continue to suffer our women to find ways, oftentimes unhealthy and unsafe, to terminate unwanted pregnancies. After 50 years of self-governance, it is time to abolish our antiquated abortion law, which discriminates against women and callously strips them of their right to choose what is in their best interest.”

Julian Robinson

Member of Parliament for St Andrew South Eastern, Julian Robinson, has also added his voice in support of amending the law. In his response to a constituent who contacted him asking his position, Robinson responded: “I support a woman’s right to safe and legal abortions.”

Lothan Cousins

The Member of Parliament for South-Western Clarendon shares similar views as his comrade brother Robinson. “I support a woman’s right to choose and to have access to safe and legal abortions. #AbortionStandJA” he tweeted.

Senator Gabriela J Morris

Opposition spokesperson on Youth and Sports, Senator Gabriela Morris, also supports a change in the law. “Offering legal and safe abortions is crucial to ensuring that the health and wellness of Jamaican women are safeguarded,” she said in a tweet. “While as individuals we may have our opinions as well as religious and moral persuasions, REAL LIVES ARE ON THE LINE. Time come. #AbortionStandJA”

Hugh Graham

“All actions have consequences and as individuals we live with the consequences of our CHOICES. We first start with a CHOICE,” Graham tweeted in February.

Fitz Jackson

“I fully support a woman’s right to access safe abortions. @AbortionJamaica #AbortionStandJA,” Jackson also tweeted.