Primary Country (Mandatory)

United States

Other Country (Optional)

Set News Language for United States

Primary Language (Mandatory)
English
Other Language[s] (Optional)
No other language available

Set News Language for World

Primary Language (Mandatory)
English
Other Language(s) (Optional)

Set News Source for United States

Primary Source (Mandatory)
CNN
Other Source[s] (Optional)

Set News Source for World

Primary Source (Mandatory)
AajTak
Other Source(s) (Optional)
  • Countries
    • India
    • United States
    • Qatar
    • Germany
    • China
    • Canada
    • World
  • Categories
    • National
    • International
    • Business
    • Entertainment
    • Sports
    • Special
    • All Categories
  • Available Languages for United States
    • English
  • All Languages
    • English
    • Hindi
    • Arabic
    • German
    • Chinese
    • French
  • Sources
    • India
      • AajTak
      • NDTV India
      • The Hindu
      • India Today
      • Zee News
      • NDTV
      • BBC
      • The Wire
      • News18
      • News 24
      • The Quint
      • ABP News
      • Zee News
      • News 24
    • United States
      • CNN
      • Fox News
      • Al Jazeera
      • CBSN
      • NY Post
      • Voice of America
      • The New York Times
      • HuffPost
      • ABC News
      • Newsy
    • Qatar
      • Al Jazeera
      • Al Arab
      • The Peninsula
      • Gulf Times
      • Al Sharq
      • Qatar Tribune
      • Al Raya
      • Lusail
    • Germany
      • DW
      • ZDF
      • ProSieben
      • RTL
      • n-tv
      • Die Welt
      • Süddeutsche Zeitung
      • Frankfurter Rundschau
    • China
      • China Daily
      • BBC
      • The New York Times
      • Voice of America
      • Beijing Daily
      • The Epoch Times
      • Ta Kung Pao
      • Xinmin Evening News
    • Canada
      • CBC
      • Radio-Canada
      • CTV
      • TVA Nouvelles
      • Le Journal de Montréal
      • Global News
      • BNN Bloomberg
      • Métro
Regular Fit Jeans Buy Now
QINSEN Square Neck Tank Top Buy Now
Beefy-T Heavyweight Cotton Tee Buy Now
Musey Yoga Tank Top Buy Now
Men's Flat Front Trousers Buy Now
Short-Sleeve V-Neck T-Shirt Buy Now
2024 Ultrasonic Pest & Insect Repeller (6-Pack) Buy Now
OLEVS Mens Big Face Watch Buy Now
Insignia Fire TV 32 inch Smart HD 720p Buy Now
Bulova Precisionist Icon Watch Buy Now
LANEIGE Lip Glowy Balm Buy Now
Oversized Sunglasses for Women Buy Now
Workout Set: 5-Piece Exercise Outfits Buy Now
Dokotoo Pants for Women Buy Now
Kate Spade Kiya Sunglasses Buy Now
Elastic High Waisted Wide Leg Dress Pants Buy Now
Kitchen Vegetable Chopper Slicer Buy Now
Turtleneck Long Sleeve Cable Knit Sweaters Buy Now
Chiffon Muslim Head Scarf for Women Buy Now
COOFANDY Men's Plaid Denim Shirt Buy Now
MoreBack to News Headlines
The 30-year struggle for abortion access in P.E.I. shows how hard this fight can be

The 30-year struggle for abortion access in P.E.I. shows how hard this fight can be

CBC
Tuesday, May 17, 2022 9:25 AM GMT

This column is an opinion by Rebecca Viau, who helped lead the fight for abortion access on Prince Edward Island. For more information about CBC's Opinion section, please see the FAQ.

I have been on the front line of P.E.I.'s fight for abortion access. I saw firsthand the harm done when access to abortion is limited or restricted.

In 2014, I had stepped forward in the movement and became a beacon of sorts, a public face for people to connect to. Once someone connected with me seeking to access abortion services, I would mobilize the community-organized support network that could help them find the treatment they needed in a timely manner. Because abortion services weren't available on P.E.I. until 2017, anyone seeking an abortion had to travel off-Island for treatment.

Through this experience, I bore witness to many complex and often painful situations that people became trapped in due to restricted and limited access to abortion. I was compelled to share these stories with the public. Unjustly politicized, the discussion around abortion was often too quickly dehumanized and I wanted to help shift the conversation.

Through the website The Sovereign Uterus, I collected and published the stories of people who sought to access an abortion on P.E.I. The website made an impact. Over 100,000 people visited the site in the first month it was published — and people were talking about it. Conversations were shifting as people came to witness the harm being caused by the provincial government's refusal to provide access to abortion on the Island. 

Despite the shift in public opinion, with the majority of Islanders in support of providing abortion services on Island, the lawmakers made excuses or skirted the issue at every opportunity. P.E.I.'s 30-year prohibition on abortion services would not be lifted.

According to the province, Islanders were happy with the status quo and no changes to abortion access were needed. In the end it was a legal battle between the community-led organization Abortion Access Now P.E.I. (AAN PEI)  and the Government of P.E.I.  AAN PEI sued the government for infringing on Islanders' constitutional right to equal access to health-care services.

In the spring of 2016, three months after the notice was filed and before the legal case went to court, the P.E.I. government ended its restrictive abortion policy. The province acknowledged that the courts would have likely found that their abortion policy violated the charter, and announced they would open a women's health clinic and offer a full complement of reproductive health services including medical and surgical abortion.

And yes, all of that did happen.

However, what I find to be of particular note is that even with public support — even with proof of harm done — it still took 30 years for the provincial law to change. Neither pressure from the federal government nor public opinion could persuade P.E.I. to provide equitable access to abortion. It took 30 years of tireless effort, waves upon waves of effort, from community activists to not only strategize a legal battle but to help reduce the harmful impacts of the prohibition by supporting the individuals who required abortion services through various unofficial support networks. 

Considering Roe v. Wade being threatened in the United States, I feel it is important for me to tell this story, and alert others that restrictive and prohibitive laws are not easily changed. And even if abortion has been decriminalized, it doesn't automatically mean that access to the services are equally available to all those who require it.

The conversation in Canada should be about increasing access to abortion and reproductive services rather than questioning if the service should be provided at all. Canada decriminalized abortion in 1988, and I for one am ready for the focus of the discussion to shift. It is no longer a debate whether or not we have the right to choose, and consistently bringing the conversation back to that decided point keeps the lack of access to abortion in this country hidden, silenced and cloaked as a political wedge. 

Decriminalization has not led to equitable or even reasonably-improved access to abortion in Canada, even 30 years after the law was changed.

Today, the majority of abortion providers in this country are located less than 150 kilometres from our southern border. And typically only one in six hospitals offer abortion services. That means many people who need to access this essential service are required to navigate a complex and often difficult journey to access this time-sensitive procedure. In a country as vast as Canada, you would think that such a basic, yet life-saving medical procedure that requires very little specialized equipment would be mobilized in as many communities as possible.

Read full story on CBC
Share this story on:-
Run 3 Space | Play Space Running GamePlay Run 3, the ultimate space tunnel running game with 300+ challenging levels!Adv.
Traffic Jam 3D | Online Racing GameTraffic Jam 3D is a game where you’ll be driving through heavy traffic.Adv.
Duck Hunt | Play Old Classic GamePlay the classic 1984 light gun shooter game Duck Hunt on your browser.Adv.
More Related News
Jasper to commemorate 1 year since wildfire decimated townsite

Nancy Addison is still waiting for a house to come home to, one year after a wildfire raged through Jasper, Alta.

How app upgrades are helping Toronto police do more bail compliance checks

There's an app for that — even to help monitor people on bail in Ontario.

Fire at Wellington waste facility extinguished before it could worsen

A fire at a waste facility in Wellington, P.E.I., on Saturday could have been much worse than it turned out to be.

Albertans drinking way less booze than they used to, lead the country in cannabis sales

It's been well documented by now that Canadians are drinking less than they used to, but no other province has seen a greater reduction than Alberta.

Premiers, prime minister to meet ahead of U.S.-Canada trade deadline

Canada's premiers are kicking off a three-day summit in Ontario's cottage country at a time of heightened anxiety over tariffs and trade with Canada's closest trading partner, the United States. 

U.S. commerce secretary dismisses question that free trade with Canada is dead

U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick is dismissing the question of whether U.S. free trade with Canada is dead, calling the notion "silly" and saying a substantial amount of Canadian goods enter the U.S. tariff-free under the current North American free trade deal.

This grizzly followed a Calgary couple along a popular trail until they finally roared at it

Howard Mah and Lori Arnason had never seen a wild grizzly until Saturday.

Canadian girl, 9, reported missing by father found dead in N.Y., state police say

Police in New York state say they have found a nine-year-old Canadian girl who was reported missing in northeastern New York dead. 

Teen, 14, arrested in fatal stabbing of woman in North York parking lot: police

A 14-year-old has been arrested in the fatal stabbing of a woman in a North York parking lot last Thursday, Toronto police say. 

Following in his dad's footsteps, Kamloops baseball player selected in MLB draft

It's been a big week for Tyrelle Chadwick. 

This Tlingit artist has taught 2,000 people to make bentwood boxes. She plans to keep going

Joanne Williams estimates she's taught 2,000 people how to make bentwood boxes.

Family of Montreal woman detained by ICE for over 3 months living a 'nightmare'

Paula Callejas, a Montreal native, was trying to expand her swimsuit business in Florida after taking time off to take care of her ailing father in Canada before his death.

Cars keep getting more expensive but Albertans are still buying plenty — before tariffs really bite

Across Alberta, more people are buying new vehicles even as prices have been shooting up.

Parking Slot | Free Parking GamePlay Parking Slot, the best online 3D car driving and parking game.Adv.
Slope Ball Run - Play OnlineSlope Game takes you on an exciting journey of a ball on special paths.Adv.
New Metrolinx CEO eligible for potential 6-figure bonus

Metrolinx's new CEO will make less than his controversial predecessor, but could be eligible for an annual performance bonus of more than six figures.

Permit revoked for MAGA musician's concert at Parks Canada historic site

Parks Canada says a U.S. singer and rising star in the MAGA movement will not perform at a national historic site near Halifax after the federal agency revoked the organizer's permit.

Tłegǫ́hłı̨ Got'įnę celebrates self-government agreement with events this week in Norman Wells, N.W.T.

The Tłegǫ́hłı̨ Got'įnę in Norman Wells, N.W.T., is this week celebrating the ratification of a self-government agreement, with music, games and community gatherings.

Why Danielle Smith has eased off the 'Kill Bill C-69' language in the Carney era

Premier Danielle Smith wasn't doing anything politically revolutionary when she demanded the repeal of Ottawa's environmental assessments act during the federal election campaign. Then she demanded it again, many times, when the Conservatives who promised to do so lost and the Mark Carney Liberals won.

Hoping to book an affordable Canadian vacation this summer? Sorry and good luck

Whether you're camping under the stars, jumping off the dock at a lakeside cottage, strolling the coast or exploring a new city, there's arguably nothing better than a summer vacation in Canada.

Changes coming to the way IWMC manages western P.E.I. landfill following fire

P.E.I.'s Island Waste Management Corporation is making some changes to how it manages its Wellington landfill.

Toronto musicians pay tribute to Black Sabbath frontman and 'lord of metal' Ozzy Osbourne

Ozzy Osbourne, legendary frontman of the rock band Black Sabbath, "opened doors" for people who wanted to play heavy metal, Toronto musicians said following news of his death.

Ford praises Carney after late-night fireside chats at Muskoka cottage

It may not be the sunny ways government, but some premiers certainly seem to be feeling sunny about the future.

'Devon has a firearm': Woman's statement for restraining order details fear of ex, now accused of her murder

The ex-boyfriend of a Calgary woman fatally shot in a parking garage over the weekend has been charged with her murder, 53 days after the victim told a judge that she lived in fear after months of being stalked and harassed.

Carney to visit his hometown of Fort Smith, N.W.T., on Wednesday

Prime Minister Mark Carney will visit his hometown of Fort Smith, N.W.T., on Wednesday — his first official visit to the territory since he was elected.

Ottawa's major projects law won't affect the N.W.T. much, premier says

N.W.T. Premier R.J. Simpson says he expects Bill C-5, passed into law last month as the federal Building Canada Act, to have a limited effect in the territory.

Republican senator says Trump's 51st state rhetoric not 'constructive' during Ottawa visit

A U.S. Republican senator says she doesn't think President Donald Trump's past comments about making Canada the 51st state are helpful as the two countries are locked in negotiations to reach some sort of trade agreement.

© 2008 - 2025 Webjosh  |  News Archive  |  Privacy Policy  |  Contact Us