ƒFIAPAC Congress – Berlin – 24/25-10-2008

How to change restrictive laws

Different strategies to legalize abortion: The Swiss Example

Anne-Marie Rey, ex-president of Swiss Union for Decriminalizing Abortion / USPDA (organization dissolved in 2003)

Strategies to legalize abortion – The Swiss example / Anne-Marie Rey ƒFIAPAC Congress – Berlin – 24/25-10-2008

Outline Situation at start of campaign 30 years of campaigning Achievements Successful strategies used Other reasons for our success Conclusion

Strategies to legalize abortion – The Swiss example / Anne-Marie Rey ƒFIAPAC Congress – Berlin – 24/25-10-2008

Situation at start of campaign 1942 Swiss penal code takes effect ƒ abortion allowed for health reasons only ƒ 2 doctors decide 1970 unbearable situation ƒ regional disparities in application of the law Æ abortion tourism from restrictive to liberal parts of the country and abroad ƒ 20’000 clandestine abortions estimated ƒ 100 women condemned annually 1971 start of pro choice campaign ƒ initiative for decriminalization of abortion

Strategies to legalize abortion – The Swiss example / Anne-Marie Rey ƒFIAPAC Congress – Berlin – 24/25-10-2008

30 years of campaigning ƒ 1971: initiative for constitutional amendment (tantamount to abortion law repeal) Æ brakes taboo, raises public debate ƒ 1975: „reasonable“ initiative (abortion on request in first 12 weeks of pregnancy) Æ narrowly rejected in referendum in 1977 ƒ 1978: unsatisfactory compromise law (social reasons, 2 doctors decide + social report) Æ massively rejected in referendum ƒ 1985: anti-initiative „right to life“ (from conception) Æ massively rejected in referendum 1/2

Strategies to legalize abortion – The Swiss example / Anne-Marie Rey ƒFIAPAC Congress – Berlin – 24/25-10-2008

30 years of campaigning (continued)

ƒ 1993: amendment to penal code proposed in Parliament (abortion on request in the early months of pregnancy) ƒ March 2001: Parliament approves amendment (abortion on request in the first 12 weeks) ƒ June 2002: amendment adopted in referendum by a majority of 72% On the same ballot, an anti-initiative for a total abortion ban is rejected by 82%

2/2

Strategies to legalize abortion – The Swiss example / Anne-Marie Rey ƒFIAPAC Congress – Berlin – 24/25-10-2008

Achievements ƒ gradual liberalization of the practice of abortion over a period of 30 years (1971-2000 = BEFORE new legislation !) ƒ abortion paid by health insurance (1981) ƒ cantons have to create family planning centers (1981) ƒ sex education introduced in schools ƒ acess to abortion pill (Mifepristone) in 1999 (after another struggle for 10 years)

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Strategies to legalize abortion – The Swiss example / Anne-Marie Rey ƒFIAPAC Congress – Berlin – 24/25-10-2008

Achievements (continued) Gradual liberalization 1971-2000

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Strategies to legalize abortion – The Swiss example / Anne-Marie Rey ƒFIAPAC Congress – Berlin – 24/25-10-2008

Achievements (continued) Abortion tourism has massively declined

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Strategies to legalize abortion – The Swiss example / Anne-Marie Rey ƒFIAPAC Congress – Berlin – 24/25-10-2008

Achievements (continued) Illegal abortions disappeared

Contraceptive pill available

First abortion referendum

Abortion on request

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Strategies to legalize abortion – The Swiss example / Anne-Marie Rey ƒFIAPAC Congress – Berlin – 24/25-10-2008

Achievements (continued)

ƒ 2002 : Abortion on request in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, medical indication thereafter

• no compulsory counselling, only information by the doctor • no „cooling off period“, • no parental consent necessary • no time limit and no second opinion necessary for abortions for medical reasons (including severe mental distress) • cantons have to designate clinics and doctors authorized to perform abortions

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Strategies to legalize abortion – The Swiss example / Anne-Marie Rey ƒFIAPAC Congress – Berlin – 24/25-10-2008

Achievements (continued) ƒ Weaknesses of the new legislation

• abortion remains regulated in the penal code • rather short time limit • the woman has to sign that she is in a state of distress • the doctor has to hand her out a leaflet informing about counselling centers, possibilities of financial and moral support and adoption

BUT : Æ autonomous decision by the woman concerned

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Strategies to legalize abortion – The Swiss example / Anne-Marie Rey ƒFIAPAC Congress – Berlin – 24/25-10-2008

Successful strategies used

ƒ regular and factual information to the media • personal contacts • supplying the media with adequate pictures ƒ networking, building alliances • women’s, youth, professional organizations, political parties • mobilizing and briefing them ƒ lobbying of parliamentarians • personal contacts, letters, information, hearings • intense collaboration with some of them 1/2

Strategies to legalize abortion – The Swiss example / Anne-Marie Rey ƒFIAPAC Congress – Berlin – 24/25-10-2008

Successful strategies used (continued)

ƒ recognize beforehand what the „enemy“ might do ƒ formulate legislative texts for parliamentary committees ƒ pragmatism • readiness to compromise • moderate language • adapt our arguments to changing situation

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Strategies to legalize abortion – The Swiss example / Anne-Marie Rey ƒFIAPAC Congress – Berlin – 24/25-10-2008

A responsible decision: Yes to abortion request

Strategies to legalize abortion – The Swiss example / Anne-Marie Rey ƒFIAPAC Congress – Berlin – 24/25-10-2008

Other reasons for our success

ƒ Decreasing influence of religion

ƒ Changing role of women in society ƒ Growing open-mindedness in matters concerning individual lifestyles and sexuality

Strategies to legalize abortion – The Swiss example / Anne-Marie Rey ƒFIAPAC Congress – Berlin – 24/25-10-2008

Conclusion ƒ strategies must adapt to • actual situation • political and religious forces present • strength of pro choice mobilisation ƒ our experience : • the battle for women’s right to decide whether and when to become a mother is hard and long • it needs dedication and perseverance • every time a broad public debate arose, progress resulted ƒ in the end, I think, we have the better arguments

Strategies to legalize abortion – The Swiss example / Anne-Marie Rey ƒFIAPAC Congress – Berlin – 24/25-10-2008

The denial of free choice is a violation of article 4 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Strategies to legalize abortion – The Swiss example / Anne-Marie Rey ƒFIAPAC Congress – Berlin – 24/25-10-2008

Contraception and abortion

Tasso di aborti per 1000 donne di 15-44 Percentuale delle donne di 15-44 anni che anni usano la pillola, la spirale o la sterilizzazione Effective

120 70 contraception

reduces the 60

100

abortion rate 50

80

40

60 30

40 20

20 10

0 0 USSR JAP CSFR USA UK CAN NL Tasso d’aborti Contraccezione efficace

Secondo Ketting / Fonti: Henshaw 1990; UNFPA 1987; Ramanick 1991; Uzal et al 1992

Strategies to legalize abortion – The Swiss example / Anne-Marie Rey ƒFIAPAC Congress – Berlin – 24/25-10-2008

Number of legal abortions in Switzerland

1970-2007

Abortion on request in 2002 Later figures not entirely comparable, but declining trend continues

Strategies to legalize abortion – The Swiss example / Anne-Marie Rey ƒFIAPAC Congress – Berlin – 24/25-10-2008

Switzerland has one of the lowest abortion rates in the world

Taux d'interruptions légales de grossesse

45

40

35

30

25

20

15

10 (2005/2007, Féd.Russie 2003) Féd.Russie (2005/2007, 5

0

Interruptions 44 ans 15 et pour entre 1000 femmes I R H S F N F E L B D RF UK DK S N CH USA

Strategies to legalize abortion – The Swiss example / Anne-Marie Rey ƒFIAPAC Congress – Berlin – 24/25-10-2008

Switzerland has one of the lowest teenage abortion rates

Schwangerschaftsabbrüche/1000 15-19 Jährige internationaler Vergleich (2004/2007)

25

20

15

10 Abortrate/1000

5

0 CH D B I NL E Can. F DK N USA S UK

Strategies to legalize abortion – The Swiss example / Anne-Marie Rey ƒFIAPAC Congress – Berlin – 24/25-10-2008

Abortion rate is highest in urban regions with a high proportion of migrants

The abortion rates are Abortion rate and proportion of migrants in the female population highest in cantons with high in Swiss cantons, 2007 proportions of migrant population. In addition, 35 35 Geneva, Vaud, Basel-Stadt and Zürich are very urban 30 30 societies, also showing 25 25 higher rates. 20 20 Zug in spite of a high 15 15 proportion of migrants has a rather low abortion rate. This 10 10 might be explained by the 5 5 migrants in this rich canton generally being of higher 0 0 social class and the canton Uri

Zug being rather rural. Jura Bern Zürich Glarus Tessin Luzern Aargau I.Rh. Geneva A.Rh. Schwyz Thurgau Freiburg

Vaud VD Vaud No obvious explanation can St.Gallen Solothurn Appenzell Obwalden Appenzell Wallis VS Nidwalden Neuenburg Basel-Land Switzerland Basel-Stadt Graubünden be found for the rather low Schaffhausen abortion rates in VS, Abortion rate per 1000 women (15-44 years) living in the canton Schwyz, Aargau, Thurgau, Glarus Schaffhausen and St. Proportion of migrants (%) in the female population of the canton Gallen. Proportion of migrants, Swiss average Abortion rate, Swiss average

Strategies to legalize abortion – The Swiss example / Anne-Marie Rey ƒFIAPAC Congress – Berlin – 24/25-10-2008

Women condemned for illegal abortion in Switzerland 1946-2005

Women condemned for illegal abortion in Switzerland

500

Abortion pill on 400 the market

300

200 Initiative for abortion law repeal

100

0 1946 1948 1950 1952 1954 1956 1958 1960 1962 1964 1966 1968 1970 1972 1974 1976 1978 1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004

Strategies to legalize abortion – The Swiss example / Anne-Marie Rey