SPUC’s Coerced Abortion Event in Parliament was attended by 12 MPs from various political parties who heard that abortion is far from being about “choice”.
On 25 October, SPUC staff raised awareness about the issue of coerced abortion by sharing the powerful real-life testimonies of its victims with MPs.
The cross-party event was attended by MPs from the Conservative Party, the Liberal Democrats, the Democratic Unionist Party and the Labour Party, including Tim Farron, Mims Davies, Jim Shannon, Ian Paisley, Martin Vickers, Philip Hollobone, Mary Glindon and Sir John Hayes.
Several MPs came to the event after being informed by local SPUC constituents.
MPs had the opportunity to hear the harrowing stories of Hayley and Lydia, both of whom were coerced into abortions they didn’t want.
Hayley became a victim of coerced abortion at the age of 16 when she was pressured by her boyfriend to abort their baby.
“I cried the whole time. I just wanted someone to say, ‘STOP don’t do it.’ But nobody did. I remember they came to take me in and lay me on the bed to be put to sleep. I was crying so hard.
“The nurse was stroking my hair and saying, ‘It will all be ok.’ The last thing I said before I went to sleep was, ‘No, it won’t… Nothing will ever be ok again.’”
You can read Hayley’s full testimony here.
Taking action against coerced abortion
Alithea Williams, SPUC’s Public Policy Manager, said: “Thank you to all our supporters who asked their MP to come to this event. It was really powerful to share the stories of women we’ve worked with who were coerced into abortion with parliamentarians.
“Hayley and Lydia have both bravely shared their stories with us, and it is our duty and privilege to make MPs aware of this issue, which affects countless other women.
“Coerced abortion goes against a fundamental principle of medical ethics and international law – the principle of informed consent. Action must be taken to ensure that no woman’s rights are breached.
“We call on the Health Secretary to urgently commission research into the prevalence of coerced abortion, and in so doing recognise it as a priority for health and social policy moving forward.”
15% of adult UK women pressured into abortion
SPUC is highlighting the plight of women pressured into abortion, a grim reality for many victims who have suffered various levels of coercion from partners, bosses and even family members, as attested to by numerous surveys.
A 2022 poll of 1,060 British adult women found that 15% of respondents were pressured into abortions.
Another survey, published in July 2023, found that 1 in 61 women were pressured by a boss at work to have an abortion. One mother was told, “It would be better for your career if you just brought a coat hanger.”
SPUC has also reported on numerous instances of abortion coercion at all levels of society; including a Red Arrows pilot recently accused of pressuring an RAF colleague to have an abortion.
To find out more about the reality of abortion coercion, and to order public awareness materials, visit SPUC’s dedicated webpage by clicking here.
SPUC encourages supporters and members of the public to spread these materials around their local communities to help raise awareness about this important issue.