Matters of Interest

Women's March

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (16:47): On 21 January, millions of women marched across the world in defence and promotion of women's rights and other issues including immigration, healthcare, environment LGBTIQ rights, racial equality and freedom of religion. The rallies were held the day after the inauguration of Donald Trump and collectively was the largest single day demonstration in the United States history. It is estimated the march drew at least 600,000 people in Washington and worldwide participation has been estimated at 4.8 million people. Organising officials have reported that 673 marches took place across the world. In Washington, the women's march was the largest political demonstration ever to be held in the city, outdoing even the anti-Vietnam protests in the 60s and 70s.

Thousands of Australians, including men and women in Adelaide, took part in marches across the capital cities. The march was organised as a grassroots movement to make a statement that women's rights are human rights. While the rallies were not exclusively opposing President Trump, a large portion of women marched in response to his anti-women statements and policy positions. The slogan 'Build bridges not walls' was a constant theme and following the march the organisers posted 10 actions for the first hundred days for the campaign to maintain momentum from the activists.

Despite the strength of the movement, President Donald Trump has since made moves to reduce the rights of women throughout the world. On 23 January, President Trump reinstated the Mexico City policy, also known as the 'global gag rule' by many human rights organisations, which puts a ban on the United States funding international groups that provide abortions or even provide information about abortions and other forms of contraception. This means that an organisation will be stripped of US government aid funding if they so much as advise a woman about the possibility of abortion access in their country. Trump not only reinstated the policy, he actually expanded it.

Previously, the Mexico City policy only covered family planning organisations. Now, under the Trump administration it covers all international organisations that provide humanitarian services. This expansion under Trump will see 15 times more funding reduced compared to the former Mexico City policy. The policy was originally legislated by President Ronald Reagan in 1973. It has been law for 17 of the past 32 years with Democratic presidents of the past, including President Obama, rescinding the policy.

The policy requires non-government organisations to certify that they will not perform or actively promote abortion as a method of family planning, with any funding from any source, including funding from outside the US as a condition for receiving US funding. The policy has direct and serious consequences for the world's most vulnerable women. When the policy has been reinstated in the past, the number of abortions has not reduced. Rather, inexperienced people perform abortions in unsafe environments. In response to President Trump's actions, Belgium and the Netherlands have joined forces to back the creation of an international fund to finance access to birth control, abortion and sex education for women in developing countries. This fund will exist to replace the money removed by the US.

Alexander De Croo, Belgium's foreign trade and development minister said about Trump's expanded Mexico City policy:

Research shows that any support to these organisations leads to less access to contraceptives. Hence, it increases the number of abortions. The result of the measure is that many teenage girls will be scarred for the rest of their lives or even lose their lives.

Trump's sexist and discriminating behaviour has continued this week, with reports that he has set dress code standards for his staff, telling his female staff that he expects them to dress like women. I am not sure what that means. In response to Trump's continuing anti-women policy position, the group behind the Women's March has announced that their next action will be a general strike, titled 'A day without women'. As Trump continues to legislate to diminish the rights of women in the United States and around the world, activism is fundamentally important to send a message that women will not accept anything less than equality.

Women's rights are human rights and we stand with the women around the world and in Adelaide who marched on 21 January to protect these rights.