rich 1.0 Action Network https://actionnetwork.org <link href='https://actionnetwork.org/css/style-embed-v3.css' rel='stylesheet' type='text/css' /><script src='https://actionnetwork.org/widgets/v6/petition/vote-to-decriminalise-abortion-in-nsw?format=js&source=widget'></script><div id='can-petition-area-vote-to-decriminalise-abortion-in-nsw' style='width: 100%'><!-- this div is the target for our HTML insertion --></div> Labor for Choice https://actionnetwork.org/groups/labor-for-choice https://can2-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/petitions/photos/000/138/295/normal/65748391_345993006094097_5679139082593107968_n.png New South Wales is the only state where abortion remains unamended in the Criminal Code. Last year, the Queensland Parliament voted to remove abortion from its Criminal Code, bringing the state’s laws into line with other jurisdictions including Victoria, Western Australia, Tasmania, the Northern Territory and the ACT. It is long overdue that this change be made in New South Wales. Everybody has a right to legal, safe, affordable and accessible abortion. When abortion is criminalised, that right is denied. Women make up over half of New South Wales’ population and should be given the autonomy to make decisions about their body. There is evidence that the criminalisation of abortion – even with some provisions – causes doctors to refuse referrals for termination because of uncertainty about the law and fear of prosecution. This limits access significantly and causes many people to make difficult decisions based on their circumstances. Conversely, there is strong international evidence that make abortion legal and accessible reduces the rate of abortion overall. The Australian Labor Party has a long history of advocating for gender equality. Access to abortion is central to women’s social and economic equality. The Labor Party should be at the forefront of any push for abortion law reform.   The decriminalisation of abortion is the first step towards ensuring abortion is accessible across New South Wales. There are a number of other issues surrounding access to abortion in NSW, including: Cost: Women are made to pay upwards of $1,000 for an abortion; Rural, regional and remote access: Women from rural, regional and remote areas are made to drive hundreds of kilometres to access their nearest clinic; and Access in CALD communities: Women from CALD backgrounds are unable to access information about abortion services in their own language and community. Governments must recognise and take action to ensure these issues are also addressed. It was encouraging to see the NSW Parliament vote for safe access zones around abortion clinics in 2018, and the time is now to decriminalise abortion. We are calling on all NSW Labor MPs and MLCs to support the removal of abortion from the Criminal Code. https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/vote-to-decriminalise-abortion-in-nsw