Together Gibraltar rejects ‘radical’ label after abortion comments

Together Gibraltar yesterday hit back at the Gibraltar Pro Life Movement for ‘attempting to paint the party as anti-life, amidst a row over the party’s stance on abortion.

This follows comments made by party Leader Marlene Hassan Nahon during the course of Monday night’s “Leader’s Question time” on GBC.

The Gibraltar Pro Life Movement described Ms Hassan Nahon’s comments as “radical” and accused her of misleading the public.

But in response Together Gibraltar said its stance was in line with scientific evidence, international research, medical guidelines and human rights law in relation to the viability of the embryo and women’s reproductive rights.

“What is radical is the current legal position in Gibraltar, which makes it one of the last places in the developed world where abortion continues to be illegal and punishable by life in prison, and the suggestion of GPLM that this should continue to be so,” the party said.

In a statement the GPLM said there is no obligation under international law for Gibraltar to enact this legislation.

It added: “While we don’t agree with her assertion that everyone has a family member who has had an abortion, we acknowledge that many women have gone through this experience.”

“It is a reflection of our failure as a society to address the real issues affecting women and families in modern times. We have therefore recently produced a policy document called ‘Creating a Village’ which seeks to identify and reduce the circumstances in which women feel abortion is their only option.”

“The GPLM continues to advocate the right to life and protection for all unborn Gibraltarians- a right which should not be abolished. This position is supported by 6,300 Gibraltarians via a petition handed into Parliament several months ago.”

“We will work hard to defend Gibraltar’s pro-life laws, during the current election campaign and into the future”, the movement said.

In a statement Together Gibraltar reiterated that it wants to regulate abortion, just as it is regulated in almost every other modern jurisdiction.

“This is not just because it is the fair thing to do for our women, and because our women deserve to have their rights recognized and be trusted to make the right decisions about their own bodies and their own healthcare.”

“We want to regulate abortion because those who claim to protect the unborn are not saving a single life. Abortion has always happened, and will continue to happen, whether people like it or not.

All that the current law ensures is that women in need of an abortion are forced out of their hometown and their healthcare system, into a private clinic in Spain.”

“The current law ensures that when a Gibraltarian woman gets an abortion, she will not receive any counselling before or after the procedure, nor will she receive any after care. She will be attended in a language that is not her own. She will be made to feel that she is doing something shameful, simply because she has exercised her right to choose if, and when, she wants to embark on the life changing journey of motherhood.”

The party added that its candidates have 39 children, 23 grandchildren and two greatgrandchildren between them.

“This is not a party that is anti-life or anti-children. This is a party that is anti-hypocrisy. The attempts to paint Marlene, of Together Gibraltar, as a party who is ‘anti-life’ are as transparent as they are ridiculous.”