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Charter Campaign on 21 March. At this first meeting for activists in the women's movement and family planning clinics and discuss with people the implications of the Bill. A fact sheet and more support in our locality for the national campaign. We hope that more local groups as the 21 June demonstration, and that these groups will make more men and women aware These things must be built into the fight against the Amendment Bill so that whatever the outcome of the Bill in Parliament we can take the campaign further. In the event of the Bill being passed we must make the law unworkable and must throw the whole weight of the labour movement behind those doctors, journalists, teachers. social workers, etc. who will be prepared to defy the law and whose present activities of performing and assisting at abortions, referring people for abortions, reporting anything to do with abortion will become illegal under the amended hill.
### SPRINGBOARD
The campaign will not end with the 21 June demonstration. This should be seen simply as a springboard for further activity in the campaign. We must then go forward with a national conference, and an international demonstration already called for in Italy, as further ways to unite those forces prepared to fight for free abortion on demand and for a woman's right to chose.
### VIAMEN
HBORTION AMPAIGN Photo: Angela Phillips (IFL)
Part of the NAC contingent in the IWY demonstration held recently by the TUC Women from all over South London came to a meeting called by the Working Women's there were more than 40 present. It was decided to launch a campaign to defeat James White's Abortion (Amendment) Bill, with the eventual aim of free contraception and abortion on demand for all women.
The most effective way of waging such a campaign, we felt, was in the form of setting up 5 sub-groups dealing with the various aspects involved. In order to get support from local trade union branches, Trades Councils, and Labour Constituency Parties, one group was set up to make contact with these organisations and to encourage them to invite wo ment to speak on the National Abortion Campaign. Also, they will be asked to pass motions, supporting the Working Women's Charter, supporting the demand for "free abortion on demand", as well as sponsoring the campaign and giving donations. The Lambeth branch of NALGO has already sent up E50 after passing such a motion. Southwark Trades" Council has offered to send out information from the campaign to its affiliated branches. The Women's Sub-committee of the GLC branch of NAIGO are organising a meeting at the beginning of May. This sub-group has also now collected information on the way MPs in South Lohdon voted on White's Bill SUB-GROUPS AND GENERAL MEETINGS A street theatre sub-group was set up, to perform a short play exposing the Amendment Bill and providing argument for free abortion on demand. The sketches will also show that a real choice for women will only be possible if there are adequate nursery facilities, freely available contraceptives and if research into contraception is taken out of the hands of profit-making companies.
The hospital sub-group has written to consultant gynaecologists and is contacting other sympathetic doctors, nurses and hospital workers asking them to unite in action with the National Abortion Campaign. It has compiled a list of local Family Planning Clinics and is investigating the availability of abortion in the arca. We will leaflet hospitals, surgeries.
will be produced.
Another sub-group will be organising a public meeting with MPs from the constitutencies sympathetic doctors, and a speaker from the NAC. This will be held a week before the national demonstration on 21 June. The work of all the sub-groups will help to build support for both this meeting and for the 21 June demonstration.
The publicity sub-group will be making press statements locally. We have designed posters, stickers, badges, balloons and one initial leaflet has been produced.
Each fortnight we hold a general meeting where the sub-groups report on their activities. Here the general policy is worked out and our activities are co-ordinated. This structure is designed to involve as many women as possible —we felt that may would not be willing to sit on a formal committee, but would be interested in street theatre or in their unions if it was on a more informal basis.
MEN INVOLVED THROUGH SUB-GROUPS One of our decisions regarding policy, which we selt was important in this campaign, was our attitude to involving men. At our first meeting we concluded that as the abortion issue affects women in such a direct way, women should decide on the direction of the campaign. This decision will mean that interested groups and organisations encourage women members to play an active role as representatives at the general meetings. Therefore the fortnightly meetings will generally exclude men, but it it important that men are involved in the campaign through the sub-groups.
The South London NAC has developed an organisation with which it is drawing in more will be set up to mobilise massive support, through the national committee, for events such that the James' White Bill is only one of the weapons being prepared against women.
Jo Bradford, Miny Jansen (South London)