The issue of abortion had been rampant in Australia, particularly in Victoria, to the point that it was considered a crime until 2007, when the government decriminalized it. Different groups have been asked to provide their recommendations on the Abortion Act, such as faith groups, private abortion clinics, health care personnel, women organizations, and academicians (Baird, 2017). The speaker in the video, Gianna Jensen, an abortion survivor, was trying to convince the audience assembled in Queens Hall Parliament House in Victoria that decriminalizing abortion would be detrimental to society. Abortion was, however, decriminalized in Victoria due to a number of reasons. The early Abortion Act was fairly cruel to women as two doctors had to allow a woman to get an abortion, and this would be after they assessed the effects that the woman would face if the child would be born (Baird,2017). Those who supported the legalization of abortion argued that criminalizing it was unfair to women as the constitution had provided for the equal status for all individuals. The punishment associated with abortion was also very harsh, as a woman would be imprisoned for 12 years if caught aborting a child.
It can be argued that the opinion about abortion had changed since the 1960s. For instance, in 1967, most individuals were against abortions, but today, 2/3 of Australia’s citizens hold the opinion that it should be legalized (Shaw & Norman, 2020). Australians were trying to follow the experience of other countries, such as Canada, which had legalized abortion. Furthermore, it was noted that legalization would not increase the number of abortions in Victoria (Shaw & Norman, 2020). Abortion cannot be perceived as a completely negative phenomenon, as it sometimes is necessary to save the mother if there are complications at birth. Essentially, the dangerous methods that have been used to perform abortions made the procedure consider a crime. The chemical solutions that pregnant mothers have been offered to drink for the child to be burned from inside and be born dead were very unethical. However, this is not the case today, when new technologies ensuing that abortions are conducted ethically are available.
References
Baird, B. (2017). Decriminalization and women’s access to abortion in Australia. Health and Human Rights, 19(1), 197-208.
Shaw, D., & Norman, W. V. (2020). When there are no abortion laws: A case study of Canada. Best Practice & Research Clinical Obstetrics & Gynaecology, 62, 49-62. Web