Words of Choice learned a painful lesson this spring: Amnesty International, one of the most important human rights organization worldwide, does not support reproductive rights.
Amnesty International USA singled out Words of Choice at the First Amnesty International Human Rights Art Festival, and insisted that a speaker be present at Words of Choice events to announce that Amnesty did not support the messages of the play (no representative had seen it or spoken with us).
Amnesty's position on abortion, we later learned, is exceedingly narrow. It supports a woman's right to make a decision about pregnancy termination only if she is a victim of rape or incest, or if the life or health of the mother is at stake. It also opposes prison for women who have abortions and supports post-abortion care for botched abortions.
I've delayed telling this story because it hurts. Here are the details:
In late April, Words of Choice set out to participate in the Amnesty International Human Rights Art Festival in Silver Spring, Maryland, which was organized by Tom Block, a visual artist. Words of Choice signed up in October 2009; over 150 artists and arts groups joined in.
At the beginning of the year, Words of Choice blogged about the promise of the event, fusing social justice and the arts.
Dates were set, money raised, rehearsals held, venues scheduled, travel plans made. After months of planning, Words of Choice arrived in Silver Spring in April. That afternoon, Block sent an email:
An Amnesty International representative will be onsite at both of your events to state at the beginning that the views of Words of Choice do not represent the official position of Amnesty International, as officially, Amnesty takes no position on abortion rights.Thomas Block
It is either this or cancel your event.
Producer
This was unusual because no Amnesty representative had seen the play, and no other artist that we know of received a similar demand. Nonetheless, we welcomed participation, especially since Words of Choice is meant to open up discussions about reproductive rights.
Our first event at the Human Rights Art Festival was a Creativity Workshop at Pyramid Atlantic art center. Folabi K. Olagbaju, (above,left) Director of the Mid-Atlantic Regional Office of Amnesty International USA, arrived while we were in process. He described, at length, Amnesty's position -- supporting the legal access to abortion only in cases of rape, incest or grave threat to life or health.
He later sent an email further explaining the position of Amnesty and it is reprinted in full here.
Olagbaju writes that Amnesty's current policy enables it to:
1. Support women who seek a safe, early medical termination of pregnancy in cases of rape, incest or when a woman's life or health is at grave risk.
2. Urge governments to make medical care available to women who suffer complications from unsafe abortion; and
3. Oppose imprisonment or other criminal penalties for abortion against women or their providers.
Olagbaju described the adoption of this policy, dating only to 2007, as a step forward, despite the fact that Amnesty's policy is approximately equivalent to an abortion ban proposed in South Dakota in 2008 (and voted down).
On its website, the Amnesty policy can be found on fact sheets and descriptions of Sexual and Reproductive Rights. Of particular interest is a FAQ on Sexual and Reproductive Rights.
Olagbaju said in person and by email that our events would not have been cancelled.
Since the event he attended was a Creativity Workshop and since the heart of Amnesty's work is letter-writing, we got out some tools -- paper and pens. Participants were invited to write letters to Amnesty to respond to its policy.
Participants wrote:
Dear Amnesty,
First of all, thank you for all the work your organization does to advance human rights and speak on behalf of prisoners of conscience all over the world. On the issues of reproductive rights for women, what is a woman to do when she finds herself in an abusive relationship and unexpectantly becomes pregnant? What is a young girl who thought she was taking precautions but there was some malfunction in the form of birth control, to do if she becomes pregnant? Please support the freedom to choose for all women. Women do not take these decisions lightly and should be supported.
Dear Amnesty decision-maker,
While it is laudable that you have waded into the firestorm of abortion rights, your official position does not address adequately the full-spectrum of reproductive rights requires for women to be sovereign and master of their own bodies and lives. The right to have control of one's body, and to decide when, how, and why to have or not have a child is fundamental to the healthy makeup of a free and egalitarian society. Please extend your position to cover all forms of elective abortions.
Dear Amnesty International,
I have recently learned of your position on abortion rights -- that you support the decriminalization of abortion in the case of rape, incest, or the life of the women is threatened. While I commend your efforts to take a position on this issues, I must express my disappointment in the limit of your stance. Reproductive rights are human rights. As a powerful organization Amnesty has the opportunity to be depoliticize & destigmatize abortion rights. I encourage you to take a position that supports women's access to a full range of reproductive rights.
Dear Amnesty International,
What's up with your reproductive rights policy? Abortion rights for all women is a human right. Please take a moment to consider your hypocrisy wherein you say you support human rights yet you only believe a woman should have access to abortion if she is raped, her life is in danger, or she is a victim of incest. That does NOT go far enough. Please consider this. Sincerely,Angie (last name omitted)
Dear Amnesty International,
Your views on reproductive rights seem to be only half truth. That saddens and scares me. Your views are that a woman only has the RIGHT (isn't this in the title of your group? your advocation?) to reproductive freedom in the case of rape, incest, medical causes? Where is the RIGHT? A woman should have the right to use their bodies and their minds. This is after all what people, generations have fought for. Stand up, support, and believe in what you are supposed to stand for. How can I respect you? If you won't respect MY RIGHT! Kelly (last name omitted)
Dear Amnesty International --
I think your official position is weak and a cop-out. It is extremely difficult to prove rape -- & in some cases could ruin a woman's life to admit to rape. Same goes for incest. You would allow abortion if a woman's life is in danger -- but how and who determines. Amnesty stands for courage in defense of human rights. If a woman cannot control her reproductive life (& sexual life), she lacks human rights. Even if she can vote, is free of violence, can make other determinations, she lacks full human rights without the ability to make her own decisions about a pregnancy.Please change your position. Marjorie (last name omitted)
Dear Amnesty --
It's time to support all women’s rights to make their own decisions about how to use their bodies. Women can’t wait. The time is now.An Amnesty supporter (otherwise)
Amnesty Intl.--
I am writing to voice my concern about the treatment of women around the world concerning their reproductive rights, or lack of said rights.
As to rights, I feel that women should have control over their bodies. First and foremost in who they have sexual intercourse with and when. This covers many issues ... age of consent, ability to choose a partner, freedom from sexual slavery, freedom from disease, and treatment. Next, if a pregnancy results from intercourse, women should be able to decide for themselves how and if they wish to continue.
Dear Amnesty International,
Please take the time to consider changing every woman's life for the better. Please allow legal access to abortions in every country in every county in every city for every culture. Please allow a woman to access an abortion without an excuse, without a courtroom, but with a medical profession. Please allow universal access to birth control, to condoms, to diaphragms, to "the pill," to any form of sexual protection between men and women, men and men, women and women. For human rights, for sexual and body amnesty internationally. Sarah
The letters are being sent to Amnesty. If you have something that you want to add, send us an email. Write to: wordsofchoice@mindspring.com
Posted by Cindy Cooper
Pictured above: Folabi K. Olagbaju (left) and participants at the Words of Choice Creativity Workshop at the Amnesty International Human Rights Arts Festival
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