Women on Waves
Abbreviation | WoW |
---|---|
Formation | 1999 |
Type | Nonprofit organisation |
Purpose | Bringing reproductive health services such as abortion and education to countries where these are restricted |
Headquarters | Amsterdam, Netherlands |
Region served | Countries with restricted reproductive health services |
Founder | Rebecca Gomperts |
Website | womenonwaves.org |
Women on Waves (WoW) is a Dutch nongovernmental organization (
According to Gomperts, the first time the ship sailed out, it was a Dutch ship leaving Dutch waters. This meant they could take abortion pills with them to give out in international waters.[6]
The A-Portable was designed by the Dutch studio
Women on Waves volunteers and personnel have been targeted by governmental authorities, religious organizations, and local groups who are opposed to abortion and/or contraception.[1] The NGO is credited for reviving debates about abortion in the countries where Women on Waves visits.[1]
Today, access to abortion is a major focus of certain Dutch organizations and government initiatives.[7] In the Netherlands, abortion is legal up to the 24th week of pregnancy and covered by the Exceptional Medical Expenses Act or health insurers.[8]
Women on waves represents part of the global move for
more than 9 out of 10 abortions worldwide occur in developing nations like the ones Gomperts and Women on Waves visit. Unsafe abortions in regions where it is outlawed or restricted are a leading cause of maternal death.
[10] Gomperts has faced considerable opposition to Women on Waves. The 2014 documentary Vessel shows anti-abortion protesters in Poland calling her a Nazi in a chant, and in Spain trying to tow the Women on Waves vessel back out to sea.[1]
Rebecca Gomperts
Rebecca Gomperts is a physician in general practice, artist and women's rights activist. Born in 1966, Gomperts grew up in the port town of
The A-Portable
The mobile gynecological clinic was designed and named by Dutch artist and sculptor
The clinic is a fully functional gynecological clinic offering contraceptive counseling, sonograms, and medical and surgery abortions. It is generally staffed with two physicians and a nurse. Trained volunteers also staff the ship to provide education and counseling. The ship's crew is nearly all female.[1] In ports in countries that allow it, the ship's staff provide workshops on legal and medical issues.[1] During visits to countries with restrictive laws, the ship travels into international waters, usually about 12 miles from land, in order to provide services.[1][3]
The A-Portable functions as a medical clinic, but is also considered to be a work of art. The original funds to create the A-Portable were awarded by the Mondriaan Foundation, which is a Dutch "publicly financed fund for visual art and cultural heritage."[13] It appeared in Portugal at the Ute Meta Bauer's Women Building Exhibition; in Amsterdam at the Mediamatic art space;[14] and in Artforum.[1] Lambert-Beatty notes that Claire Bishop, an art historian, critic, and professor of art, interprets the A-Portable as "new political art."[1][15]
Voyages
In 2002, after contentious debate in the
abortion and reproductive laws only extend as far as national borders, including nautical borders. Because of this, Women on waves makes use of added freedom in international waters.[9] The boat sails 20 miles from shore, and takes a day to perform its procedures.[17]
The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), a ship must sail under the flag of one nation and may not change it in a port of call, save in the case of a transfer of ownership.[2] this gives Women on Waves the status to sail under Dutch jurisdiction.
Ireland
Women on Waves made its maiden voyage aboard the Aurora to Ireland in 2001. The ship carried two Dutch doctors and one Dutch nurse.[18] The stated purpose of Women on Waves Ireland was to "catalyze" the Irish movement to liberalize Ireland's abortion laws.[19] At the time, Ireland had the most stringent prohibitions against abortion in Europe, with laws forbidding the procedure that dated to 1861.[2] Women on Waves Ireland provided education about abortion and unwanted pregnancy to individuals and to groups in workshops. On that journey, they were not allowed to do surgical or medical abortions, and were limited by Dutch law to provide only information on contraceptives, and not the contraceptives themselves.[2] The ship had been invited by Irish abortion rights organizations which coordinated a publicity campaign in advance of the Aurora's arrival. The ship anchored at Dublin Port, and traveled into international waters to provide educational services as Ireland's law prohibited discussion about abortion and contraceptives. During the ship's visit to Dublin Port, approximately 300 women participated. All of the ship's services were provided for free.[2]
In 2016, Women on Waves collaborated with pro-abortion group to use drones and speed boats to deliver abortion pills to women in Northern Ireland.[20]
Poland
WoW sailed the Langenort to
Portugal
In 2004, the ship Borndiep, carrying the A-Portable, was physically blocked by a naval warship as it attempted to enter Portuguese waters.[1][27] In 2009, the European Court of Human Rights rendered a decision in favor of the plaintiffs in Women on Waves and Others v. Portugal.[28] The court determined that although Portugal had a right to enforce its laws prohibiting abortion, the nation could have enforced the law in less harmful ways, e.g. by sequestering the abortion drugs that were on board the ship.[28]
Spain
In 2008, Women on Waves' ship landed in Valencia, Spain, where it had a mixed reception. Some demonstrators supported the group, others opposed it. According to Catholic News Agency,
"On 18 October a group of 40 feminists gathered to counter the pro-life protests, which brought out four times as many people. They passed out boxes of matches with the picture of a burning church and the caption, 'The only church that brings light is the one that burns. Join us!'
On 19 October the feminists met again to distribute matches but decided to disband after they were overwhelmed by the large number of pro-life protesters who gathered at the port where the abortion ship was docked."
As the ship attempted to dock amid protesters on both sides of the issue, harbor patrol agents in a small boat lassoed a rope around the helm of the ship and attempted to pull it away from the dock.[29]
Morocco
Ibtissam Lachgar of MALI (Mouvement alternatif pour les libertés individuelles) invited Women on Waves to visit Morocco in 2012.[30] On 3 October 2012, the Moroccan health ministry closed the port of Smir to prevent the entry of the Women on Waves ship Langenort.[31] This was the first attempt by Women on Waves to make landfall in a Muslim-majority country. Anti-abortion protesters were present, many carrying signs against abortion. The activist Rebecca Gomperts was at the port to meet the ship, but she was escorted away upon encountering the protesters.[32]
Guatemala
On 22 February 2017, the WoW ship docked in Puerto Quetzal on the Pacific coast for a planned five-day visit. On 23 February, a scheduled press conference was shut down shortly after it started[33] and a blockade was imposed by
Mexico
In April 2017, the Adelaide ship docked in
Documentary
In 2014
The film has garnered multiple other awards including the Audience Award for Documentary in Competition and a Special Jury Award for Political Courage.[42]
Feminist activism
In an academic article published in Signs: Journal of Women in Culture and Society, Carrie Lambert-Beatty claims that "the vessel [is] one of the most audacious instances of feminist activism in recent memory."[1]
See also
References
- ^ ISSN 0097-9740.
- ^ S2CID 145318165.
- ^ a b Whitten, Diana. 2014. Vessel. Documentary film. Published by Sovereignty Productions.
- ^ "Floating clinic spreads word on abortion pill | The Star". thestar.com. Retrieved 8 June 2018.
- ^ "Campaigns and Information". Women on Waves. Retrieved 17 October 2016.
- ^ Urbina, Ian (17 October 2022). "From the Sea, Freedom | The Outlaw Ocean Podcast". The Outlaw Ocean Project. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
- ^ Zaken, Ministerie van Buitenlandse. "Dutch Development results Sexual and reproductive health and rights including HIV / AIDS (SRHR)". www.dutchdevelopmentresults.nl. Retrieved 28 November 2023.
- ^ Ministerie (1 July 2014). "Topics - Abortion - Government.nl". www.government.nl. Retrieved 28 November 2023.
- ^ ISSN 0968-8080.
- ^ https://www.womenonwaves.org/en/page/650/who-are-we
- ^ Corbett, Sara (26 August 2001), "Rebecca Gomperts Is Trying to Save the World for Abortion", The New York Times, NY
- ^ Ferry, Julie (14 November 2007), "The abortion ship's doctor", Guardian, UK, retrieved 14 November 2008
- ^ "About - Mondriaan Fund". Mondriaan Fund. Retrieved 8 June 2018.
- ^ "Women on Waves". Mediamatic. Retrieved 8 June 2018.
- ^ Bishop, Claire (2006). "The social turn: Collaboration and its discontents". Artforum International. 44 (6): 178–83.
- ^ Geraldine Coughlan (2 July 2002). "Legal boost for Dutch abortion ship". BBC.
- ProQuest 349123495. Retrieved 4 November 2023.
- ^ Chocano, Carina. "The "abortion boat" steams toward Ireland". Salon.com. Retrieved 1 February 2008.
- ^ Worrell, Marc. "Ireland 2001". Women on Waves. Retrieved 8 June 2018.
- ^ "Abortion by Air: Drone Delivers Pills Across Border to Northern Ireland". NBC News. Retrieved 8 June 2018.
- ^ Frenkiel, Olenka; Agnew, Lara (26 October 2003), O'Connor, Karen (ed.), "Abortion Ship", BBC News, UK
- ISBN 978-0-262-01734-3.
- ^ "Feminist Daily News 11/6/2003: Women on Waves Cleared of Accusations in Poland". feminist.org. Retrieved 8 June 2018.
- ^ "Women on Waves Cleared of Accusations in Poland". Wire story. Feminist Daily News. 6 November 2003. Retrieved 1 February 2008.
- ^ Worrell, Marc. "First flight Abortion Drone, Poland 2015". Women on Waves. Retrieved 9 June 2018.
- ^ Ruptly (27 June 2015), Germany/Poland: Drone delivers abortion pills to Slubice despite German police intervention, retrieved 9 June 2018
- ^ "Women on Waves: Meet the Dutch Physician Who Defied Abortion Bans by Bringing Her Clinic to the Sea". Democracy Now!. 15 January 2015.
- ^ a b "Women on Waves v. Portugal".
- ^ "HOME".
- ^ Mariken Smit (3 October 2012). "Marokko ontstemd over komst abortusboot". de Volkskrant (in Dutch). Retrieved 7 August 2019.
- ^ "Dutch 'Abortion Boat' Barred from Morocco". ABC News.
- ^ Morocco, Associated Press in (4 October 2012). "Abortion campaigners' boat turned away from Moroccan port". The Guardian. Associated Press. Retrieved 9 June 2018.
- ^ "Guatemalan army declare they will denounce the abortion ship without legal grounds".
- ^ a b "Guatemala army blocks abortion boat". BBC News. 24 February 2017. Retrieved 9 June 2018.
- ^ "Expulsan a barco de ONG proaborto".
- ^ "Abortion boat makes first visit to Mexico". Mexico News Daily. 22 April 2017. Retrieved 24 August 2022.
- ^ Vessel (2014) - Awards - IMDb, retrieved 27 November 2023
- ^ Small, Courtney (24 April 2014). "Hot Docs Review: Vessel". Cinema Axis. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
- ^ T. H. R. Staff (8 January 2015). "'Vessel': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
- ^ "Vessel". www.metacritic.com. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
- ^ "HOME". VESSEL. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
External links
- Women on Waves website
- Vessel Documentary film about Women on Waves