Since 22 September 2015, the widely circulated hashtag #ShoutYourAbortion, has been fuelling a web debate. This “viral campaign” was launched by three American women in response to a vote by the Chamber of Representatives aimed at reducing the budget allocated to the American Family Planning Association. “I have launched #Shoutyourabortion because I have no regrets and I won’t keep silent,” explained Lindy West, one of the authors of this hashtag. She has been followed by thousands of women across the globe.
This campaign has triggered numerous reactions amongst opponents of abortion, some reflecting the comments of blogger, Matt Walsh on Twitter, who responded as follows: “I’m sure that the babies would have liked to have their say about #ShoutYourAbortion but they were murdered and sold in pieces”.
On the other side of the Atlantic, in France, although the campaign isn’t followed, the topic is hotly debated. The Minister for Health and Women’s Rights, Marisol Touraine, called a press conference on 28 September 2015 on the occasion of the International Campaign for Women’s Rights to Safe Abortion.
This conference will be involved in “launching an international communications campaign on abortion and the right of women to use their bodies as they wish”. It is part of the Minister’s plan to guarantee widespread access to abortion, as evidenced by the recent Draft Bill of Health, currently debated in the Senate (Cf. Gènéthique vous informe du 21 septembre 2015).
Jean-Yves Nau (23/09/2015)