‘Gibraltar for Yes’ will be launched this Saturday with the aim of highlighting the importance of voting Yes at the upcoming Abortion Referendum on the 19th March.

The campaign is an alliance between No More Shame Gibraltar, Choice Gibraltar, Secular Humanist Society of Gibraltar and Feminist Gibraltar, all of which submitted responses to the Government’s Command Paper on Abortion in 2018.

A spokesperson said that the campaign aims to explain to the public exactly what the proposed changes to the law will entail, by informing them of the restricted criteria and time frames that will apply to the access to abortion, in order to challenge misinformation and scaremongering. 'It will explain that this new legislation is necessary to put an end to the current tariff of life imprisonment for women having abortions on physical and mental health grounds up to the twelfth week of pregnancy, and bring Gibraltar in line with its international human rights and healthcare obligations, as befits a progressive democratic nation.'

"Furthermore the campaign intends to share local stories that have been forwarded to us by brave women and couples, to whom we would like to extend our sincere thanks. It is the case that behind every abortion there are often stories of anguish and pain. Of decisions made in secret, of procedures carried out clandestinely in foreign countries with no support and advice. It aims to highlight the fact that abortion provision and support is an integral part of proper reproductive health care along with the other supports systems to help families in crisis. The Gibraltar for Yes campaign hopes to not only win a legal battle at the Referendum, but to help Gibraltar realise that abortions are happening and that they will continue to happen. That we need to confront this issue, we need to bring it home, make it safe and make it legal. That banning abortions does not stop them happening, it merely exports them or makes them unsafe. On the 19th March Gibraltar needs to say ‘Yes’ to Care, Change and Compassion."

The Gibraltar for Yes campaign members met with the Chief Minister, who "expressed his full support to the group, and will attend the campaign launch event this Saturday 25th January at the Piazza at 11am."