Submission to the Human Resources and Development Committee of Parliament on Private Members Motion No. 61/2018

Tajna Lee Shields speaking to this submission in Parliament. The clip below begins at the start of her remarks.

Co-authored for The I’m Glad I’m A Girl Foundation, this submission responds to Private Members Motion No. 61/2018 and makes the case for reform of Jamaica’s abortion law.

It calls for the repeal of Sections 72 and 73 of the Offences Against the Person Act (1864) and their replacement with civil legislation that sets out when termination of pregnancy is lawful. The recommendations pair that change with safeguards — pre- and post-procedure counselling, access for survivors of rape and incest, provision for minors and for cases where a pregnancy threatens a woman’s life or health, and Ministry of Health facilities alongside licensed, monitored private practices. The case is framed around maternal mortality, the disproportionate harm restrictive law does to minors and women from low-income backgrounds, and Jamaica’s obligations under CEDAW, the Beijing Platform for Action, and Sustainable Development Goal 5.

Full submission text available on request.