Women on Waves: mobile reproductive health clinic on a boat

I just heard about this group. Wow. They sound in-fucking-credible.

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Toronto Women's Bookstore invites you to an intimate evening of dialogue with

Dr.Rebecca Gomperts (founder of Women on Waves)

WEDNESDAY JUNE 6, 7pm @ TWB
all welcome. partially wheelchair accessible.

Dr. Gomperts will speak about Women on Waves' trip to Portugal, their experiences there, and the connection of the trip to Portugal's recent referendum which resulted in the liberalization of the abortion law there.

Introduction by Shannon Stettner.

About Women on Waves:

Women on Waves is a non-profit, pro-choice organization founded in 1999 by Dr. Rebecca Gompertrs. Women on Waves operates a mobile reproductive health clinic on board a Dutch ship. Outside the territorial waters of countries where abortion is illegal, the abortion pill can be provided safely and legally to women with unwanted pregnancies. While in harbor, the ship also hosts several programs, such as contraceptive distribution, counseling, education and workshops for different professionals. Since 1999, Women on Waves has visited Ireland, Poland, and Portugal raising awareness of the need for legalized abortion and providing services for women from those countries. [url=http://www.womenonwaves.org]womenonwaves.org[/url]

Rebecca Gomperts studied medicine and visual arts in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. After she worked as an intern in surgery and radiology, she became an abortion doctor and sailed as a ships doctor and environmental activist on board the Greenpeace ship, Rainbow Warrior. While sailing in South America she met many women who greatly suffered due to lack of access to reproductive health services and safe, legal abortion. These women and their stories were the inspiration for Rebecca Gomperts to start Women on Waves.

Shannon Stettner is a doctoral student in the history program at York University. Her dissertation explores Canadian women's pro-choice activism in post-World War II Canada. She has been a member of the Ontario Coalition for Abortion Clinics since 2000.

Co-sponsored by the Ontario Coalition for Abortion Clinics, Toronto Women's Bookstore, the Immigrant Women's Health Centre.

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