Throughout the 1960s, the public abortion debate was dominated by men. While women's voices were not absent, they are harder to locate. This article highlights one forum in which women eloquently expressed their feelings about abortion. In submissions to the Royal Commission on the Status of Women in Canada, women demonstrated their "right" to speak on the issue in many ways, including by sharing their experiences as mothers or with unplanned and unwanted pregnancies; referencing their professional lives, especially in care giving fields; and drawing moral authority from or opposing religious beliefs. This article analyzes women's efforts to convey their authority to speak to the legality of abortion, highlighting a component of the 1960s abortion law reform discussion often overlooked.
Using the fiftieth anniversary of the 1969 omnibus bill as an opportunity to reflect on the impact that legislation had on abortion access and experiences in Canada, we examine key legislative and activist moments in the long history of abortion rights in Canada, beginning with the lead up to the 1969 revision. This analysis helps to assess the uneven impact and unintended consequences of the 1969 legislation. We offer an analysis of the existing historiography of abortion in order to both assess trends and identify areas that require further study. We suggest using a reproductive justice framework to examine abortion-related history and politics. By doing so, we hope scholars will uncover what abortion history might look like if we decentre milestone legislation like the omnibus bill.
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