Respect Our Bodies! Respect Our Choices!

Celebrate International Women's Day with the Ontario Coalition for Abortion Clinics

TORONTO, March 8, 2013 /CNW/ - International Women's Day has been celebrated in various parts of the world for over 100 years. Toronto's International Women's Day tradition includes a rally and march organized by a committee of social justice, labour, health and women's rights activists.

	WHAT:	International Women's Day Rally and March
	WHEN:	Saturday, March 9, 2013, rally at 11 a.m., march at 1 p.m.
	WHERE:	252 Bloor Street West, Toronto

Although reproductive justice is always discussed at the event, this issue is represented in the theme of this year's event which is 'Respect Our Bodies; Respect our Choices.'

The Ontario Coalition for Abortion Clinics will form a pro-choice contingent at this year's International Women's Day march to highlight concerns over the attack on abortion rights in Canada and internationally.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper has repeatedly stated that he would not 'reopen the abortion debate.' Yet since the Conservatives have been in power, there has been a series of motions and bills introduced by Conservative MPs aimed at rolling back women's right to abortion.

The Harper government continues to flout the Canada Health Act by not intervening to ensure funding of clinics providing abortions in New Brunswick, or access for women in Prince Edward Island.

Twenty-five years after the historic Supreme Court decision that struck down Canada's abortion law, there are still many regions of the country where access is difficult or non-existent.

Angela Robertson, Director of Equity and Community Engagement at Women's College Hospital, will be speaking on the issue of reproductive justice at Saturday's rally. Angela is also an activist in the Black, women's and LGBTQ communities and co-editor with Ena Dua of Scratching the Surface: Canadian Anti-Racist Feminist Thought. Michelle Robidoux, from the Ontario Coalition for Abortion Clinics, also will speak at the rally. 

SOURCE: Ontario Coalition for Abortion Clinics (OCAC)

For interviews prior to the event contact: Carolyn Egan, 416-806-7985, [email protected],
or Michelle Robidoux, 416-856-5008

Media contact on March 9: Karolina Walczak, 416-347-6669, [email protected]