S2E2 Post-Roe v. Wade: How safe are UK abortion rights? - with Renee Bracey Sherman

Explicit content warning

07/07/22 • 45 min

Across the pond, the United States Supreme Court made the decision to overturn Roe v Wade, meaning 33 million women in America were stripped of the right to an abortion. Many US states have already introduced new restrictions on abortion. Women and people who need abortions are having to travel further, often across state borders, and pay more. As expected, this ban will affect the most marginalised: poor women, queer people, women of colour and migrant women.

The news has been dominated by the decision - but how many of us here in the UK know that abortion is a crime in England, Scotland, and Wales? This week, Media Storm speaks to doctors, activists, people who have had abortions, and leading abortion care providers in the UK, to find out just how restrictive the system here actually is. Plus, we hear from reproductive rights activists in Northern Ireland, about why decriminalisation without the services to match it means nothing.

We’re joined in the studio by Renee Bracey Sherman, founder of We Testify, and hailed as the ‘Beyoncé of Abortion Storytelling', to discuss the why abortion is still seen as a taboo in the mainstream media, the history of the 'debate', and how a minority of anti-abortionists got so loud.

The episode is hosted by Mathilda Mallinson (@mathildamall) and Helena Wadia (@helenawadia).

Speakers:

Katherine O'Brien, British Pregnancy Advisory Service @katherine__ob @BPAS1968
Maya Oppenheim @MayaOppenheim
Catriona Rennison, Doctors for Choice UK @CatrionaRennis1 @DrsforChoice_UK
Bethany Moore @bethanysmm
Sophia Smith Galer @sophiasgaler
Renee Bracey Sherman @RBraceySherman @reneebraceysherman @AbortionStories

Sources:

Pro-choice UK poll https://bit.ly/3uvZqz7
UK abortion statistics 2020 https://bit.ly/3yLUZ5N
2012 Abortion raids https://www.bmj.com/content/344/bmj.e2313
Anti-abortion advocate told Congress that abortions power street lamps https://bit.ly/3yisyLr
Women accused of illegal abortions in England and Wales after miscarriages and stillbirths https://bit.ly/3RiR6fN
I had an abortion – and my experience shows how broken the UK system truly is https://bit.ly/3AwaY9u
US Donors Are Helping Push Anti-Abortion Agendas in UK schools https://bit.ly/3RscT55

Get in touch

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send us an email [email protected]
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Music by Samfire @soundofsamfire.

Media Storm is brought to you by the house of The Guilty Feminist and is part of the Acast Creator Network.

Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/media-storm.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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The episode is hosted by Mathilda Mallinson (@mathildamall) and Helena Wadia (@helenawadia).

Speakers:

Katherine O'Brien, British Pregnancy Advisory Service @katherine__ob @BPAS1968
Maya Oppenheim @MayaOppenheim
Catriona Rennison, Doctors for Choice UK @CatrionaRennis1 @DrsforChoice_UK
Bethany Moore @bethanysmm
Sophia Smith Galer @sophiasgaler
Renee Bracey Sherman @RBraceySherman @reneebraceysherman @AbortionStories

Sources:

Pro-choice UK poll https://bit.ly/3uvZqz7
UK abortion statistics 2020 https://bit.ly/3yLUZ5N
2012 Abortion raids https://www.bmj.com/content/344/bmj.e2313
Anti-abortion advocate told Congress that abortions power street lamps https://bit.ly/3yisyLr
Women accused of illegal abortions in England and Wales after miscarriages and stillbirths https://bit.ly/3RiR6fN
I had an abortion – and my experience shows how broken the UK system truly is https://bit.ly/3AwaY9u
US Donors Are Helping Push Anti-Abortion Agendas in UK schools https://bit.ly/3RscT55

Get in touch

Follow us on Twitter http://twitter.com/mediastormpod
or Instagram https://www.instagram.com/mediastormpod
or Tiktok https://www.tiktok.com/@mediastormpod
like us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/MediaStormPod
send us an email [email protected]
check out our website https://mediastormpodcast.com

Music by Samfire @soundofsamfire.

Media Storm is brought to you by the house of The Guilty Feminist and is part of the Acast Creator Network.

Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/media-storm.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Previous Episode

This Is How You Do It: Gal-dem's Naomi Larsson Piñeda

Warning: Some strong language

Media Storm hosts Mathilda and Helena meet their mainstream media matches! In this crossover bonus series with The Guilty Feminist, they interview journalists trying to make an imperfect industry a little bit less so, about their noble goals and - you guessed it - the hypocrisies and insecurities that undermine them! Brought to you by The Guilty Feminist, every other Thursday.

Our first guest is Naomi Larsson Piñeda, award-winning journalist and editor at gal-dem, Forbes 30 Under 30 alumna, and musician-by-night (@naomilars / @naomiinblue). Naomi speaks about reporting on Chile's social uprising, ongoing gender inequality in the music industry, and second jobs.

The episode is hosted by Mathilda Mallinson (@mathildamall) and Helena Wadia (@helenawadia).

For more information on The Guilty Feminist and other episodes:

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Media Storm is brought to you by the house of The Guilty Feminist and is part of the Acast Creator Network.

The Guilty Feminist theme by Mark Hodge and produced by Nick Sheldon.

This Is How You Do It theme by Samfire (@soundofsamfire)

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Next Episode

This Is How You Do It: Disability rights journalist Rachel Charlton-Dailey

Media Storm hosts Mathilda and Helena meet their mainstream media matches! In this crossover bonus series with The Guilty Feminist, they interview journalists and activists trying to make an imperfect industry a little bit less so, about their noble goals and - you guessed it - the hypocrisies and insecurities that undermine them! Brought to you by The Guilty Feminist, every other Thursday.

Today's guest is Rachel Charlton-Dailey (@RachelCDailey), award-winning journalist and activist, who founded The Unwritten (@TheUnwrittenPub) - a publication for disabled people to share their stories “without them being reduced to trauma or inspiration”. Just last week, she collaborated with the Daily Mirror to edit the series 'Disabled Britain', investigations and features about disability that break from mainstream news norms to centre the lived experience of disabled people. We chat about the series, her favourite story to work on, and thoughts on what our future Prime Minster could do for disabled people.

The episode is hosted by Mathilda Mallinson (@mathildamall) and Helena Wadia (@helenawadia).

For more information on The Guilty Feminist and other episodes: