FRom: [NextGenderation]
=======================================================
hi all,
since the last week of August Women on Waves
(
http://www.womenonwaves.org)
set sail again, this time to Portugal. probably some
of you heard about
the
latest controversies (the ship, Borndiep, is not
allowed into
Portuguese
waters). latest press release below. best, s.
Women on Waves, founded in 1999, aims to prevent
unwanted pregnancy and
illegal unsafe abortions. Every 6 minutes somewhere on
the world a
woman
dies needlessly as a result of illegal, unsafe
abortion. In response to
this violation of womens human rights and medical
need, Women on Waves
operates a mobile clinic on a ship that sails to
countries where
abortion
is illegal. This is done at the invitation of local
women's
organizations.
With the use of a ship, early medical abortions can be
provided safely,
professionally and legally. In countries where
abortion is illegal, the
local laws only apply within territorial waters;
outside this 12-mile
zone
Dutch law applies on board a Dutch ship. In 2002 the
Dutch Minister of
Health confirmed in writing that Women on Waves can
safely and legally
provide the abortion pill to women with early unwanted
pregnancies
(overtijdbehandeling) on board the ship.
Women on Waves already sailed to Ireland (2001) and
Poland (2003).
03/09/2004
Portugal refuses safe harbour
In the morning of Friday September 3 the captain of
the ship Borndiep
of
Women on Waves, informed a shipping agency of the
harbour in Figueira
da
Foz, Portugal, that the ship needed to bunker gasoline
and fresh water.
After no answer was received at 18.00 hours Women on
Waves decided the
Borndiep had to go to Spain, like 10.000 Portuguese
women do every year
to
get the services they need. Late at night the Borndiep
received the
notification that even only bunkering gasoline and
water was refused
and
that Portugal refused a safe harbour for the Borndiep.
Women on Waves
states once again that this is a severe violation of
the national and
international regulations and agreements of free
passage an entry of
harbours. The Borndiep will return to the Portuguese
borders near
Figueira
da Foz as soon as possible.
On Thursday September 2, minister Bot, minister of
foreign affairs of
the
Netherlands spoke with the minister of foreign affairs
of Portugal,
António
Monteiro, to inform him that the majority of the Dutch
Parliament asked
for
freedom of passage of the Borndiep to the harbour of
Fiqueira da Foz.
Women
on Waves is still waiting for an official reaction
from the Portuguese
Government.
Today, Saturday September 4, two Dutch
parliamentarians, L.van der Laan
(D´66) and K. Arib (PVDA) especially come to Portugal
to attend a
political
workshop in Lisbon on Saturday at 21.00 hours at Casa
Amarela in
Lisbon.
All Portuguese parties are invited to the workshop.
The Dutch
parliamentarians will also pay a visit to the ship on
Sunday September
4.
Sunday afternoon at 16.30 hours, a work shop for
Portuguese artists
will
take place in the Escola Nautica in the harbour of
Fiqueira da Foz.
Desperate Portuguese women keep calling the help
number of Women on
Waves
every day. Women on Waves tries to help them in any
way they can.
For further information:
www.womenonwaves
00 351 914477770
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