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The Freedom to Choose

Posted on March 26 2026 at 11:53

In this guest blog, VAWG professional, writer, activist, and Let’s Change the Act campaigner, Alice Jackson, explores abortion rights and coercive control. 

Last week, the House of Lords voted to decriminalise abortion and pardon and expunge the records of women who had been criminalised for seeking abortions outside of the legal limits. A historic day, and a day hard and long fought for. There are now only three steps left until this bill becomes law, and the landscape of how abortion is delivered in England and Wales is changed, hopefully forever (though we can never be too careful).

I was proud to support, and work in a very minor capacity, on this campaign. My earliest professional roots were in reproductive and sexual health, and although I now work full-time in VAWG (Violence Against Women and Girls), abortion and reproductive healthcare remains a key part of my focus. Not only is abortion a feminist issue, it’s a VAWG issue. A lot of the work I do is in Health; if you’re experiencing abuse, you’re most likely to seek support from, or disclose to a healthcare professional, and the NHS has more contact with people experiencing abuse than any other service; and yes, that includes police. Healthcare professionals are uniquely positioned to identify and respond to abuse, and they enjoy much greater public confidence and trust than the criminal justice system and other statutory services. 

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Guest Blog: “It can’t happen here”: The future of abortion rights in Scotland (and what we can do about it)

Posted on March 12 2026 at 09:46

In this guest blog, actor, writer and campaigner Ally Ibach explores how anti-choice narratives became entrenched in the USA, and why Scotland needs modern abortion law that works for women in the face of rising threats to reproductive rights.

Graphic with a black and yellow background overlaid with a white page with the Let's change the Act logo and black quoted text that reads "We cannot ignore the rising far-right movement across America and Europe. State-sanctioned violence and threats to reproductive care are pervasive. We cannot afford to leave women’s lives and bodies up for interpretation." The quote is attributed to Ally Ibach, theatre artist and activist.

Long before Roe v. Wade (1973), abortion was not nearly as outwardly contentious or topical an issue in public American media.

After all, American Republicans have historically identified themselves as the party of free will in a free-market capitalistic structure; if you want to do something, you should be able to, without the government peering over your shoulder. This argument has served for years in defence of lowering taxes regardless of income, defending gun ownership, and many more classic conservative American stances.

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Standing up against abortion disinformation

Posted on December 18 2025 at 11:43

Following the recent publication of the Scottish Government’s Abortion Law Review report, we’ve published a briefing for MSPs in support of the report’s recommendations and calling for the full decriminalisation of abortion, alongside a modernised health-based system of abortion care in line with international health and human rights standards.

Since the release of the report, there has been a concerted campaign to publicly distort its recommendations. We’re calling on MSPs to stand up against these kinds of tactics.

This is critical for two reasons:

  1. Scotland’s women deserve the highest standard of abortion healthcare, and
  2. Abortion policy development, like all policy development, should be shaped using the highest level of evidence and expertise, not politicised scaremongering.

Read our full briefing to MSPs here.

Breaking: Landmark report sets clear path to decriminalisation and modernised healthcare

Posted on November 14 2025 at 09:21

Today, the Scottish Government have released an Expert Group report that provides a clear roadmap for removing abortion from the criminal justice system and replacing the outdated Abortion Act 1967 with a modernised, health-based framework. 

 

  

Tags: Abortion law Decriminalisation reproductive rights
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Out and about in Glasgow

Posted on November 13 2025 at 11:10

 

We had a great day last week chatting with the folk of Glasgow about reproductive rights in Scotland and #LetschangetheAct.

Some BIG reactions to our stats and chats.

Look out for the videos coming soon on Instagram and help us spread the news.

RSS Comments

Speak up

Abortion remains a criminal offence in Scotland. But #LetsChangetheAct isn’t just about Scotland. Around the world, freedoms that have taken years to secure are being reversed. Decisions are being made that normalise the policing of reproductive choices. These choices, together with the strategies, funding, and tactics that back them, are crossing the Atlantic and endangering healthcare and bodily autonomy across the UK. The good news? In less than forty seconds, you can play a part in protecting reproductive rights in Scotland 💜 Sign up to the #LetsChangetheAct campaign to demand the full decriminalisation of abortion in Scotland and the replacement of the 1967 Abortion Act. Simply follow the link in our bio, select ‘Get Involved’, and complete the free ‘Become a Member’ form, which takes less than a minute to complete. Let’s Change the Act is Scotland’s national campaign to decriminalise abortion and replace the Abortion Act 1967, supported by @amnestyscotland, @nusscotland, @oxfamscotland, @lgbtiscotland, @passthemicscot, @rapecrisisscot, @scottish_trans, @youngwomenscot, @backoffscotland, and many more.“I was 21, staring at a positive test, knowing that even if I moved mountains, there was no way I could make it work. Having an abortion saved my life.” The big crowds, the marches, the posters - it’s easy to forget that big movements like this are made up of real people who know just how important abortion access is. If, like us, you believe that abortion is a vital form of healthcare, and not a punishable crime, join the hundreds of people who have signed up to the #LetsChangetheAct campaign - which is demanding the full decriminalisation of abortion in Scotland, and the replacement of the 1967 Abortion Act - a restrictive set of ‘requirements’ used in recent years to charge and prosecute people seeking abortion. Simply follow the link in our bio, select ‘Get Involved’, and complete the ‘Become a Member’ form, which is free and takes less than a minute to complete. Let’s Change the Act is Scotland’s national campaign to decriminalise abortion and replace the Abortion Act 1967, supported by @amnestyscotland, @nusscotland, @oxfamscotland, @lgbtiscotland, @passthemicscot, @rapecrisisscot, @scottish_trans, @youngwomenscot, @backoffscotland, and many more.Abortion is normal. Abortion is healthcare. Abortion is freedom. Despite organisations like @WHO showing that decriminalising abortion improves women’s health outcomes, laws and policies around the world still treat this normal and safe procedure differently, including in Scotland. If, like us, you believe that abortion is healthcare, and not a punishable crime, join the hundreds of people who have signed up to the #LetsChangetheAct campaign. In less than forty seconds, you’ll help us to demand: 1. The full decriminalisation of abortion in Scotland. 2. The replacement of the 1967 Abortion Act - a restrictive set of ‘requirements’ used in recent years to charge and prosecute people seeking abortion. Simply follow the link in our bio, select ‘Get Involved’, and complete the ‘Become a Member’ form, which is free and takes less than a minute to complete. Let’s Change the Act is Scotland’s national campaign to decriminalise abortion and replace the Abortion Act 1967, supported by @amnestyscotland, @nusscotland, @oxfamscotland, @lgbtiscotland, @passthemicscot, @rapecrisisscot, @scottish_trans, @youngwomenscot, @backoffscotland, and many more.You can still be charged with a criminal offence in Scotland for an abortion. Yes, you read that right. But in less than forty seconds, you can be part of changing this. Sign up to the #LetsChangetheAct campaign, and you’ll join a community demanding: 1. The full decriminalisation of abortion in Scotland. 2. The replacement of the 1967 Abortion Act - a restrictive set of ‘requirements’ used in recent years to charge and prosecute people seeking abortion. Time is up for outdated abortion laws. Sign up to support the campaign by following the link in our bio, selecting ‘Get Involved’, and completing the ‘Become a Member’ form, which is free and takes less than a minute to complete. Let’s Change the Act is Scotland’s national campaign to decriminalise abortion and replace the Abortion Act 1967, supported by @amnestyscotland, @nusscotland, @oxfamscotland, @lgbtiscotland, @passthemicscot, @rapecrisisscot, @scottish_trans, @youngwomenscot, @backoffscotland, and many more.
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