'Abortion is health care, it’s a human right': Local abortion activist

A local abortion and reproductive justice activist is devastated by Friday’s news that the U.S. Supreme Court has ended the nation's constitutional protections for abortion.

In an interview with CTV News London, Robyn Schwarz, who has a masters in Canadian/American relations and is working towards her PHD in Canadian History at Western University, said she’s not surprised by the decision that had been in place for nearly 50 years.

“This news means that some people are not going to get their abortion’s today and that’s really going to be hard on them,” said Schwartz. “And so, that’s where my head is at is really with folks who are pregnant in the United States, in places where abortion is being attacked. And thinking about experience and how hard this is going to be on them.”

Schwarz, who is also the co-founder of Pro-Choice Southwestern Ontario, says even though abortion is legal here in Canada, it’s not always accessible and there are people on this side of the border protesting to end abortion outside our hospitals.

“We have people here who can’t access abortions when they need them, so we need to be working on changing that and making it a much safer, more accessible process for people in terms of how does it look when you get an abortion and why is it so difficult in Canada and why are there so few pro-choice non-profits?”

She added that there is not enough support and funding for this type of work in Canada.

“Often times, we locally, the doulas are helping folks get to London and get that support. I know there are lots of people like me, throughout the United States who have been ready for this, they are going to do everything they can,” said Schwarz

Schwarz is also a volunteer with Action Canada for Sexual Health and Rights and says that organization is doing important work.

“Abortion is health care, it’s a human right, and the fact that the United States has chosen to go down this path, should be something that folks who are pro-human rights, should be looking at from around the world, with horror today,” she concluded.