An escalating war on reproductive rights
British radio host and sound
system selector Sir David Rodigan
who caught the ‘reggae
bug’ after watching Millie
Small perform her 1964
hit “My Boy Lollipop” at the
Ready Steady Go! TV show as
a schoolboy, will perform at
Groovin In The Park, New York
City’s premier reggae and R&B
concert on Sunday, June 30 at
Roy Wilkins Park in Queens,
New York.
Rodigan came to prominence
in the 80s when he
clashed with Barry G of JBC
radio. He eventually played a
pivotal role promoting reggae,
particularly in Europe.
“I am proud to say that I
have played my part in promoting
Caribbean L 40 ife, June 7–13, 2019
reggae music over the past
40 years as a professional radio
broadcaster” he shared.
In his decorated career, Rodigan
has won various accolades
including being inducted into
the Sony Radio Hall Of Fame;
Broadcaster Of The Year and
was appointed Member of the
Order of the British Empire
(MBE) for “services to broadcasting”
at Buckingham Palace.
In 2012 he won the ultimate
sound clash victory when
he was awarded the top prize
at World Clash Reset in New
York.
“I have never counted how
many records I have in my collection
but suffice to say that
there are enough albums and
singles to fill the walls of two
rooms, which in effect is my
personal record library. I have
been an avid collector since
the mid 60’s...I give thanks for
having been able to buy the
thousands of records that I
have both here in the UK and
back in Jamaica. They are all
my prized possessions. Every
song has a quality that makes
it special to me but particularly
the works of Bob Andy, Dennis
Brown, Bob Marley, The Abyssinians
and Gregory Isaacs” he
stated.
The British broadcaster had
a lot to say about Jamaica’s
reggae revival being championed
by emerging artistes like
Protoje, Chronixx, Lila Ike and
Koffee and the new flavour
they bring to the genre.
“I think these young roots
artists have made a phenomenal
contribution to the traditional
essence of reggae music
and its great legacy. Their contribution
is immeasurable and
I hope that many other new
young artists will follow them
and be inspired” he noted.
By Tharanga Yakupitiyage
UNITED NATIONS, June 3,
2019 (IPS) — Abortion has long
been a contentious issue across
the world, and the debate is only
heating up, prompting women
to stand up and speak out for
their reproductive rights.
In response to increasingly
restrictive policies, civil society
is taking action to help protect
abortion rights.
“The failure of states to
guarantee reproductive rights
is a clear violation of human
rights,” said President and CEO
of the Center for Reproductive
Rights (CRR) Nancy Northup.
“The centre is committed
to using the power of law to
ensure that women and girls…
are guaranteed access to sexual
and reproductive health rights
and services,” she added.
Human Rights Watch’s Senior
Researcher, Margaret Wurth
echoed similar sentiments, stating:
“No rape survivor should
be forced into motherhood
without the chance to consider
a safe and legal abortion.”
Girls, Not Mothers
Latin American countries
have some of the most restrictive
abortion laws in the world.
For instance, Nicaragua has
a complete ban on abortion
while Guatemala has an exception
only when a girl or woman’s
life is at risk.
Though the risk of maternal
mortality increases when pregnancies
occur in girls younger
than 14, still many girls are
forced to give birth.
According to CRR, over
2,200 girls between the age of
10 and 14 gave birth in 2018 in
Guatemala.
In Nicaragua, eight of 10
sexual violence survivors are
girls under 13 and the country
has the highest teenage pregnancy
rate in Latin America
with 28 percent of women giving
birth before the age of 18.
Fatima was only 12 years
old when she became pregnant
after being raped by a man
in her community in Guatemala.
Though the pregnancy
was risky, health care providers
never offered her a legal
abortion.
After more than a year of
abuse by her priest, Lucia
became pregnant at the age of
13 in Nicaragua.
Fatima and Lucia are now
young women and two of four
women who have brought their
cases to the United Nations
Human Rights Committee
with the support of organisations
such as CRR and Planned
Parenthood Global in order to
seek justice and demand access
to safe and legal abortion.
“Too many young girls in
Latin America, and around
the world, have been put in
situations that threaten their
rights and put their lives at
risk because they are not able
to access abortion care,” said
head of Planned Parenthood
Global, Leana Wen.
“Forcing young girls to continue
a pregnancy no matter
their circumstances or wants,
is not only cruel, but will have
devastating impacts for them,
their families, and their communities,”
she added.
People around the world
have since showed solidarity
the four women, posting
#NinasNoMadres—they are
girls, not mothers.
U.S. regresses
Access to abortion has also
become a point of contention
in the United States as a total
of 27 bans have been enacted
across 12 states so far in 2019.
Most recently, Louisiana
signed a bill banning abortions
once a heartbeat is detectable,
known as a “heartbeat bill.”
A foetal heartbeat can occur
as early as six weeks into a
pregnancy, often before many
women know they’re even
pregnant. The legislation does
not include exceptions for rape
or incest.
If the bill becomes law, any
doctor who performs an abortion
could face imprisonment
for one to 10 years and/or a
fine ranging from 10,000 to
100,000 dollars.
Missouri has passed a similar
bill with a penalty of up
to 15 years in prison and the
loss of a doctor’s professional
license.
Missouri’s last and only abortion
clinic was expected to close
on Friday, but a judge granted
a restraining order that temporarily
allowed the clinic to continue.
If the clinic had closed,
Missouri would have been the
first state in 45 years without
access to abortion.
While abortion is still legal
at the federal level, such moves
threaten safe, accessible and
affordable abortion care across
the country.
“We are very concerned that
several U.S. states have passed
laws severely restricting access
to safe abortion for women,
including by imposing criminal
penalties on the women themselves
and on abortion service
providers,” said UN human
rights spokeswoman Ravina
Shamdasani.
“We are calling on the United
States and all other countries
to ensure that women have
access to safe abortions. At an
absolute minimum, in cases of
rape, incest and foetal anomaly,
there needs to be safe access
to abortions,” she added.
Not only does a complete
ban on abortion drive women
and girls to seek unsafe “back
street” methods of termination,
but a study found that
women and girls are also more
likely to experience short-term
anxiety and loss of self-esteem,
economic insecurity and poverty,
and continued exposure
to intimate partner violence.
But there is hope yet.
Organisations such as the
American Civil Liberties Union
and Lambda Legal have filed
lawsuits to help protect abortion
rights in the U.S.
And the UN can play a role
globally too.
A demonstrator in Buenos Aires wears a T-shirt with the
slogan “my body, my rights,” one of the slogans of the socalled
green tide - the colour adopted by the movement for
the legalisation of abortion, which is beginning to spread to
other Latin American countries.
Inter Press Service / Fabiana Frayssinet
Sir David Rodigan speaks Koffee, Chronixx & Groovin In The Park
Sir David Rodigan
Ajamu Photo
Chronixx