New international web exhibition: «SHHH! Stories about abortion and sexuality”
The US ending of constitutional abortion rights is today on everybody’s lips. But, what do we actually know about women’s experiences with abortion and how changes in abortion rights influence women? On Friday July 1st the Women’s Museum Norway launches the international web exhibition «SHHH! Stories about abortion and sexuality».
The exhibition is a collaboration between the Women’s Museum Norway, The International Association of Women’s Museums, and the Swedish feminist artist group OTALT. The web exhibition presents 57 personal stories about abortion told by women, and some men, from all over the world. It also provides the history of the abortion legislation in all 23 countries featured in the stories.
Abortion laws are not static. When the US now have erased the federal right to self-determined abortion, they follow the path taken by only three other countries in the last 25 years. Several other countries are going in the opposite direction – during the last 25 years nearly 60 countries have liberalized their abortion restrictions in some way or another. Countries like Mexico, Argentina, Ireland, and South Korea have during the last four years legalized abortion and given the women in their countries the right to safe abortions.
“Women have always found ways to terminate unwanted pregnancies, and they always will. History shows that when abortion is inaccessible or against the law, women will still have illegal abortions. In some cases, their lives will be at stake. With SHHH! we want to break the silence, crush some myths and make room for the universal experience that abortion is. Our goal has been to contribute to more knowledge and safety, and also to connect women together globally.”, says project manager, Mona Holm.
