ALBUQUERQUE, NM—Today, an alliance of community organizations and women’s advocacy groups launched “Respect ABQ Women,” a campaign to defeat the anti-abortion ballot measure that will likely appear on the Albuquerque ballot this fall. The Respect ABQ Women campaign understands that the anti-abortion ballot measure is part of a national effort aimed at making it impossible for New Mexico women, and women across the country, to access safe and legal abortions.
"As women of New Mexico we are proud of our state's history of respecting women to make real-life decisions about their lives in the best interest of their families,” said Adriann Barboa, Field Director for Strong Families New Mexico. “We launch this campaign today, representing people from all backgrounds and from all corners of our city, to ensure that Albuquerque continues to respect the personal decisions of women."
“The government needs to stay out of people’s private doctor-patient relationships,” said Rabbi Harry Rosenfeld of Congregation Albert, who also spoke against the ballot measure at the Respect ABQ Women campaign launch. “The extremely personal decision to end a pregnancy should only be between a woman, her doctor, her conscience, and her family should she choose to involve them.”
The Respect ABQ Women campaign aims to:
- Educate voters on how bans on abortion interfere with deeply personal medical decisions that belong only between a woman, her doctor, and her faith.
- Promote respect and trust for women and their ability to make decisions that affect their lives and bodies.
- Mobilize New Mexicans to stand with women and defeat attempts by out-of-touch groups to interfere in private doctor-pati ent relationships.
As part of the campaign, Respect ABQ Women launched a website, www.respectabqwomen.org, where people can learn more about the issue, sign a pledge to oppose the ban, volunteer with the campaign, and make a donation toward defeating the ballot measure. Respect ABQ Women is also reaching out to the communities that would be affected by this anti-abortion measure via Facebook and Twitter.
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