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Led the test have done so pretending to be crazy, going through the humiliating experience of screaming and throwing themselves on the floor of the clinic on order to salve the delicate consciences of the medical and psychiatric professions.
After the political elections of 20 June 1976, which registered a noticeable advance for the Italian Communist Party (PCI), the revolutionary left entered Parliament for the first time (with five seats)
after conducting a united electoral campaign as 'Democrazia Proletaria. As one of the factors which had brought down the previous government had been the discussion on the new abortion law, the new government had to take up the matter immediately with all political parties presenting their own proposals currently under discussion in the parliamentary select committee.
The Christian Democrats, after much hesitation, have presented an even more reactionary proposal than the past legislation, placing limitations even on theraputic abortion, and maintaining the concept of abortion as a crime, although women are no longer to be prosecuted for aborting within the narrow limits conceded. The Communist Party's proposal has aroused, inevitably, the most interest, and is a masterpiece of condensed historical compromise' (the Italian CP's strategy of alliance with the bourgeoisie). For the PCI, abortion is limited to a number of cases, taking into account, however, the social, economic and mental condition of the woman. The total number of abortions carried out is not to exceed 25 per cent of all operations in any one hospital, but no abortions are to be performed other than in public hospitals. Abortion is free but only within the first three months of pregnancy — and all transgressors are to be fined; minors must have the express permission of parents; all women requesting an abortion have to undergo a medical and verbal examination/interrogation even though the woman 'may have the final say in deciding'. This clumsy and cedure is designed to make abortions available' but difficult to obtain, and means the continuation of backstreet abortions for all those women who cannot face such a trial. The proposals of the Socialist and Radical Parties permit minors access to abortion, and give women the right to choose, but limit this right to the first three months of pregnancy.
The new factor in this discussion are proposals which have come from about 30 women's groups, which met and organised on a national scale to work out a law on abortion reflecting experience in "consultori" (self-help clinics) created by the the first 22 weeks of pregnancy, to be performed in public hospitals, state approved clinics (and in municipal birth control clinics in the first 8 weeks of pregnancy).
No woman who asks for an abortion after 22 weeks of pregnancy can be refused as it is felt that only the most severe problems can lead a woman to take the decision to abort after this length of time, and also that, under capitalism, a woman's right to choose must be defended without limitations.
The terrible effects of Seveso, the general ignorance about contraception maintained by the reactionary positions of the Catholic church, the economic and social subordination of most layers of Italian women are all aspects which contributed to the 30 women's groups taking this stand.
The last aspect of the proposals has been the object of attack from all quarters - not just from the most reactionary ones. The progressive paper Repubblica headed its editorial: The Slaughter of the Innocents" and the PDUP (whose member of Parliament refused to support the proposals) headed a signed article Abortion up to the 61 st Month".
In the women's movement itself, the proposals have generated a great deal of debate, which cannot simply be divided into the category of those for and those against them. The debate centres on whether the organised womens movement can really "translate" its experience into laws, whether it loses its autonomy in so doing, whether it has, in fact, delegated its battle to the members of Democrazia Proletaria, thereby limiting the influence of the proposals to the far left. An important discussion is also taking place on whether abortion and maternity are obligations or choices under the capitalist system; whether in a society organised on a socialist and collective basis the conflict between a woman and the unwanted foetus might not be resolved differently and so on. An important conference on these themes is to be held in Naples on 13/14 November, and will be followed by a mass demonstration in Rome on 20 November, called by the 30 women's groups in defence of a woman's right to choose.