An Australian woman has alleged that she was fired for posting supportive tweets about greater access to abortion. She has filed a case against her ex-employer to fight for her job.
What happened?
Angela Williamson, formerly employed in Cricket Australia, the sport's governing body, was working in the government relations and public policy department.
She said she was told her position had become “untenable” amid concerns that she insulted the Tasmanian state government in a series of Twitter posts this year, reported New York Times.
Williamson has alleged that a senior member of the Tasmanian government had disclosed to Cricket Australia that she had undergone an abortion herself.
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The case is now under review by the government’s Fair Work Commission.
The 39-year-old said that she was among the first women in Tasmania to fly to mainland Australia for an abortion as the only clinic had shut down due to high running costs
Current abortion laws in Australia
Australia's current abortion laws vary across every state.
South Australia was the first state to legalize abortion in 1969. However, it was allowed only if the patient’s life, physical or mental health was in danger.
The mother of three children, Williamson said that the lack of accessibility is what drove her to post about the matter on Twitter.
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She said, “I’m not a victim. I’m not seeking pity. And I’m not going to be quiet about reproductive health and surgical terminations,” reported The Sydney Morning Herald.
“The doors were closed to me. There was no pathway for me to access a surgical termination in Tasmania,” she added.
Abortion was decriminalized in Tasmania in 2013, but it is still not available as a part of the state’s public health system, which are either free or affordable.
Some private clinics in Australia charge up to 2,500 Australian dollars to perform abortion.
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Kriti Dwivedi is an intern with SheThePeople.Tv
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