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Dunlop’s speech focused on the reproduction rights, which are the freedom of the women about
their decisions regarding when and how they will use their reproductive ability. The conference gave
way to the acceptance of the reproductive health services as a human right.
In this process, Joan was always determined and courageous to stand against the oppositions
directed at her abortion politics. For instance, 1984 Mexico City International Conference on
Population was the period that US government followed antiabortion politics in the population
debate based upon President Reagan’s ideas that population is a neutral phenomenon in
development. Financial support for NGOs that are abortion advocates was ceased federally. 19
On the other hand, Vatican opposition to her free will abortion politics and Cairo conference was
always clear with the warning that the measures would lead to legal regulations involving abortion
on demand, sexual promiscuity and distorted notions of the family. 20 However, the conference was
so significant that some issues about family, sexuality and gender became discussable in Vatican
terminology after this conference. Furthermore, Vatican stepped back from the use of condoms as a
method for preventing infection from the AIDS virus. 21
Abortion concept gained a humanistic approach in many countries as a result of the declaration in
Cairo and Beijing Women’s Conference and Human Rights Committees. Health, sexual and
reproductive rights, especially those of women were accepted as basic for the exercise of human
rights and development. These conferences and declarations served, to a large extent, for the
governments to accept the humanitarian attention that should be given to women after an unsafe
abortion and to revitalize their legislations and restrictions concerning abortion.
Review of the population policies in Turkey indicate that abortion was prohibited until 1965 with
the 1926 Turkish Penal Law and 1930 General Health Protection Law because of the decreasing
population after Second World War. Later on, abortion was discussed a lot in Turkey and with the
changes in 1983, women had the right of free abortion until the end of the 10 th week of pregnancy. 22
However, abortion has been a controversial issue since 2012. Even though abortion is legal, it is still
regarded within the context of the population issues rather than being considered as a human right.
Conclusion
We can state that Joan Dunlop was quite an influential figure in women’s rights history. She can
be considered as the pioneer of the movement for women to gain the right to decide about their
body. She played a determining role on the Women’s Rights Declaration in Cairo Conference, where
sexual and reproductive rights received great recognition in a number of countries’ population
policies. She was also quite influential in the following conference held in Beijing where the
commitments about sexual and reproductive rights urged many governments to have some changes
in their legislations about abortion. She stands as a powerful woman figure against Reagan
government and Vatican oppositions concerning women’s rights.
Keywords: Abortion politics, Women's rights, Feminism
Prof. Bahar Taner
Director of MERKAM (Mersin University Centre for Women’s Studies)
bahartaner@mersin.edu.tr
Emel Yiğitceoğlu
Teaching Assistant and Member of MERKAM (Mersin University Centre for Women’s Studies)
emelyigitceoglu@hotmail.com
Notes
1 Douglas Martin, “Joan Dunlop, Advocate for Women’s Health Rights, Dies at 78,” New York
Times, June 30,