Neab – Project Manager
I started volunteering with Tamtang in 2020, shortly after I’d had an abortion with their support. Now I’m a Project Manager and a full-time member of the team.
I was previously working at a labour rights organisation and already familiar with the work of Tamtang. They were trying to amend the abortion law and held a gathering at the parliament. By chance, I was there at the same time submitting something on labour rights so I joined their demonstration. After that meeting I sent a message on the Facebook page to say I’d like to write an article about abortion rights and my own experience. After my abortion I really wanted to do something on this issue and was hoping for the opportunity to get more involved.
I had an abortion before the legal change, so I needed to do it under the clause of mental health.
I went in there thinking it was my right. I didn’t know I’d have to fill out a mental health questionnaire. Why would I have to do this as a ‘depressed person’? Why couldn’t I just have the choice? I didn’t have a great experience and it left me feeling angry.
I never thought I’d be sad after having an abortion but I was seeing abortion in the media a lot, as it’s when the law was being discussed. There were lots of negative comments about women who had abortions being sinners or sluts. They weren’t directed at me, but I couldn’t help feeling bad after reading them. Talking about my experience was hard for the first few months, and I needed to figure out complicated feelings.
The first time I spoke on the podcast my voice shook, but it was a safe space.
Tamtang helped me a lot through this process. Right now, I can talk about my experience without wanting to cry, I can be proud of my decision.
It’s been almost two years working with Tamtang now. I think I’ve learned more empathy. Before I worked here, I was thinking about abortion from a human rights perspective. But in order to work here you need to understand the context and the complexity of each situation.
I make sure to do at least one counselling shift every week. I want to understand people’s issues to support them and also shift my own abortion work further than my own experience. I can help people receive a safe service. When someone says thank you so much, your work is very important, we save this and send it to the rest of the team, as a morale boost.
I feel like the legal change is incredibly positive in terms of it finally confirming the autonomy of women.
I’m glad every time I think that women after me no longer have to qualify their abortion by filling out a mental health questionnaire. It confirms you are conscious and making your own choice. It means a lot to me. But of course, the law is not perfect at this time. It still says that those who don’t access abortion within the framework are criminals, especially those who are over 12 weeks. If you buy abortion pills yourself, you’ll be a criminal. The only reason people would buy these is because they can’t access services the government should have given. It’s not fair. I know it’s written with good intention to avoid unsafe medications, but as the government doesn’t properly implement this law, women are forced to find other methods.