The Abortion Caravan: When Women Shut Down Government in the Battle for the Right to Choose

by Karin Wells Narrated by Karin Wells

Overview

Spring 2020 marks the 50th anniversary of a group of remarkable women who helped bring about abortion reform. The caravan left Vancouver with 17 activists and arrived in Ottawa on May 8th 1970, where over 500 women rallied and shut down parliament.

In the spring of 1970, seventeen women set out from Vancouver in a big yellow convertible, a Volkswagen bus, and a pickup truck. They called it the Abortion Caravan. Three thousand miles later, they “occupied” the prime minister's front lawn in Ottawa, led a rally of 500 women on Parliament Hill, chained themselves to their chairs in the visitors' galleries, and shut down the House of Commons, the first and only time this had ever happened. The seventeen were a motley crew. They argued, they were loud, and they wouldn't take no for an answer. They pulled off a national campaign in an era when there was no social media, and with a budget that didn't stretch to long-distance phone calls. It changed their lives. And at a time when thousands of women in Canada were dying from back street abortions, it pulled women together across the country.

Editorial Reviews

Margie Taylor - now an author A former CBC Radio host and producer

I will say that I was – and remain – a feminist, and that I supported the struggle for legalized abortion. I was part of the Thunder Bay group that greeted the Caravaners, and I did play a small, ignominious part in that event. Because of that, Karin Wells interviewed me for this book and included a photo taken at the time. (Oh, to be 20 again and enjoy photos of yourself.) But I’m not going to go into futher details about that. If you’re interested, buy the book. (Actually, even if you’re not, buy the book: it’s a part of our history and should be required reading in schools.)

The Walrus - Charlotte Gray

"Canadian Authors Pick Their Favourite Books: 'Wells’s descriptions of political action in the days before social media and #MeToo are at times witty and always fascinating'-Charlotte Gray."

The British Columbia Review

A few years ago I researched the Abortion Caravan and found it difficult to locate much verifiable information. It isn’t a well-known event, but this book will change that. Karin Wells’ The Abortion Caravan will be essential reading for all Canadian women. It will teach them, or remind them, of how hard women in the past worked to overcome barriers. It is a reminder that complacency is not an option — and that we still have a long way to go.

Quill & Quire

"It is easy to underestimate the significance of the Abortion Caravan. ... But Wells’s powerful book affirms that such ongoing obstacles to women’s autonomy and reproductive rights are why the Abortion Caravan matters more than ever."

Canada's History

"The Abortion Caravan is an excellent account that is a gripping read and a fascinating analysis of women’s politicization. There is a lot of detail in Wells’ book, all of it told in her chatty radio voice."

Kerry Clare

Wells’s powerful book affirms that such ongoing obstacles to women’s autonomy and reproductive rights are why the Abortion Caravan matters more than ever.

Library Journal - Audio

12/01/2022

Journalist and documentarian Wells debuts with the little-known story of the Abortion Caravan, a group of 17 Canadian women who set out in the spring of 1970 to "occupy" the prime minister's front lawn in Ottawa and challenge abortion laws. Narrating her own book, Wells describes how the women—all white but otherwise from different socioeconomic classes and families—came together, riding in a caravan of three sturdy, but decidedly unglamorous, vehicles. The caravan included a Volkswagen van with a coffin on top, symbolizing the thousands of Canadian women who died each year from unsafe abortions; this van figured in nearly every photo of the historic journey. When officials refused to meet the caravan, the women were undaunted. They then went to Parliament Hill, leading a rally of 500 women, who chained themselves to chairs and shouted "Abortion on demand," until the house was adjourned. Wells's narration is suffused with humor, detailing the events and personalities with warmth. She excels in bringing out the multilayered voices of these lively, brave women, who fought hard to make their voices heard. VERDICT Although Wells's book chronicles a Canadian story, this timely book would be an excellent addition to any nonfiction audio collection.—Sarah Hashimoto

Product Details

BN ID:	2940176957884
Publisher:	ECW Press
Publication date:	10/30/2022
Series:	A Feminist History Society Book
Edition description:	Unabridged

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