Don't Be Manipulated – Crisis Pregnancy Agency

This is the Crisis Pregnancy Agency’s response to the issue of Rogue Agencies who target women in crisis pregnancy situations.  Minister for Health Mary Harney last month referred to thse agencies as ‘quite appalling’.

Look at the ad – does it seem supportive of the women who may have visited rogue agencies, of women who are in crisis pregnancy situations? Or does it make you very uncomfortable that women are being targeted as being manipulated or at fault in visiting the ‘wrong’ place?

Surely someone at the ad agency must have seen that puppet image is highly offensive to women and is a huge mistake? Who’s being manipulated? The women who are traumatised or the groups who set up shop, pretend to be pro-choice pregnancy counsellors and trap women, bully and abuse them.

On the campaign web page there is a list of advice given to women but nothing about the states responsibility to ensure that women are not put through the horror of being trapped into ‘counselling’ which is very directive. biased and very abusive.

Indeed the state funds two agencies who do not support a woman’s right to choose and have great difficulties in making sure full information is provided to women in crisis. While they do not show videos or intimidate women in the way the WRC do,  Cura for example has had internal difficulties as counsellors have refused to hand out information on all the options available.  These volunteers have been sacked only to be re-admitted to the organisation again with apologies published in national local papers.

There is little regulation of the services that are funded by the state – no mandatory counselling qualifications are required of the groups who provide services, and there is no independent complaints procedure in respect of these groups or the groups who are not funded and advertise services.

The ad says these services can be easily avoided? How? They are allowed operate by the state.  Whilst not funded by the Crisis Pregnancy Agency, the Department of Health and Children aren’t shutting them down. They’re just making the women who end up going through the horrible experience of visiting a rogue agency when in crisis feel guilty.  Again women are being regulated by the state instead of the state regulating services provided to women and stopping the abuse and trauma suffered by women who visit the ‘rogues’.

Quite Appalling indeed Mary.