The Birth Battleground

It’s 40 years since a US Supreme Court case enshrined a woman’s right to abortion, but now some say the clock is being wound back in Republican states across the US.

Laws are being passed restricting when and where abortions can take place, which opponents believe will mean a return to the days of illegal backstreet terminations.

The debate has brought out a loud lobby of pro-choice and pro-life supporters… neither of whom are showing any signs of backing down.

Amos Roberts follows the campaign of one of the most vocal opponents… Texas Senator Wendy Davis, whose marathon 11 hour filibustering speech delayed voting on the legislation.

But who should be able to make the final decision about the future of an unborn child? Hear both sides of the story in Amos’s report.

The word filibuster – the dictionary defines it as to act in an obstructive way in a legislature, especially speaking at an inordinate length. In the Texas parliament recently, that is exactly what Senator Wendy Davis had in mind. She was determined to torpedo a bill she said winds back hard won rights to abortion. Davis’s marathon filibuster made her famous in the US and around the world. As Amos Roberts reports, the glamorous Senator has become a torch bearer for those who believe abortion rights are at serious risk.