item details
NameKeep abortion legal, safe poster
ProductionAbortion Law Reform Association of New Zealand Inc.; publisher; 1975-1977; New Zealand
Classificationposters
Materialspaper, ink, plastic laminate
DimensionsOverall: 423mm (width), 560mm (height)
Registration NumberGH026825
Credit lineGift of Dame Margaret Sparrow, 2025
Overview
This poster was published by the Abortion Law Reform Association of New Zealand (ALRANZ) which was formed in 1971. ALRANZ argued that abortion was a decision for a woman and her doctor.
In this poster, ALRANZ calls to keep abortion legal and safe. The twisted green coat hanger symbolises the dangerous lengths people could go to when trying to terminate an unwanted pregnancy. It may also represent an ampersand, i.e., 'keep abortion legal and safe'.
A more radical group, Women's National Abortion Action Campaign (WONAAC), formed in 1973. It was a women-only group and argued that abortion was a woman's right and her decision alone.
ALRANZ became more aligned with WONAAC from the 1990s and continues to remain active in abortion rights activism.