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Home Badge - Defeat Benyon's Bill

Badge - Defeat Benyon's Bill

Object

Badge

Production date

1977

Object number

2026.10

Physical Description

White badge with text text 'Defeat Benyon's Bill' in the centre with Labour Abortion Rights Campaign around the edge.

Object history

This badge was made for the Labour Abortion Rights Campaign against Benyon's Bill. This bill wanted to reduce the time a women would be able to get an abortion to 20 weeks. The bill eventually failed to pass.

Associated Organisation

Associated Place

Material

Metal

Dimension

Height: 4mm
Diameter: 44mm

Exhibition Label

From 'Hackney Museum: Making Her Mark: 100 years of women’s activism in Hackney'

Hackney Abortion Campaign (HAC) fought for the right of women to choose if and when she has a child. They campaigned against forced sterilisation, called for freely available contraception, and for abortions to be available locally on the NHS.

In 1977 Hackney Council arranged for housing for homeless young pregnant women to be provided by ‘Let Live’, an anti-abortion charity that had been found to give biased advice. The HAC gathered around 150 people to protest outside council meetings, and the council overturned their decision.

When in 1977 William Benyon introduced a bill to amend the Abortion Act, HAC campaigned against it and picketed outside the MP’s London home. After eight months of public debate the bill was defeated.

On display?

No

Inscription

Defeat Benyon's Bill
Labour Abortion Rights Campaign