This project, captured in London from December 2021 to February 2022, was a response to then-President Donald Trump's appointment of far-right Supreme Court judges, aiming to overturn the constitutional right for women in the USA to access safe abortions. After the project's completion, the US has indeed banned this right, resulting in devastating repercussions not only for women within the US but also globally.
Given the significant cultural influence of the USA on the UK, I embarked on a quest to explore the presence and potential growth of the pro-life movement in the UK, spurred by developments across the Atlantic.
Since the legalisation of abortion in 1967 in the UK, the issue has been hotly contested. The right to abortion, hard-won, as evidenced by current events in the US, remains subject to revocation. Christian Hacking, the Parliamentary Liaison for CBR UK, outlined their strategy as "saturating the country with accurate images of what abortion really entails." This movement continues to evolve, underscoring the imperative for vigilance and readiness to defend women's bodily autonomy in the face of potential threats akin to those unfolding in the USA.
CBR UK, the British arm of the American pro-life group The Centre for Bio-ethical Reform, emerged as an extreme pro-life organisation employing explicit imagery and videos to advance its agenda. Established in 2007 after the dissolution of Abort67, CBR UK employs bold tactics, as articulated by their head of communications Ruth Rawlins, using "accurate and authentic images to shock the public about the true cost of abortion." Through interviews with London-based staff members and a diverse cadre of surprisingly young volunteers engaging with the public, this photographic narrative delves into the identity of the pro-life generation in the UK, their advocacy methods, and the efficacy thereof.