The law ensuring free abortion in Sweden took effect in 1975, after decades of political debate and activism. 51 years later, this law is once again being debated, and this debate makes it even more important to be able to tell stories about abortion. But which voices are loud, and who is silent or silenced?
Abortion history is grounded in the individual experiences of many, in conversations with friends and meetings with health care professionals, in letters and diaries. In these experiences, which largely hard to archive and seldom make it into history textbooks, decisions are made and people's lives are changed. What can these stories tell us about the body, reproductive health, and the right to make decisions about one's own body?
In the exhibition The Road to Free Abortion, produced by Kvinnohistoriska, presonal stories from the book Abort – 50 år av fri abort, 50 berättelser (Abortion - 50 years of free abortion, 50 stories) by Sandra Pandevski and Malin Clausson.
The exhibition and book are the starting points for the evening's conversation with Anna Tascha Larsson from Kvinnohistoriska in Stockholm and Rachel Pierce from KvinnSam at Gothenburg University Library. The conversation will be led by Kvinnohistoriskt museum's head Sara Edenius.
Together, we will discuss how personal experiences and stories are collected, preserved, and become a part of our collective history. How can museums and archives work together to support and provide the space for more voices? And what happens what what is regarded as private life becomes a part of public debate and meets a broader public?
