The establishment of the Manchester University Pro-life Society has sparked outrage among students, particularly female students who have expressed they are now fearing for their safety on campus.
Established in January, the society aims to “create a Pro-Life culture on campus, engage students on life issues and promote respect for the dignity of human life from conception.”
The society’s formation has caused backlash among University of Manchester students, leading to the creation of a petition aimed at removing the society. The petition has over 18,000 signatures, with concerns raised about the original all-male committee making decisions regarding female bodies and medical rights.
Initially driven by the goal of removing the society, the petition faced a setback when the University’s Student Union announced they had no legal basis to get rid of the society: “From a legal standpoint, it’s not possible to stop a society from affiliating for their legal views that are contrary to the views of other students. That means, despite concerns over student safety, the students’ union can’t block a society from forming because of their beliefs.”
In response, the petition’s creator updated the page to say, “The society is within its legal right to exist, so I do not believe we will be able to meet the goal laid out by this petition. However, I still believe that this petition is capable of being a force of good. It acts as a powerful representation of the sheer number of people opposed to pro-life culture, which we should all remember. You have the right to choose, and even if this society exists, that won’t change.”
Heather Bowling, a student at the University, told The Independent that she felt the student union was choosing the club’s creators over the rest of the student body, which consists of more than 40,000 undergrad and graduate students.
Criticism intensified when the society initially announced its committee, consisting of only three men. One member has since left the role, following reported fears of doxing and death threats, however the move came shortly after some troubling activity was uncovered on his X account. The committee has since seen a reshuffle, adding two female members. However, concerns persist regarding the society’s impact on women’s rights and bodily autonomy.
Heather Bowling continued to tell The Independent, “My heart dropped [when I saw the society] – it felt like I was at the beginning of a new Margaret Atwood novel,” she said. “The SU [student union] are directly enabling misogynistic hate speech. It is so upsetting and disappointing. It actively promotes a harmful rhetoric- this society’s goal is to create a pro-life culture – does the University of Manchester not realise what this entails? “Universities are supposed to be centres of progression, yet they are allowing societies which debate women’s bodily autonomy and rights.”
A former student, who had an abortion while studying at the university, told The Independent that the society allowed a “bunch of boys to externally reinforce ” negative views about the medical procedure.
“I completely understand the need for free speech, but this is not something they need to speak up on. I don’t see why men form anti-abortion groups when there are so many men’s issues they could work on,” she said.
As the Pro-Life society prepares for its inaugural meeting on February 29th, opponents have organised a peaceful demonstration in response, underscoring the ongoing debate surrounding reproductive rights and gender equality on campus.
