Should we be concerned about Maria Caulfield?

Maria Caulfield, the Conservative MP for Lewes, has been appointed the UK’s Minister for Women by Rishi Sunak – a decision which has raised concern among charities and women’s health advocates. 

Having voted in favour of cutting the 24-week abortion time limit, opposing the introduction of “buffer zones” outside clinics, voting against the legalisation of abortion in Northern Ireland, and previously sitting on the all-party parliamentary pro-life group, people are, rightfully, concerned.

The decision to appoint Caulfield has drawn serious criticism and concern from women’s rights groups and reproductive charities, as well as being deemed “deeply troubling” in a tweet by Anneliese Dodds, Labours Shadow Women and Equalities Secretary.

Back in 2018, the Tory MP spoke about her goal to reduce the upper time limit of 24 weeks for women to terminate a pregnancy to align with “medical advances.”

She said (via The Guardian), “The 24-week limit was introduced at a time when babies were not really viable at 24 weeks. Now babies who are born prematurely grow up to live long, healthy lives like the rest of us.” 

Late-term abortions happen for various reasons, which shouldn’t be undermined by “pro-life” rhetoric. Factors include needing time to process the information and confide in others, long waiting times to receive reproductive healthcare services, and health concerns for the fetus or pregnant person. It’s vital to ensure that women have the freedom to make informed and considered choices for their own benefit instead of limiting this through rushed time constraints.

As recently as October 2022, Caulfield voted against measures to protect women from the harassment of anti-abortion protestors by creating “buffer zones.” The amendment to the public order bill passed, but still has several stages to clear before becoming law. 

Yesterday (31 October), Caulfield defended her decisions, saying, “The definition of harassment is open to interpretation.