The National Abortion Campaign (NAC) was established in 1975 to defend the 1967 Abortion Act against increasing legislative threats. The SDS reported on the campaign between 1975 and 1979, though it was not a main focus of surveillance.
The NAC was formed after a protest was organised in February 1975 against a bill proposed by James White MP, aiming to restrict access to abortions. The success of that demonstration led to the formal creation of NAC, which coordinated a rally of 20,000 people, the largest women’s protest since suffrage.
Having defeated the White bill, the NAC went on to challenge further restrictive bills proposed in 1977 by William Benyon and in 1979 by John Corrie. Trade unions and politicians backed NAC national and local protests.
NAC partnered with other organisations to launch the Labour Abortion Rights Campaign in 1976 and the International Contraception, Abortion and Sterilisation Campaign (ICASC) in 1978. In 1981, NAC defended doctors facing prosecution over minor administrative issues on abortion paperwork and backed a failed parliamentary bid to improve NHS services.
The group split in 1983, some members forming the Women’s Reproductive Rights Campaign. It later led opposition to a ruling that restricted access to contraception for under-16s, a decision overturned in 1985.
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, NAC fought bills proposing to cut the time limit for abortions. The 1990 Act passed, cutting the legal abortion limit to 24 weeks.
In 2003, NAC merged with Abortion Law Reform Association to form Abortion Rights.
Sources: Wellcome Collection, National Abortion Campaign.