She is the Labor Party’s abortion general in the Storting. She will ensure a majority for the new abortion law.

Kamzy Gunaratnam (Ap) has been given the responsibility of gathering a majority for a new abortion law.

She has just turned 36 and is married. From the Tamil community in Norway, she hears that she should have children. But Kamzy Gunaratnam does not want children. And exactly that is a big reason why she now believes the abortion law must be changed.

– An abortion law must be there for those who do not want children, for those who are unsure.

Before Christmas, the government’s abortion committee submitted its report on the abortion law in Norway. The conclusion was briefly summarized: make a new law. The old one is out of date and the text of the law does not match current practice.

Kamzy Gunaratnam has been given the responsibility of securing a majority for a new law in Parliament for the Labor Party. She is clear that there will be a law before this parliamentary term is over.

Aftenposten is informed by sources in both the Labor Party and the Center Party that today there will be a clarification on how the government will follow up on the abortion committee’s recommendation.

Shortly after this case was published, Ingvild Kjerkol (Ap) also confirms to VG that there will be a bill. But the content of it is not clear. It is also not clear whether the Center Party will dissent.

Negative state control

For Gunaratnam, the abortion law in Norway, which only allows self-determined abortion up to week 12, has functioned somewhat as negative social control.

– With its abortion law, the state has claimed to know better than the women themselves and could therefore refuse them an abortion, she says.

She wants society to look at negative social control in a broader perspective. That the abortion law must also reflect the values ​​that Norway usually boasts about, she says.

– That freedom to decide over your mind and your body. It must apply through all our legislation.

She herself has been told that it is a shame that she does not want children, that she is going to change her mind about it.

– There is also negative social control. Legislation is norm-creating. I want us, with a new abortion law, to be able to say that we are there for women when they need the state, no matter what she wants.

Talking to politicians in no parties

Gunaratnam and the Labor Party will extend the current abortion limit to 18 weeks. They get support from Venstre and MDG. SV wants to have free abortion until viability, which is currently 22 weeks. Red also wants a limit of 22 weeks.

The Center Party, Høyre, Frp and KrF want to keep the abortion limit of 12 weeks, as it is today.

In order to have a majority to change the abortion law, Ap is dependent on bringing in some individual representatives from no parties. Several Frp politicians have already announced that they will support extended abortion limits.

– I have a good dialogue with several representatives. The abortion committee’s report is written in a rather pedagogical way, so there are many who think their proposals make sense.

Gunaratnam has respect for the views of the other parties. On the other hand, one party she believes is damaging the debate is KrF.

– They facilitate the debate with a morally exalted role. They argue as if they are for unborn life and we are against it. None of the other parties has come up with a proposal to remove all borders.

Will not follow LO’s proposal

– SV, Rødt and LO have advocated self-determined abortion up to week 22. Surely there is no medical reason to have a limit of 18 weeks?

– It is most natural to have a law that reflects practice. And most abortions happen before week 18 today, and most are approved.

Gunaratnam also says that they know there is not a majority for such a liberal border.

– In the Labor Party, we have a policy that we think can be introduced tomorrow. When we say 18 weeks, better availability through GPs and better follow-up, it is because that is what we are rolling out to next year.

Another critical topic in the abortion law is fetal reductions. In 2019, there was a change in the law which meant that pregnant women with multiples must attend an abortion board if they want to remove one or more healthy foetuses.

– Do you also want to fight to allow fetal reduction without having to appear in court?

– Our party decision is to reverse all abortion restrictions made by the Solberg government.