Battle for buffer zones has historical echoes in Scotland

Repeated attempts by Westminster to change abortion rights in the mid-70s sparked protests in Scotland where the law would not be devolved until 2016

THE battle for buffer zones is not the first time Scottish women have been at the forefront of the fight to protect reproductive rights.

Digging through newspaper clippings, newsletters and various handwritten documents gathered from pro-choice campaigners at the Glasgow Women’s Library one thing became quickly clear – there was a distinctive Scottish approach to the issue in the early 1980s after repeated attempts were made to restrict abortion laws.