Juliet Cuthbert-Flynn, State Minister in the Ministry of Health and Wellness, is just getting warmed up as the abortion debate intensifies in Jamaica.

Speaking briefly with Our Today on Wednesday (January 13), Cuthbert-Flynn said the time for talk is over. She argued, having expressed her feelings on the issue in the local media, all that is left is to reintroduce the conscience vote in Parliament and move forward.

“There’s is nothing more I could say, honestly. We will be moving forward with [the] bill in Parliament,” she declared.

The words are reflected in a late Tuesday tweet, in which Cuthbert-Flynn thanked the overwhelmingly positive response by Jamaican social media users and that she was not backing down from fighting for women’s rights.

“Good evening, I have seen all your comments, but I have been unable to respond to them. Thank you so much for the support and encouragement. I will continue fighting and advocating for you all on this issue, which as
[Natalie Campbell-Rodriques] rightly said is one of gender-based rights and health,” she tweeted.

In previous interviews, the West Rural St Andrew Member of Parliament has stated her full support for a referendum, whatever the outcome, in order to push safe and legal abortions for young women and girls.

“I want this to move forward, so if it is a referendum, let us do that. If it is that the Parliament decides; whatever is decided, I’m putting forward a conscience vote,” she explained.

Cuthbert-Flynn contended that abortion stands as one of the most topical, debated issues in Parliament with a Policy Review as far back as 2009 with no results.

Her comments came after several members of the Jamaican clergy called for the two-time MP to back off the “abortion agenda”.

Chief among them, is Bishop Alvin Bailey, vice president of the Jamaica Association of Evangelicals, who asked for Prime Minister Andrew Holness to “rein in” Cuthbert-Flynn.

On the other end of the spectrum, Anglican priest Sean Major-Campbell threw his support behind the reinvigorated attempt at abortion reform, for which women can be sentenced to life imprisonment if caught doing the procedure in Jamaica.

See related article below:

• Cuthbert-Flynn gets priest’s support as clergy take sides in reignited abortion debate