MSI and Uncommon Fight for Global Reproductive Choice with Powerful Imagery Illustrated by Noma Bar

In the coming weeks, Dame Diana Johnson MP’s amendment to the Criminal Justice Bill will be voted on by MPs. If passed into law, this would mean that women in England and Wales will no longer face criminal investigation for ending their own pregnancy.

In response to the upcoming vote, global sexual and reproductive health provider MSI Reproductive Choices have partnered with Uncommon Creative Studio to raise awareness. Creating a powerful image of a woman behind bars — illustrated by Noma Bar, the designer behind the iconic book cover used for ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ by Margaret Atwood — a dystopian novel about a woman’s struggles in a totalitarian society where her identity, fertility and freedoms are suppressed. The striking image will run across online, social and press including papers such as The Guardian and The Times.

Noma Bar, illustrator said, “I am proud to collaborate with MSI and support every woman in the world to choose what is best for them. The freedom for women to choose is crucial for their autonomy and well-being. It respects their right to make deeply personal decisions about their bodies and futures, ensuring they are happy to get into parenthood according to their own circumstances and beliefs.”

When we talk about reforming abortion law, most people are shocked to discover that abortion is not fully decriminalised in Britain. There are around 200,000 abortion procedures carried out each year in England and Wales alone. The vast majority take place under 10 weeks and are delivered by trusted, regulated providers like MSI Reproductive Choices UK. Yet abortion is not decriminalised.

The Abortion Act 1967 established a set of conditions which, when met, make an abortion lawful. However, outside of these circumstances (for example, if two doctors have not signed the appropriate paperwork) abortion remains a criminal offence under the Offences Against the Person Act 1861 and the Infant Life Preservation Act 1929.

Creative studio Uncommon, first started working with MSI last year — launching a new global brand campaign ‘Every Choice’, which amplified the charity’s mission to make choice possible for women worldwide. The first work from the studio took shape in a series of provocative outdoor and print executions in the UK and US.

This series used real data highlighting the thousands of choices we are presented with everyday: from what hair dye we can purchase to what bagel filling we want to eat for lunch — drawing attention to the barriers surrounding women’s reproductive rights today.