Di Cleary

Di Cleary at the May 2013 launch of Alison McCulloch's book, "Right to Choose"

Di Cleary

WONAAC

Cleary has been a member of the Woman's National Abortion Action Campaign since 1972 when it broke away from the Abortion Law Reform Association of New Zealand.. In 1975 she was a national coordinator of WONAAC and as at 1983 was a spokesperson for the organisation. She is currently a member and spokesperson for the organisation.

Attacking Pro-Lifers

Di Cleary, 1973

On 10 June 2008, Cleary made the ominous assertion that pro-lifers would "do anything":

"Right to Lifers really have to look at their own harassing techniques, they'd do anything and they privilege the foetus before women."

On 27 Nov. 2009, Cleary authored a press release for WONAAC in which she accused pro-lifers of fear-mongering:

"Anti-abortion groups are up to their old tricks, using dishonesty and scare tactics to try to restrict New Zealand women’s access to abortion services"

Praised Dame Margaret Sparrow

In a special feature in the May 2011 newsletter of the Abortion Law Reform Association of New Zealand entitled "Honouring Dame Margaret Sparrow", Di Cleary made the following statement honouring the former abortionist and president of ALRANZ:

"I have known Margaret for nearly forty years.When I first joined ALRANZ and then WONAAC, I assumed I was leaping onto the tail-end of a bandwagon and that success was just around the corner. Instead full-scale war erupted: with SPUC, old men in Parliament, and a largely unsympathetic media on the other side. But then there was Margaret. It was wonderful to have such an accessible doctor to help with information and speak out publicly. Her unequivocal pro-choice stance was critical in bridging what might have remained a serious strategy and policy gap between ALRANZ and WONAAC.Thanks, Margaret."