N.Ireland – Climate of Fear: When Part of a Country Bans Abortion

Climate of Fear: When Part of a Country Bans Abortion

By Ceylan Yeginsu
Aug. 10, 2019

BELFAST — It was one of the warmest days of the year, and Ciara was wearing a T-shirt to try to blend in with the vacationers at Belfast airport. But as soon as she boarded her flight to London, she noticed people staring at the dark purple bruises on her arm and the baby bump that stretched the fabric of her shirt.

“I’m sure some of it was paranoia, but I could tell from the way some folks looked at me that they figured out I was traveling for an abortion,” she said. Ciara, who is 32 and has two children, has asked to be identified in this article only by a childhood nickname, to protect her from her abusive former partner, who she said had threatened to kill her if she terminated the pregnancy.

Continued: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/10/world/europe/abortion-northern-ireland-roe.html

Doctors can lead case to change Northern Ireland’s highly restrictive abortion laws

Doctors can lead case to change Northern Ireland’s highly restrictive abortion laws

BMJ 2019; 365
doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.l4463
Published 28 June 2019

Elisabeth Mahase

The trusted voices of doctors and medical staff are the key to changing abortion laws to give women in Northern Ireland choice, according to a panel of experts.

The panel—which met in Belfast on 23 June to discuss access to safe abortions—shared their experiences of caring for women and seeing the impact of restrictive abortion laws.

Continued: https://www.bmj.com/content/365/bmj.l4463.full

28.06.2019

What’s it like to live in a place where abortion is a crime? Women in Northern Ireland know

What's it like to live in a place where abortion is a crime? Women in Northern Ireland know

By Haley Ott, Allison Ingersoll
May 29, 2019, CBS News

Belfast, Northern Ireland — Women in Northern Ireland live under abortion laws very similar to those recently passed in Alabama. They're offering a snapshot for Americans of what life is like in a place where abortion is a crime.

"We have to be really careful about how we communicate with each other and how we work," pro-abortion rights activist Emma Campbell told CBS News.

Continued: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/northern-ireland-women-on-life-in-a-place-where-abortion-is-a-crime/

29.05.2019

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1861 Offences against the Person Act

Women from across two countries march through Belfast for abortion rights

Women from across two countries march through Belfast for abortion rights
The march was organised to follow on from International Women's Day, and organisers say women's rights are being denied

Jem Collins
Saturday March 9th 2019

Hundreds of women have marched through Belfast demanding liberalised abortion rights, bringing the city centre to a standstill just a day after International Women’s Day.

Northern Ireland’s biggest political party, the DUP, which in Westminster supports Theresa May’s minority government, supports restrictions on terminations and has prevented change in the past.

Continued: https://inews.co.uk/news/abortion-rights-women-march-belfast/

Theresa May is throwing Northern Irish women under the bus to protect her own weak majority

Theresa May is throwing Northern Irish women under the bus to protect her own weak majority

Emma Campbell
Co-Chair of Alliance for Choice Tuesday
29 Jan 2019

If you turn on the television or radio this week, you will likely hear men in suits discussing the future of Brexit. There will be business people, lorry drivers, farmers and fisherman debating the prospect of what might happen if the UK leaves the EU without a deal in two months time.

But as the clock ticks on towards 29 March and MPs scramble to stop a no-deal Brexit, there is a consequence that has received little media attention, and it could be one of the most serious yet.

Continued: https://metro.co.uk/2019/01/29/theresa-may-is-throwing-northern-irish-women-under-the-bus-to-protect-her-own-weak-majority-8407476/

Ireland Rings in New Year With Free and Legal Abortion

Ireland Rings in New Year With Free and Legal Abortion

Prachi Gupta
Jan 2, 2019

January marks the first month women in Ireland can receive free, legal abortions in the country, months after voters chose to repeal a decades-long ban on the procedure.

Clinics are still preparing, the Guardian reports, as Irish president Michael Higgins signed the regulation of termination of pregnancy bill into law on December 20. However, at least nine of the state’s 19 maternity units and several outside clinics are planning to open this month. The government has also created “safe access zones” which ban anti-abortion protesters from harassing patients and staff at clinics and has set up a hotline to direct patients to local abortion services.

Continued: https://jezebel.com/ireland-rings-in-new-year-with-free-and-legal-abortion-1831436222

Northern Irish women still facing difficult choice over abortion

Northern Irish women still facing difficult choice over abortion
Despite policy change by UK government offering them free abortion in England, women risk stigma and prosecution

Sarah Boseley, Health editor
Fri 19 Oct 2018

Women in Northern Ireland who want an abortion are caught between the costs, stigma and complexities of travelling to Great Britain and the risk of prosecution if they access pills online to take at home, according to new research.

A policy change by the UK government last year allowed women from Northern Ireland to have a free abortion in England on the NHS, but it has not solved the problems they face, says a study based on a series of interviews published in a medical journal.

Continued: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/oct/19/northern-irish-women-still-facing-difficult-choice-over-abortion

19.10.2018

Population Research Center

women's abortion stories

March demanding abortion legislation planned in Dublin

March demanding abortion legislation planned in Dublin
Event to act as ‘reminder’ to Government that ‘nothing on the ground has changed’

Fri, Sep 28, 2018
Kitty Holland Social Affairs Correspondent

The degree to which legislation guaranteeing free, safe and legal abortion services is successfully enacted and implemented in coming months, will decide whether a “March for Choice” is needed next year, the Abortion Rights Campaign has said.

Sarah Monaghan, spokeswoman for the campaign, was speaking in advance of Saturday’s march in Dublin – the first since the referendum to repeal the Eighth Amendment to the Constitution was passed in May.

Continued: https://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/march-demanding-abortion-legislation-planned-in-dublin-1.3645185

The New Way People In Northern Ireland Are Campaigning For Abortion Reform

The New Way People In Northern Ireland Are Campaigning For Abortion Reform

Nick Levine
1 September 2018

The dire need for abortion reform in Northern Ireland has become even more pressing since Ireland's historic vote to overturn its abortion ban in May. Pro-choice campaigners say women in Ulster are now treated as "second-class citizens" next to women in Ireland as well as women in the rest of the UK.

It's not difficult to grasp their point. While women in England will soon be able to take an abortion pill at home, and women in Scotland and Wales already can, women in Northern Ireland still face a life sentence for having an abortion.

Continued; https://www.refinery29.com/en-gb/2018/09/208853/pennypost-alliance-for-choice

The situation in Northern Ireland constitutes violence against women – CEDAW Inquiry

The situation in Northern Ireland constitutes violence against women - CEDAW Inquiry
Feb 23, 2018

CEDAW Finds Human Rights Breaches by UK Government
Report on inquiry welcomed by Alliance for Choice

The UK violates the rights of women in Northern Ireland by unduly restricting their access to abortion, a UN expert committee has found.

Alliance for Choice are interested to note that the CEDAW Inquiry report has been published today. Emma Campbell Co-Chair says,
"We want to make humble thanks to the incredible women who bravely gave their testimonies to the CEDAW committee. Alliance for Choice, along with the Family Planning Association and NIWEP, feel vindicated in the report's findings on the many Human Rights breaches occurring daily due to the political lack of will in both Stormont and Westminster. We hope that the UK government will now recognise its responsibility to women in NI and legislate to implement the Committee's recommendations.

Continued: http://www.alliance4choice.com/news/2018/2/the-situation-in-northern-ireland-constitutes-violence-against-women-cedaw-inquiry