Guest post: Abortion Support Network - "In Ireland, motherhood is the punishment for poverty"

[MumsnetGuestPosts]

What would you do if the condom broke? If you were pregnant as result of rape? If you had three children but no job? If your wanted pregnancy was diagnosed with a fatal anomaly? What if you lived in a country where abortion is against the law?

"Please help. I've tried everything to try to miscarry... I've been drinking excessively, I've tried throwing myself down stairs, and even tried to overdose. I can't have this child. I don't want it!" – ASN client

In both Northern Ireland (despite being part of the UK) and the Republic of Ireland, abortion is almost completely illegal. And as studies have shown, making abortion illegal doesn't stop or even reduce the incidence of abortion. It just stops safe abortion. Or put another way, for those across the Irish seas faced with an unplanned or unwanted pregnancy, women and couples with money have options, and women and couples without money have babies, or take dangerous and desperate measures.

Abortion Support Network is a tiny charity that provides practical information on how to arrange the least expensive abortion and travel, financial assistances towards the cost of abortion and travel, and accommodation in volunteer homes to women forced to travel from Ireland and Northern Ireland for abortions. ASN does this with a mobile phone, a website, a database, one part-time employee, dozens of volunteers, and amazing individuals who give us money.

We do this is because we think being a parent is an important, fulfilling and difficult job, and not a role that should be forced on someone who doesn't want it. Parenting shouldn't be meted out as punishment to people who have non-procreative sex, but not £400-£2,000 in the bank.

"I used to have a job but it's so expensive to have someone mind the children. My partner has only been able to find work sporadically and we've been rationing food for the kids and have had the electricity turned off we're so short of money. We borrowed money for the flights and that money will need to be paid back too."

There is no typical woman who needs an abortion. ASN has heard from women as old as 51 and girls as young as 13. Women in or escaping abusive relationships, women pregnant as result of rape, women with serious mental or physical health issues. Women with children, women with grandchildren, women with no children. Married couples who felt they had enough children already. Students wanting to continue their educations rather than their pregnancies.

What did these people all have in common? They were pregnant. They didn't want to be pregnant. They are poor. And they never in a million years thought they'd be calling a stranger in England to ask for money to pay for an abortion.

"I was raped last month but never did anything about it as I blamed myself. I have now discovered I'm pregnant. I can't possibly bring a child into this world at this time in my life and I would rather die than go through with this pregnancy. I need to have an abortion but I haven't got the money."

All of the obstacles placed in front of women forced to travel for abortion care mean that very often, they are later in term. While fewer than 1.4% of abortions performed in the UK take place between 20 and 24 weeks gestation, at least 7% of ASN's clients need abortions at that stage. This is due to the delays caused by needing to raise funds, apply for passports, or, even more time-consuming, visas. Tragically, more than ten ASN clients have arrived in England only to find that they are over the legal limit for a termination – sometimes by as little as one day.

"I have several children including one who is quite ill. My husband abandoned us and I've never left my children before. I was saving up the money but am now past 14 weeks which means the price has gone up from £350 to £600, which seems impossible. If I am not able to do this before I am 18 weeks and six days the cost doubles to over £1,300. I just cannot see any way to do this. I had no idea that women in Ireland had to go through this."

ASN is a small organisation trying to alleviate an enormous problem. The Department of Health may be reporting falling numbers of women travelling to England for abortions, but calls to Abortion Support Network have increased year on year, from 89 in our first full year to 552 in 2014, an increase of 520%.

"I have two very young children and the youngest was diagnosed with a severe disability. I am so scared this baby will have the same or worse and either way I can’t handle caring for another child."

The women and couples who contact ASN are the living embodiment of the cost of making abortion illegal. We don't ask how a pregnancy occurred or why an abortion is wanted. We don't even ask if the caller is a woman. Our only criteria for funding is financial need and whether or not we have money in the bank. Abortion Support Network is a sticking plaster on this situation, not a solution. While groups like Abortion Rights Campaign Ireland and Alliance for Choice campaign for much needed law reform, we are providing women with the help they need most immediately: money.

"I never understood before how being able to have an abortion could be empowering, but now I do".

[TheBabyFacedAssassin]

As Enormouse has demonstrated, for women who find themselves pregnant in Northern ireland or Ireland and don't want to be, all they can do in Northern Ireland or Ireland is continue with the pregnancy or attempt to end it themselves by any means possible. ASN step in to give women the support they need, both emotionally and financially, to take safe steps to terminate the pregnancy and give them their life back. ASN fill the gap the the NI government knows exists but chooses to ignore. ASN support women who feel like they are being exiled and gives them somewhere to turn. ASN cares about women and families.

Until our governments sort out their policies to support women's rights, the ASN is essential.

[EducateTogetheralumnus]

Oh that's good news - with the matching, that'll help a lot.

[ChickenLaVidaLoca]

A wonderful choice of charity MN. I'm not sure there are any legal issues with what they're doing, but if they are that's a problem with the law not with the charity. Mara, you are with the forces of good. Please keep doing what you're doing.

[BoreOfWhabylon]

Great choice of charity. Thnk you MNHQ and thank you Mara.

[flippinada]

I've never heard of this charity, but now that I have, I'm delighted that MN are supporting them, and have signed up for a monthly direct debit.

[FeijoaSundae]

Fantastic choice of charity that does essential work.

And thanks to the poster for the link to the petition on the first page.

[Higgle]

I feel very sad and uncomfortable about this choice of charity.

[YonicScrewdriver]

Thanks MNHQ

[oddfodd]

Well done MN for backing ASN and well done nest of vipers. I'm so pleased with our charity choices this year :)

I will also make a monthly DD. Marxist harridan that I am

[Heckler]

Why Higgle ?

I was one of the people who nominated this charity. Thank you MNHQ for selecting them.

[almondcakes]

I think it is great that MN is supporting this cause.

[PuffinsAreFictitious]

That's a shame Higgle. However, there are 4 other fabulous charities to support, so don't let women being able to choose make you sad or uncomfortable any longer

[5madthings]

So glad Mumsnet is supporting ASN, I have shared the links vis fb and will be donating tomorrow.

I am thankful to live in England and have access to safe, legal abortion should I ever need to make that choice and fully support all other women being able to make that same choice if they so choose/need.

Anyone that doesn't support it is of course free to donate to one of the other charities which is what's so good about just giving week, small charities, chosen and nominated by mnet members and wr are free to support or not ad we wish. The ability to have CHOICE is key!

[HelenaDove]

Well done MN for supporting this

midnighttwelve there is a powerful film called If These Walls Could Talk about abortion which was made in the 90s.


Vivienne Are you pro life. Because what ive spotted about most pro lifers is that they also want to cut things like benefits and tax credits to parents. Why though if you are so eager for women to keep a child that they dont want or cant go through with the pregnancy....why would you then condemn them to a life of poverty?

Because those views prove the very title of this thread is pretty damn accurate.



Enormouse

[HelenaDove]

[JasperDamerel]

I'm so pleased about this choice of charity. I grew up in Northern Ireland and its a terrible thing for society where only the well-off can end an unwanted pregnancy safely.

[Birdinthebush]

It's a fantastic charity well done all the Prochoice Mumsnetters! It's the last day today and they are £470 off the £4000 target can we get them there

[tribpot]

We've had a plug on the essential weekly read, 'The Week in Sexist News'.

[Lottapianos]

Had never heard of this charity so thank you MN for informing us all. I will be making a donation this weekend.

Its utterly disgraceful that Ireland continues to export this problem. My heart breaks for women who have to travel scared and alone, and go through who knows what to get the money to do it.

As of last month, people in same sex relationships are no longer treated as second class citizens in Ireland. Maybe one day, women in Ireland will enjoy the same treatment

[ItsNotAsPerfectAsItSeems]

I donated late night. How can the situation in NI possibly be legal? It's not that I don't feel for the women of ROI just as much, but NI is part of the UK and subject to UK laws. What if we were to say that equality laws relating to race or religion didn't apply in a small part of the country? It would be unthinkable. There is no justification for this law to remain in place in NI.

[Higgle]

Yes, I'm happy to support a charity that is helping babies and children. I would rather give some money to help someone keep a baby they feel they need to have aborted for financial reasons than pay for the abortion.

[YonicScrewdriver]

ItsNot, I believe it's a regionally devolved healthcare issue similar to free prescriptions in Wales (as in not at all similar but using the same legal differentiation)

[YonicScrewdriver]

Higgle, although the guest post highlighted poverty, that was largely in the context of inability to pay for travel to England and a private abortion fee. Many women seeking the service will not be doing so because of lack of financial stability - they may have complete families, or be teenagers not ready for a baby yet, or be rape victims, or have foetuses with serious medical conditions etc. A similar range of reasons to women in the rest of the UK.

[MadameJosephine]

Fantastic choice of charity. I think I may have got something in my eye when I read it had been chosen. I once witnessed a young woman almost haemorrhage to death following a botched attempt at self induced abortion in a country where abortion was illegal. That's a tragedy anywhere in the world but it's a bloody disgrace that women in parts of the UK still have no access to safe termination unless they have the money to travel

[ItsNotAsPerfectAsItSeems]

Higgle, you are completely entitled to your view. But did you come across the mumsnetter who was in NI and being forced to carry to term a baby with abnormalities so severe that they were incompatible with life? She, her DH and the Drs knew that baby had zero chance of survival outside the womb yet instead of having access to a termination at 14wks when the problems were discovered, the law forced her to carry that baby to term. Imvho, this is utterly barbaric and, quite frankly disgraceful.

Poverty is an issue and ideally, women who want to keep their baby but are opting for termination due to finances, could find the right support to allow then to continue with the pregnancy.

But young girls, rape victims, woman in the 40s with already big families, women with medical conditions making pg very very difficult ? They all need access to a termination in a safe environment.
Personally, I believe all woman have a right to choose regardless if their circumstances. But I know of a few others who, whilst being pro life in the main, still recognise the rigid law in NI to be wrong.