Abortion rights in NI

6 replies

RonaldMcDonald · 17/02/2021 03:19

Unsure if you aware but the fanfare of trumpets which played when we finally thought women in NI had been granted a right to choose and not be forced to travel to GB for abortions has been silenced.
NI’s Health Minister Robin Swann has not implemented any means of granting abortion in NI and feels it is somehow sustainable to travel to GB during a pandemic to access an abortion.
Today the DUP tabled an amendment to begin chipping away at rights granted but never enacted to allow late abortion if requested due to severe disability.

OP posts:

PotholeParadies · 17/02/2021 09:26

Bumping.

I'm so angry that women in Ireland and the UK are having to spend so much time and emotional energy on defining terms instead of countering this chicanery and working on women's health.

HermitsLife · 17/02/2021 09:45

Jeez Ronald. That's terrible, I was totally unaware this was going on. What a betrayal to Irish women

UtopiaPlanitia · 17/02/2021 14:12

It’s a complete (but unsurprising) disgrace that Stormont (and the Health Minister) has made no moves to implement the right to abortion. In a cynical way, Covid is a great way of distracting the public attention away from this failure to act on women’s reproductive health.

NI women will probably have to launch more legal action to fight for implementation. Nobody listens to us otherwise. I think it’s terrible that NI ministers, politicians and political parties have been allowed to ignore the law - I know we have devolution but I don’t see why Westminster can’t force movement on this issue.

Ereshkigalangcleg · 17/02/2021 14:14

I agree.

2020wumben · 17/02/2021 14:20

Legal action has already commenced but will be a while before the case is heard.

www.nihrc.org/news/detail/human-rights-commission-takes-legal-action-on-lack-of-abortion-services-in-ni

UtopiaPlanitia · 17/02/2021 21:21

Thanks for that link 2020wumben I’m glad some action is being taken to try and make the Health Minister do his job but I’m extremely angry that it’s having to be done this way.

Why do NI politicians always have to be dragged kicking and screaming towards recognising women’s rights/needs?! It’s been this way for my entire life and it looks like it’s not going to change any time soon

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