The Issue That Will Not Go Away

The issue of women's rights in Ireland has been thrust centre stage yet again, as a result of a young rape victim being denied access to pregnancy termination services.  And once again international media attention has focussed on Ireland with its reluctance to fall into line with European standards governing the rights of women.

    

The woman denied the termination gave a harrowing account of her experience to the Irish Times in which she said, “I was raped in my country. I did not know I was pregnant until I came here.”

Ireland has had a powerful religious anti-abortion lobby which has campaigned against women having the right to terminate their pregnancies.

Mother Teresa of Calcutta speaks at press conference organised by SPUC (Society for the Protection of Unborn Children) 2nd August 1982. From Left: Mother Teresa, Menia Aitken, Development Officer for SPUC, Ireland

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The women of Ireland

‘A victory for the women of Ireland’ is how Health Minister James O’Reilly described the decision by the government to introduce a combination of  legislation and regulation so as to give effect to the 1992 X Case judgment.

The speed with which the cabinet have moved in this thorny area has been prompted by public concern over the handling of the pregnancy of Savita Halappanavar who died last month in a Galway Hospital.

Ireland has a long and contentious history regarding access to pregnancy termination. In earlier years the pro-life bodies constituted a powerful lobbying group.

Mother Teresa speaking at a meeting of the Society For The Protection of Unborn Children in 1980

In recent years that influence seems to have waned as it has come under sustained challenge from pro choice groups.

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