Fighting for Women in Ireland
On Nov 13, the Center for Reproductive Rights joined with the Irish organization Doctors for Choice to stand with three women who were forced to leave the country to terminate pregnancies that had no chance of survival and posed health risks. The Irish Times interviewed one of the women about how this experience has impacted her life:
“The system should wrap its arms around you, instead it turns its back on you,” commented Ms. Ruth Bowie last year. “It’s hard to rationalise this in a country where you can turn off someone’s life support.”
Their cases will be presented before the United Nations Human Rights Committee.
Ireland only permits abortion when a woman’s life is in danger. There are no exceptions for when a woman’s health is in danger or if she is diagnosed with a nonviable pregnancy. The fact that Irish women are denied essential reproductive health services is reprehensible. The time for real change in this country is long overdue.
