People of Northern Ireland will now be able to receive free abortions on the NHS in England after Labour MP Stella Creasy tabled an amendment to the Queen’s Speech. Before the amendment was due to be debated, the government spared Theresa May a likely defeat by agreeing to the demands.
The 1967 Abortion Act, which put the wheels in motion for access to safe abortion in the UK, brought about a change that has yet to hit my home, Northern Ireland. A country that systematically oppresses women’s bodies and refuses to put the life of a woman/vagina owner over that of an unborn foetus. Ireland is no stranger to controversy when it comes to the #RepealThe8th movement, which calls for a referendum on the 8th amendment to the Constitution of the Republic of Ireland.
“There is also the added horror of living in a country that refuses to see us as people, but merely a vessel for potential human life.”
Today marks a very small, yet incredibly significant win. It is no secret that those seeking abortions from Northern Ireland in need of an abortion have had to pay, up until now not only for the abortion itself but the traveling expenses that come with having to commute to England, plus the time they possibly need to take off work. If that’s not infuriating enough, there is also the added horror of living in a country that refuses to see us as people, but merely a vessel for potential human life.
You may be familiar with the #twowomentravel, a hashtag that went viral August 2016. Two women, one of whom was traveling to England for an abortion, the other accompanying her, tweeted their journey from start to finish. Their identities remained hidden, with a bio that read: “Two Women, one procedure, 48 hours away from home.” This was a very brave thing for these two women to do, something which gained a lot of support from women across the UK, bringing attention to Ireland and Northern Ireland and its strict, out-dated laws prohibiting abortion.
“A resolution would be to open clinics in Northern Ireland and give us the right to free reproductive healthcare.”
Northern Ireland is certainly a hot topic at this time, given that Theresa May has cosied up to the political NI party, DUP, which boasts grisly and archaic views ranging from the questionable to the down right hateful - continually opposing safe abortion, the LGBTQI+ and equal marriage rights; Arlene Foster once stated that “I could not care less what people get up to in terms of their sexuality, that’s not a matter for me – when it becomes a matter for me is when people try to redefine marriage.” With all eyes on us, the question the rest of the UK has to ask, what is keeping Northern Ireland so far behind the rest of the UK?
This change in the law surrounding abortion for people from NI, while it is not a resolution, is a significant victory. A resolution would be to open clinics in Northern Ireland and give us the right to free reproductive healthcare, as is given elsewhere in the UK. But for now, we will take what we can get.
A country that denies its people the right to safe abortions does not in any way stop abortion, it simply puts those who need them at risk.
For the record, the criteria for abortion in NI is as follows:
“If the continuance of the pregnancy threatens the life of the mother, or would adversely affect her mental or physical health. In most cases, the risk of the adverse effect occurring would need to be a probability, but a possibility might be regarded as sufficient if the imminent death of the mother was the potential adverse effect.
If continuing with the pregnancy would have other serious permanent physical or mental health effects. The adverse effect on her mental or physical health must be a “real and serious” one, and must also be “permanent or long-term”. It will always be a question of fact and degree whether the perceived effect of a non-termination is sufficiently grave to warrant terminating the pregnancy in a particular case. To receive medical abortion treatment, the pregnancy must be under 9 weeks 4 days gestation. If you have been pregnant for over 9 weeks, you will need to travel to England for surgical treatment.” Source.
Marie Stopes, a reproductive and sexual health organisation with a clinic based in Belfast, regularly sees pro-life protesters outside its doors, at times blocking its entrance. While we see protesters outside of abortion clinics worldwide, it feels particularly cruel against the people of Northern Ireland that seek safe abortions. We have not only hardship of travel to get this reproductive right, but then have to walk through protesters that have essentially already won. The act is illegal here, those that are ‘lucky’ enough to afford time off work (if applicable), travel expenses, and accommodation, all while undergoing the trauma of an abortion, all have to leave NI to receive it.
So while we celebrate this win of free abortion through the NHS in England, we continue to speak out, to fight for the people of this country, for safe abortions at home, for a country that sees those with wombs as more than just a machine for childbearing. Reach out to your MPs, demand the right to free and safe abortions.
If you are in Northern Ireland and need access to reproductive healthcare, Marie Stopes has helped the women of NI access abortions in England for over 40 years.
