The Road to Reproductive Freedom in Ireland

On 25 May 2018, Ireland voted by an overwhelming majority to overturn the constitutional ban on abortion. It was the culmination of a massive campaign that mobilised huge numbers of Irish people to give, canvass, campaign and vote for radical change. 

PILnet is a global non-governmental organisation that creates opportunities for social change by unlocking law’s full potential. With programs in Europe & Eurasia, Asia, and at the global level, PILnet aims to reclaim and reimagine the role of law so that it works for the benefit of all. This year, the PILnet Global Forum was held in Dublin and attendees were blown away by the range of incredible speakers from all over the world.

On the last day of the Forum, Orla O’Connor of the National Women’s Council of Ireland and Ailbhe Smyth from Together for Yes led a session for participants on The Road to Reproductive Freedom: Lessons from Ireland for the World. The session explored the strategies, techniques and stories used to inspire action that led to changing the future of reproductive health rights in Ireland.

Meanwhile, activists across Dublin pledged to campaign for a permanent memorial to Savita Halappanavar as hundreds of people marched through Dublin city centre last Saturday to mark the 10th anniversary of her death. Ms Halappanavar’s death at Galway University Hospital on October 28th, 2012 is credited with having galvanised the massive grass-roots movement to repeal the Eighth Amendment, which stated that the unborn had an equal right to life to that of the mother. Inserted into the Constitution in 1983, it was repealed in May 2018.

Among the speakers at the march was Ailbhe Smyth of Together for Yes who said reform of the current abortion laws was required. Ailbhe said,

“I am marching today to honour the memory of Savita Halappanavar whose needless, deeply sad death was the spark that ignited a massive movement for change leading to a momentous leap forward for reproductive rights and for equality in Ireland. We are proud of what we achieved, but there is a great deal more work to be done to ensure that everyone who needs abortion can do so.”

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