The Irish government is finally set to act. The New York Times and many other media outlets report that Irish government officials are proposing to move from a total ban on abortion to one in which women can have an abortion "in cases where there is a real and substantial risk to a woman's life-- as distinct from her health" (New York Times).
I have written several times about what's going on in Ireland; to read, click on one or more of the 'labels' at the bottom of this post.
Ireland's debate over abortion demonstrates three things:
First, it demonstrates the power of the individual story to affect opinion and spur action. The move to (slightly) liberalize Ireland's total ban on abortion has been mandated since 1992 by the Irish Supreme Court and since 2010 by the European Court of Human Rights. The Irish government only got moving, however, after the tragic 2012 death of Dr. Savita Halappanaver, who died after suffering a miscarriage. Doctors in an Irish hospital refused to hasten the end of the miscarriage because the fetus was still alive (though inevitably dying). As a result of the delay in action, Dr. Halappanavar died from septicemia.
Second, it demonstrates the power of the Catholic Church and Catholic culture to resist change on abortion. For people who are pro-choice, the proposed legal change is a victory, considering the political and cultural conditions in Ireland, but only a victory of sorts, given how narrow the exception to a total ban is. In the United States, pro-life activists can only dream of a time when American law would allow abortions only in cases of serious physical risks to a pregnant woman's life.
Third, it demonstrates that, regardless of time, place, or culture, many women want to have abortions. Ireland is often held up as a model pro-life country by activists. I can't recall where I saw it, but I watched a video of an American giving a speech in Ireland and telling his audience how wonderful Ireland was, given that no abortions take place there.
That speaker got it wrong. Abortions are likely taking place in Ireland, illegally, some safely (in the doctor's offices of the wealthy) and many more unsafely. Furthermore, there may be no abortions openly taking place in Ireland, but many Irish women are having abortions, in the United Kingdom, where they travel to have them, if they can afford it. The option for women (especially women of means) to escape the island and have a safe abortion in the UK serves as a kind of political pressure valve that allows the Irish government to keep an extremely restrictive ban on abortion in place with fewer political consequences, and preserve the fiction of Ireland as abortion free.
I have written several times about what's going on in Ireland; to read, click on one or more of the 'labels' at the bottom of this post.
Ireland's debate over abortion demonstrates three things:
First, it demonstrates the power of the individual story to affect opinion and spur action. The move to (slightly) liberalize Ireland's total ban on abortion has been mandated since 1992 by the Irish Supreme Court and since 2010 by the European Court of Human Rights. The Irish government only got moving, however, after the tragic 2012 death of Dr. Savita Halappanaver, who died after suffering a miscarriage. Doctors in an Irish hospital refused to hasten the end of the miscarriage because the fetus was still alive (though inevitably dying). As a result of the delay in action, Dr. Halappanavar died from septicemia.
Second, it demonstrates the power of the Catholic Church and Catholic culture to resist change on abortion. For people who are pro-choice, the proposed legal change is a victory, considering the political and cultural conditions in Ireland, but only a victory of sorts, given how narrow the exception to a total ban is. In the United States, pro-life activists can only dream of a time when American law would allow abortions only in cases of serious physical risks to a pregnant woman's life.
Third, it demonstrates that, regardless of time, place, or culture, many women want to have abortions. Ireland is often held up as a model pro-life country by activists. I can't recall where I saw it, but I watched a video of an American giving a speech in Ireland and telling his audience how wonderful Ireland was, given that no abortions take place there.
That speaker got it wrong. Abortions are likely taking place in Ireland, illegally, some safely (in the doctor's offices of the wealthy) and many more unsafely. Furthermore, there may be no abortions openly taking place in Ireland, but many Irish women are having abortions, in the United Kingdom, where they travel to have them, if they can afford it. The option for women (especially women of means) to escape the island and have a safe abortion in the UK serves as a kind of political pressure valve that allows the Irish government to keep an extremely restrictive ban on abortion in place with fewer political consequences, and preserve the fiction of Ireland as abortion free.
Links:
Article in The New York Times (December 18, 2012): Irish Government Set to Allow Abortion in Rare Cases
Article in The Independent (December 19, 2012): Irish abortion law clarified for pregnancies that threaten mothers' lives following death of pregnant Indian woman
Article in The Christian Science Monitor (December 18, 2012): Ireland announces abortion law reforms, leaving no one satisfied
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