Support Abortion Rights in Northern Ireland


2:13 pm - September 29th 2008

by Janine    


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Sign this petition.

Here is the wording from the petition page:

We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to extend the 1967 Abortion Act to Northern Ireland, and grant women there the same rights to abortion as women in the rest of the United Kingdom. More details

Submitted by Dr Audrey Simpson OBE of fpa (Family Planning Association)
Deadline to sign up by: 02 September 2009 –

More details from petition creator

We believe that the UK Government and the Northern Ireland Assembly should extend the 1967 Abortion Act to Northern Ireland, and grant women there the same rights to abortion as women in the rest of the United Kingdom.

As the law currently stands, no woman in Northern Ireland with an unwanted pregnancy (including women who’ve been raped, victims of incest, diagnosed with fetal abnormality/disability) has the automatic right to abortion.

Consequently, Northern Irish women:

• Pay the emotional and financial costs (up to £2,500) and travel to England or overseas for a private abortion.

• Have babies they have already decided they don’t want.

• Buy illegal and unsafe abortion pills on the internet in desperation.

fpa believes Parliament should change the law to end the discrimination against Northern Ireland women and give them the right to choose.

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About the author
This is a guest post. Janine works for London Underground and is a regular contributor to Stroppyblog.
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Story Filed Under: Blog ,Feminism ,Sex equality

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Reader comments


I heard something about Brown making a deal with the Unionists over this – for their support over 42-days detention.

A rumour.

“Consequently, Northern Irish women have babies they have already decided they don’t want.”

Why not give the baby up for adoption then? Problem solved.

Why not give the baby up for adoption then? Problem solved. ~ Ela

Problem solved?

Incredible…

4. freethinkeruk

Amost unbelievable in this day and age that just some British citizens are denied equal rights with the rest of us. I too have heard the rumour about a deal and the 42 days detention. What kind of person would require such an agreement and what kind of person would agree to it? Our politicians seem to be losing what little moral authority that they have left.

5. Sheelah Watson

abortion is never right – a baby is a baby – ask anyone who gets pregnant deliberately when they consider a foetus to be their baby – the rest of the UK should be denied this ‘right’ to abortion rather than more people seeking to have such a right – what is so wrong with an unplanned pregnancy or carrying a genetically different – so called ‘diabled’ baby – it’s normal for some – who has the right to say that a baby with a genetic disorder, such as Down Syndrome, has any less right to live than a baby in the womb not diagnosed with a genetic disorder – society needs to grow up and accept responsibility for ‘unwanted’ consequences of typically avoidable pregnancies, rape and incest excluded – with regard to rape and incest, why add the ‘murder’ of the foetus to the emotional difficulties of ‘rape’ if a new human being is created – adoption may be and is for many a positive option when the person is unable or does not wish to care for their baby, especially in difficult circumstances – abortion has it’s draw backs and it’s emotional baggage – it is not a mature way to deal with a challenging situation – a mature society would support it’s mothers and babies and those who are ‘differently’ able.

6. siobhan nic aoidh

abortion isn’t right but it also isn’t righ tto deny someone their choice. i wouldn’t have one, i don’t condone it, but i sympathise with free will and people’s choice.

politicians are the real murderers , raping our minds, encouraging herd politics, and spewing lies over and over and doing things to benefit themselves and their warped ideologies.

7. Mrs S Wilson

This is an issue better left to the people of Northern Ireland, the great majority of whom do NOT want the abortion act here as they have seen the tremendous loss of life since 1967 in the UK.


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