Join The 4th Annual March for Choice.

Ireland has one of the most restrictive abortion laws in the world; women are denied access to free, legal and safe abortion.

According to Ireland’s Abortion Law:

1. Abortion is only allowed if you are in danger of dying.
2. Breaking Ireland’s abortion law could get you 14 years in jail or a €4,000 fine.
3. A woman must carry to full term a foetus that won’t live.
4. Equal right to life. Not equal in practice.
5. Ireland is happy for you to have an abortion -as long as it’s not in Ireland.
6. Each year, about 4,000 women and girls leave Ireland to have an abortion in the UK.

Show your solidarity with Irish’s women next Saturday at 12pm in Parliament Square and march for the International Day of Action for Access to Safe and Legal Abortion.

Read more in the Amnesty’s blog post here.

Jean Lamberts Statement Abortion Law El Salvador

Jean has issued a statement calling for the abolition of a law prohibiting all cases of abortion – and even criminalising miscarriage victims  – in El Salvador.

On the criminalisation of abortion in El Salvador

I support the campaign by the Central America Women’s Network and its Salvadoran partner, the Citizen Group for the Decriminalization of Abortion, to end the ban on abortions on any grounds in El Salvador.

State prosecutors have used a constitutional amendment which declares that life begins at conception and have charged women who have miscarried or had complications in their pregnancies, or illegal abortions with aggravated homicide. When they arrived at public healthcare facilities, often haemorrhaging and unconscious, they were accused of provoking an abortion and were turned over to the police. Many of the women were arrested and taken directly from the hospital to the jail. Some of these women have received prison sentences of up to 40 years.

I also support the demand made on 1 April 2014 to the government of El Salvador by the Salvadoran Citizen Group for the Decriminalization of Abortion – ACDATEE – to grant pardons for 17 Salvadoran women imprisoned for pregnancy complications, which is supported by many thousands of people in El Salvador and internationally.

These 17 women deserve prompt, compassionate, and humanitarian attention. Within the framework of Salvadoran legislation including the Special Law for Appeals of Grace, the Constitution of the Republic of El Salvador, the Convention of Belem do Para, and other national and international human rights legislation, the Salvadoran Legislative Assembly and the President of the Republic have the power grant these 17 women freedom through pardons so that they may return to their families and continue with their lives.

SPAIN: Abortion Reform in Limbo

Spanish media was awash this weekend with articles stating that the country’s antiabortion draft bill had been shelved. Even The Guardian caught wind of the news, despite the fact that the Spanish abortion bill has been largely conspicuous by its absence in British media since the proposed legislation was announced in December 2013. For a man as arrogant as the Spanish Justice Minister, Alberto Ruiz-Gallardón, whose personal mission (and obsession) was the abortion reform, it must have been a humiliating experience. Prochoice and feminist organisations in Spain and abroad celebrated the news on Twitter and Facebook.

And then amid the celebrations, sources from within the Spanish Justice Ministry reported being absolutely unaware of any annulment of the bill. “We are seeking the maximum consensus within the party and finalising the details of the final draft”, a Justice spokesperson confidently stated.

Gallardón: undermined by Rajoy and his own party

Spanish Justice Minister, Alberto Ruiz-Gallardón

It seems government sources had leaked Prime Minister Rajoy’s intention to halt the bill’s process, a decision that was made without consulting the Justice Minister. Rajoy is uneasy about the bill’s unpopularity and does not want it affecting the Popular Party’s upcoming electoral campaign. It is clear that Gallardón has been seriously undermined by  Rajoy and other key members within his own party. Indeed, the Spanish right-wing newspaper ABC reported yesterday that Gallardón plans to step down if the abortion bill is withdrawn, a development he apparently communicated himself to the newspaper. ABC then updated its article by stating that Gallardón would make the decision as regards to his political career in a week. Moreover, just a few hours ago, the Spanish daily El Mundo reported Gallardón’s intention to discuss the abortion reform next week as he is currently very busy with Catalonia’s “sovereignty” issues.

Isolated within his own party and seriously undermined by the Prime Minister, Gallardón is scrambling to figure out how to save face. Watch this space to follow the latest developments and see what moves are the next he makes.

Victory for Prochoice Activism!!

Great news: the Spanish antiabortion bill has been shelved by the Conservative Government that proposed it. Join us at the Festival to celebrate this victory. Read about it here.

Spanish women protesting against the antiabortion bill.