Abortion Rights In Ireland
Peter Muhly/AFP/Getty ImagesIrish protestors walk in memory of Indian Savita Halappanavar in support of legislative change on abortion in Dublin on November 17, 2012. Ireland’s tough abortion laws came under fire following the death of the Indian woman after doctors refused her a termination because it was against the laws of the Catholic country.
With its heavily Catholic population, Ireland has less abortion rights than any other country in Europe — with abortion only permitted if it would save the pregnant woman’s life (including the risk of suicide).
But the line for when these abortions are conducted is complicated by an amendment that gives the “life of the unborn fetus” equal status to “the right to life of the mother.”
In Northern Ireland, a woman can receive a life sentence for undergoing an abortion. In the rest of Ireland, a woman may face up to 14 years in prison.
The country is currently considering a change to these restrictions, according to The New York Times.
The push for an amendment comes in response to a tragic, highly publicized incident in 2012 when an Indian women living in Ireland died from septic shock after having been denied an abortion. The fetus had been diagnosed with severe congenital defects.
Though no legislation has been drafted, an assembly of citizens has been given a mandate by Parliament to “examine the full range of medical, legal and ethical issues surrounding abortion.” So far, they’ve received over 13,500 comments from the public — suggesting that views are shifting in the conservative country. The committee will draft a report to be considered later this year.
Russia
The Soviet Union was actually the first state in the world to legalize abortion in 1920. It was then made illegal in 1936, legalized again in 1955, and has remained legal since.
Given President Vladimir Putin’s typically conservative leanings, his administration has surprised many with its lenient stance on the matter. Abortions are covered under Russian health insurance for the first trimester, and second trimester abortions are allowed in cases where the mother’s health is at risk.
For information on abortion rights in more countries, you can visit the Center For Reproductive Rights’ world abortion laws map.
After you’ve read this look at abortion rights worldwide, take a look at this brief history of birth control. Or, read about the Dutch city that wants mandatory contraception for “incompetent” mothers.
