The future of abortion rights

ORIGINAL INTRODUCTION

Abortion rights have always been a thorny political issue, but recent events have propelled the question of women’s reproductive choice to the fore. The overturning of the 1973 Roe vs Wade ruling in the US means a woman’s right to abortion is no longer protected by the constitution, allowing states to set their own laws. Indiana became the first state to implement a near total ban on abortion services, while voters in the conservative state of Kansas surprised both sides by voting in favour of protecting abortion rights. Has American democracy improved because of the fall of Roe, or should women’s freedom of choice be reinstated in constitutional law?

The abortion debate is also far from over in the UK. Rows and divisions opened afresh over the distribution of abortion pills via telemedicine, which was permanently legalised earlier this year. Meanwhile, many criticised the then justice secretary, Dominic Raab, for refusing to put abortion into his proposed Bill of Rights. Pro-choice campaigners have long pointed to the outdated nature of British law, which makes abortion illegal, but with caveats allowing women to freely access abortion services up until 24 weeks of pregnancy. As a result, several women have been criminalised for suspected illegal abortions.

National polls consistently show greater support for choice than restriction when it comes to abortion, but pro-life organisations have also seen an upsurge of support from both socially conservative politicians and campaigners alike.

How should the battle for abortion rights be fought? Is a woman’s freedom of choice best won by democratic change in the form of referendums and elections, or is it a matter for the courts? Do both sides need to get better at engaging with one another to prevent abortion rights becoming yet another culture war? And with national campaigns for abortion rights mounting everywhere, from Poland to Portland, what is next for the global pro-choice movement?

SPEAKERS
Dr Piers Benn
philosopher, author and lecturer

Mary Kenny
journalist; playwright; author, The Way We Were: Catholic Ireland since 1922 and Something of Myself – and Others; columnist, Irish Independent Magazine

Margo Martin
student, Aberystwyth University

Dervla Murphy
student and researcher interested in abortion and reproductive health, generation, free speech and gender, University of Kent; alumni, Debating Matters

CHAIR
Bríd Hehir
writer, researcher and blogger; retired nurse and fundraiser