Repealiversary: The ‘unfinished business’ of abortion at home and abroad

Róisín Ingle talks to activists Ailbhe Smyth and Kellie Turtle

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Students march to protest against overturning Roe v. Wade, which guarantees the right to abortion access, in New York on May 19, 2022.
Students march to protest against overturning Roe v. Wade, which guarantees the right to abortion access, in New York on May 19, 2022.

In today’s episode of the Women’s Podcast we are talking about abortion, exactly four years on from the referendum to repeal the Eighth.

The anniversary falls at a time when abortion access is being restricted in many parts of the world and with the news that the US Supreme Court is planning to overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade ruling.

In Northern Ireland, access to abortion has been available since April 2020 after new laws came into force. However the UK Government intervened recently to ensure those services are fully delivered, following Stormont’s “failure” to do so.

In the Republic, activists like Ailbhe Smyth are calling for a full decriminalisation of abortion, in advance of a review of Ireland’s legislation on abortion.

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Smyth talks to Róisín Ingle about the “unfinished business” of the repeal movement and her worries about the global impact of the overturning of Roe v. Wade in the US.

They’re joined by feminist activist, Green Party Northern Ireland member and PhD researcher, Kellie Turtle.

Jennifer Ryan

Jennifer Ryan is a former audio producer at The Irish Times