Ireland Under Global Microscope: How Far is Too Far When it Comes to Religion and Abortion?

*I know abortion is a sensitive issue to some. I am writing this as a pro-choice woman. My beliefs are to what is mine.*

The disclaimer is set, and I’m ready to go. In this week of insane and ridiculous news, I read an article that left me absolutely speechless and outraged. And apparently a lot of the world, too. So much so that an entire country is going to reconsider their harsh abortion law. Let’s get a deeper look.

The almost complete and total ban of abortions in the country of Ireland have been in light of a heightened scrutiny from all countries in the European Union to change their abortion policies, and change them now.  31-year-old Savita Halappanavar died in Galway Hospital on October 27th, just a week before doctors in Ireland (while on her trip with her husband) told her she would be miscarrying. The issue? The 11 week old embryo still had a beating heart, and doctors, after countless pleas from Halappanavar and her husband, told them, “This is a Catholic country.” Forcing her to carry out her miscarriage.

After looking through the chronology of Ireland abortion laws, I can understand why this has become so outrageous: In the most recent provision to Ireland’s abortion law from 2002, it states, “In particular, the life of the unborn in the womb shall be protected in accordance with the provisions of the Protection of Human Life in Pregnancy Act, 2002” and  “A procedure carried out by a medical practitioner at an approved place – to be laid down by the Minister by regulation after the referendum – to prevent a real and substantial risk of the loss of a woman’s life, other than by self-destruction, will not be regarded as an abortion” is WHY this is an outrage. Halappanavar was slowly and painfully dying as she was refused a basic right to her own body for the sake of saving herself and a life that couldn’t have been saved.

Savita, an Indian Hindu, repetitively said “I am neither Irish or Catholic” and was refused anyway.

The lengths Irish women must go to pursue an abortion means getting out of the country itself–going to Great Britain which, in terms of Irish women getting abortions, makes up 20% of Britain’s abortion total.

In more shocking news, “In 2006, over 5000 women traveled to the UK for an abortion. The majority of these women were between the ages of 20 to 30. Contrary to belief, in recent years teenagers only comprise approximately 12 per cent of the overall total.”

So what happens when we bind women and restrict them from exercising their right to their own bodies? At what point does it infringe on the life of the mother to carry a baby to term that would die anyway due to it’s lack of development? At what point is it okay push women to the limit emotionally, psychologically and physically? Is it even okay at all?