Irish Pro-Choice Group Calls for Legalized Abortion

Following recent figures that indicate 15 Irish women go to the United Kingdom for an abortion every day, Alliance for Choice has called on the Irish government to legalize abortion. Spokeswoman Sian Muldowney said that "Ireland needs to face up to its responsibility to Irish men and women to provide a comprehensive sex education strategy, a national sexual health services strategy and safe and legal abortion in Ireland," reports Ireland On-Line. Alliance for Choice is an Irish grassroots organization campaigning for safe and legal abortion, and was a supporter of the 2004 March for Women's Lives in the United States.

The statistic on women traveling for abortions came from the UK Department of Health, which reported 5,585 Irish women coming to Britain in 2005, a slight decrease from the 2004 number. This is the fifth year that these statistics have shown a decline. However, many suspect these figures are lower than reality because they measure only the number of women getting abortions in Britain and giving Irish addresses, while many women may give the addresses of friends or family in Britain.

Media Resources: IndyMedia Ireland 4/22/06; Irish Examiner 7/5/06; Ireland On-Line 7/5/06

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