Workers Solidarity Movement

Today we are marching in protest at the tragic death of Savita Halappanavar, a pregnant woman who died after being refused a termination, despite requesting one several times.

For years many people have been aware that the failure of successive governments to legislate could result in a tragedy. Whether through cowardice or callousness, since the X case ruling and three referendums allowed for abortion under restricted circumstances 20 years ago, no laws have been drafted to allow doctors to carry out those abortions.

Savita’s death should not have happened. Just as her husband Praveen has pledged to fight for a change in the law to ensure that no other woman dies in the way that Savita did, so every one of us here should pledge to fight for that law change.

But is that enough?
Perhaps 20 years ago implementation of the X-case judgement would have been a step in the right direction. Not now, not anymore.

The X-case judgement will not give a right to choose. 13 women travel each day from Ireland for a foreign abortion in another country. Those numbers won't change very much if the X-case is written into law.

Most pregnancies don't threaten the life of the mother, most women aren't suicidal when pregnant. This is why we need to be clear in saying, the X-case is not enough. It is not up to us to say who can have an abortion and who can't, who will be forced to remain pregnant and who won't, who will be forced to travel and who won't.

If we believe that women faced with a crisis pregnancy are the best people to decide, then we have to support a woman's right to choose, we have to say, the X-case is not enough.

Let Women Decide For Themselves

WORDS: WSM leaflet distributed at the Nov 17th 2012 Never Again - legislate now march in memory of Savita Halappanavar in Dublin