Abortion is an act of reproductive control that's thousands of years old. One in three women will abort her pregnancy. An abortion, under the right conditions, is safe procedure.
Savita Halappanavar's miscarriage, on the other hand, was not. Savita miscarried at 17 weeks. In pain, she went to the University Hospital in Galway, Ireland, where she was told that she was miscarrying and that the fetus would not survive.
Because the medical staff was more concerned with the status of the Catholic Church than they were for their patient’s health, Savita was denied a D&C, which is a safe procedure used to terminate pregnancies and save women’s lives.
Savita died, in great pain, over a six-day period. She died of septicemia and because of medieval attitudes towards the uses and purpose of the female body. Savita was killed by an absence of reason, an absence of professional care, and medical indifference.
There is no logic in allowing a woman to die even as the baby she is carrying is doing the same. Abortion saves lives. Savita is proof.
At minimum, 4,000 Irish women travel to England annually to have abortions. Women and men have relied upon abortions for thousands of years. It is cruel and barbaric to block safe, legal access to women who need abortions.
The International Community calls upon you to legalize abortion. All women have bodily autonomy. Blocking this ability to make decisions, treating their lives as unworthy of saving, is unacceptable. We call upon you to honor the lives of women, of mothers, of wives and legalize abortion.
We call upon the members of the Dail, and Taoiseach Kenney to:
- Introduce the long delayed “X” legislation, making abortion legal for women’s whose lives are directly threatened by their pregnancy.
- Discontinue your campaign to join the UN Human Rights Council until you have passed this legislation.
Chun sláinte na mban.
Sincerely,
[Your name]
