Pro-Choice Group Launched

national | rights, freedoms and repression | feature Tuesday December 13, 2005 22:54 by Pro-choice activist

From the newswire

BODY which is a diverse group of young pro-choice activists that are campaigning for safe and legal abortion services in Ireland lauched today. BODY stands for bold open decisive youth. The launch involved pro-choice women setting up a cage made of coat hangers from within which they leafletted passers-by.

Click below for an interview by Tobie:

Q: Can you tell us what you are here doing today.

BODY: We are here representing BODY, a group of young people have got to getting to try and push for a pro-choice referendum in Ireland. We think that its completely unacceptable that women have to travel to Britain and far beyond to access full reproductive health rights.

Q: What is the cage you are standing in right now?

BODY: We have made it entirely out of wire hangers representing the way women are caged in Ireland with the lack of information, financial constraints and secrecy surrounding abortion in the country. The wire hangers were chosen to represent the rise and return of illegal abortions that have started to crop up again among communities that are not able to access abortion services abroad.

Q: What is significant about the number seventeen?

BODY: Every day at least 17 women leave Ireland to access abortion services abroad, mainly in Britain but her have heard stories of women going further afield; in Amsterdam, Russia and the united states to access abortion. The 17 women that we know of are attending British clinics alone and doesn't include the women that are going further abroad.

Q: What are the demands that BODY are putting forth?

BODY: We believe the time is right now for a pro-choice referendum. We believe that young people are ready now and vocal enough to push for this agenda. We think that enough there are enough people among student, activist and pro-choice groups that are all ready and all willing to launch a massive campaign for full abortion services and sexual reproductive health services in Ireland.

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