Ahead of the abortion referendum in Ireland next week, there’s a newspaper advert doing the rounds on Twitter. Printed in the Irish Daily Star earlier this week, it reads:
“Men protect lives. It is impossible to look away. As a parent, uncle, grandfather we have a bond that can never be broken. Vote No to abortion on demand”
The implication appears to be that women are callous creatures who neither protect lives nor deserve protection. So men have to step in to do so.
Next Friday, Irish voters will be asked if they want to repeal the eighth amendment, which gives unborn foetuses and pregnant women equal right to life. Since 2013, abortions have been allowed but only when the life of the mother is at risk. Ireland has one of the world’s most punitive abortion laws – the maximum penalty for a termination is 14 years behind bars.
It’s odd, isn’t it? That the first country in the world to legalise gay marriage by popular vote should take such a myopic view of what is generally considered an essential part of reproductive healthcare.
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