Abortion Rights Campaign

Last updated

Abortion Rights Campaign
Formation10 July 2012;11 years ago (2012-07-10)
Type Abortion rights lobby group
Location
Website www.abortionrightscampaign.ie

The Abortion Rights Campaign (ARC) is an Irish abortion rights group. The group's goal is the introduction of free and legal abortion in Ireland and Northern Ireland. [1] Prior to May 2018, the group campaigned for the repeal of the Eighth Amendment of the Irish Constitution, which was achieved with the passing of the Thirty-Sixth Amendment 2018. The ARC also campaigns for the Northern Ireland Assembly on behalf of abortion legislation and "to ensure the health of women in pregnancy is protected in line with international human rights standards". [2]

Contents

History

The Abortion Rights Campaign was founded by 40 people on 10 July 2012. Initially formed as the Irish Choice Network, after another meeting in the Gresham Hotel in Dublin on 8 December 2012 and another meeting on 19 January 2013 the Abortion Rights Campaign was formally launched. It has organized the annual March for Choice in Dublin since 2013.

ARC was one of the main partner organizations in Together for Yes, the civil society group advocating a Yes vote in the 2018 referendum. One of ARC's founding members was a co-director of Together for Yes. [3] ARC's network of regional groups across the island of Ireland formed the basis for many Together for Yes groups in several counties in Ireland.

In January 2016, they received a grant of €23,000 from Open Society Foundations for "educational and stigma-busting projects." SIPO, a national ethics watchdog, sent a warning, reasoning that the money had been raised for a political purpose and therefore non-compliant. The ARC returned the money in November 2016 "in order to comply with all regulatory frameworks". The story was first reported by The Irish Catholic in late March 2017. [4] [5] [6] [7]

Structure

ARC is an all-volunteer, non-hierarchical organization. Members elect a Convening Group annually, which convenes a Steering Group made up of representatives of several working groups and regional groups. Decision-making is carried out by the Steering Group during regular meetings. There is no singular leader or spokesperson of ARC, as the Convening and Working Group roles change regularly. This structure is intended to encourage engagement and activity from members, and to avoid permanent hierarchies. [8]

March for Choice

The Abortion Rights Campaign's annual March for Choice is normally held on the Global Day of Action for Safe and Legal Access to Abortion. The March for Choice is organized by ARC, attended by the public, various national abortion rights groups, trade unions such as Unite, Mandate, Teachers Union of Ireland, National Union of Journalists and Union of Students in Ireland, political parties including Labour, Solidarity–People Before Profit, and the Social Democrats, and international groups such as Catholics for Choice. [9] [10]

The most recent March for Choice was held on 29 September 2018, the first since the vote to repeal the Eighth Amendment. [11] The theme was 'Free Safe Legal', the slogan of ARC, and was chosen to "show [their] support for stigma-free abortion access for anyone who wants or needs one, regardless of their financial or legal status". [12]

Speakers included ARC co-conveners Sarah Monaghan and Denise O'Toole, Zanele Sibindi of Movement of Asylum Seekers in Ireland, Evie Nevin of Disabled People for Choice, and Emma Campbell and Kellie O'Dowd from the Belfast-based Alliance for Choice. [11]

The 2017 March for Choice was held on 30 September, and over 40,000 people took part. The rally at the march's conclusion was addressed by Bernadette Devlin McAliskey. Additional "sympathy marches" were held in 20 cities around the world, including London, Sydney and Nicosia. [13] [14]

Related Research Articles

Abortion in Ireland is regulated by the Health Act 2018. Abortion is permitted in Ireland during the first twelve weeks of pregnancy, and later in cases where the pregnant woman's life or health is at risk, or in the cases of a fatal foetal abnormality. Abortion services commenced on 1 January 2019, following its legalisation by the aforementioned Act, which became law on 20 December 2018. Previously, the 8th Constitutional Amendment had given the life of the unborn foetus the same value as that of its mother, but the 36th constitutional amendment, approved by referendum in May 2018, replaced this with a clause permitting the Oireachtas (parliament) to legislate for the termination of pregnancies.

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References

  1. ↑ Abortion Rights Campaign (15 December 2016). "Submission to the Citizens' Assembly". p. 1. Archived from the original on 26 June 2018. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
  2. ↑ "About ARC | Abortion Rights Campaign Ireland". www.abortionrightscampaign.ie. Archived from the original on 9 June 2023. Retrieved 16 August 2015.
  3. ↑ "Together for Yes Executive". Together for Yes. Archived from the original on 22 June 2018. Retrieved 21 June 2018.
  4. ↑ McMahon, Aine (1 April 2017). "Abortion Rights Campaign group returns US donation after SIPO warning". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 3 April 2017. Retrieved 5 April 2017.
  5. ↑ Ní Aodha, Gráinne (1 April 2017). "Abortion Rights Campaign gives back €23,000 US donation". TheJournal.ie. Archived from the original on 6 April 2017. Retrieved 5 April 2017.
  6. ↑ Abortion Rights IE [@freesafelegal] (1 April 2017). "Abortion Rights Campaign gives back €23,000 US donation (via @thejournal_ie)" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  7. ↑ Daly, Greg (30 March 2017). "Pro-repeal group return billionaire's cash after ethics watchdog probe". The Irish Catholic . Archived from the original on 6 April 2017. Retrieved 5 April 2017.
  8. ↑ Abortion Rights Campaign (6 December 2017). "Annual Report 2015". pp. 8–9. Archived from the original on 20 June 2018. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
  9. ↑ Kitty Holland (27 September 2014). "'March for Choice' attracts thousands in Dublin". Irish Times . Archived from the original on 11 August 2015. Retrieved 1 September 2015.
  10. ↑ Mary Carolan (27 September 2013). "Campaign for legal abortions says new laws too restrictive". Irish Times . Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 1 September 2015.
  11. 1 2 Barry, Aoife (29 September 2018). "Large crowds as March for Choice takes place in Dublin". The Journal. Archived from the original on 22 November 2018. Retrieved 22 November 2018.
  12. ↑ "March for Choice 29th September". Abortion Rights Campaign. 16 September 2018. Archived from the original on 5 December 2018. Retrieved 22 November 2018.
  13. ↑ "Tens of thousands take part in March for Choice rally". RTÉ. 30 September 2017. Archived from the original on 26 June 2018. Retrieved 3 October 2017.
  14. ↑ "Thousands attend Dublin abortion rights protest". The Irish Times. 30 September 2017. Archived from the original on 3 October 2017. Retrieved 3 October 2017.
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