Northern Ireland

‘We’re not going anywhere, we’re not going to be cowed’: the North’s battle for reproductive rights rages on

The US Supreme Court’s decision to strike down Roe vs Wade marks a new frontier in the war on abortion rights, but for women in Northern Ireland, the fight had never ended anyway

Abortion-rights demonstrators in Belfast in 2019: abortion was legalised by Westminster that year when power-sharing broke down – but services are still largely unavailable. A week and a half ago, MPs voted to intervene and introduce services. Picture: Getty

The overturning of Roe vs Wade marks the biggest setback for reproductive rights in the United States in nearly half a century. Around half of American states are now expected to outlaw or severely limit access to abortion, with bans having already been introduced in several states. Pro-choice advocates on this side of the Atlantic have watched in horror as the Supreme Court ruling paved the way for abortion to be made illegal across large ...