July 11th, 2012

Categories: Abortion Support Network, economic justice, Funds, International Funds, unfair laws

For the third consecutive year, the international abortion fund Abortion Support Network (ASN) in England will see requests for abortion funding from Irish women double.

As ASN director Mara Clarke (pictured at left) tells The Guardian, "The continued economic crisis is making it even more of a struggle for women and families to keep their heads above water and Ireland's severe abortion restrictions make it even harder for women in financial distress."

Ireland's abortion laws are among the strictest in the world, and abortion is illegal in virtually all circumstances. A woman who needs an abortion is forced to leave the country to find help at her own expense; every year thousands of women leave Ireland in search of a safe abortion. ASN volunteers give women a place to sleep, meals, and fare for local transportation to help defray the high cost of travel.

"We don’t think it’s fair that, when faced with an unplanned pregnancy, women in Ireland with money can access a safe and legal abortion and women without money cannot. As long as there are women facing an unwanted pregnancy who are unable to afford the costs of travelling to England and paying privately for an abortion, ASN will continue to do our best to help them," says Clark.

Read The Guardian's report here, and ASN's assessment here.