Alliance for Choice campaigns for abortion rights in Northern Ireland because they believe in bodily autonomy for women, trans men and non-binary people.
Abortion was decriminalised in October 2019, but not everyone who needs an abortion can get one in Northern Ireland. That’s because of the delay in commissioning abortion services and a lack of public information. We used our Voices from the Frontline grant to create awareness around the current impasse in abortion access for women, girls and pregnant people.
We want to highlight the impact of the stigma around abortion healthcare, especially on those who are already marginalised. These groups include people with disabilities, those in violent relationships, people of colour, migrant women and pregnant people, and LGBTQ+ people. Covid-19 has compounded these characteristics and inequalities. That’s particularly the case because abortion telemedicine isn’t available in Northern Ireland like it is in the UK and Ireland.
Rosa funding meant we could educate and organise activists around the shortfall in provision. It also helped us to advocate for an intersectional approach. Women, girls and pregnant people who don’t speak English may need tailored support around abortion healthcare, for example. Educating the activists and growing our network helps to raise consciousness and confidence. This improves the support they give and builds confidence in people who need an abortion. Especially when they have to deal with stigma.
Lots of the people we support tell us that this stigma makes them feel incredibly alone and isolated. Connecting with our volunteers helps to reduce this and brings them into a community. Our work has strengthened the abortion community itself. Politicians and decision-makers continue to treat this community as invisible or with disdain. Now, healthcare professionals increasingly contact Alliance for Choice to get information on aspects of abortion care.
“The grant enabled our activists to come together in online workshops and really tease out the three issues they felt were most important. Those issues were intersectional abortion provision, sex education in schools, and gender stereotypes that stigmatise certain choices. The impact of these videos has already been seen in schools, community groups and global meetings. It also meant we got to bring in some fresh new talent in the shape of animator and abortion rights supporter Nichola Irvine. We are thrilled with the results!”
Emma Campbell, Alliance for Choice
Take a look at Alliance for Choice’s website and follow @AllianceforChoice on Twitter to keep up with their work.