Front Burner

Lessons from Ireland's abortion battle

While 13 states have already passed legislation which automatically ban abortion if Roe v. Wade is struck down, some predominantly Catholic countries have recently moved towards more access. Today, what Ireland’s path to legal abortion says about the impact of restrictions.
Demonstrators hold pictures and placards in memory of Savita Halappanavar in support of legislative change on abortion during a march from the Garden of Remembrance to the Dail (Irish Parliament) in Dublin, Ireland on November 17, 2012. (Peter Muhly/AFP/Getty Images)

If the U.S. Supreme Court strikes down Roe v. Wade, 13 states have already passed what are known as "trigger" bans which automatically ban abortion. While it is still unclear if the leaked draft opinion represents the court's final word on the matter, as many as half of U.S. states are expected to bring in restrictions in the future should it be struck down.

Meanwhile, some predominantly Catholic countries have recently made moves once thought impossible: legalizing or expanding abortion access.

Today on Front Burner, a look at the long road to legal abortion in Ireland and the tragic impacts bans have had on generations of women. Caelainn Hogan is a freelance journalist based in Ireland and the author of Republic of Shame: Stories from Ireland's Institutions for 'Fallen Women'.

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