My Body My Rights News

The UN Human Rights Committee’s ground-breaking decision that Ireland’s law prohibiting and criminalizing abortion violated the human rights of a woman who had a diagnosis of fatal foetal impairment will advance women’s rights in Ireland and beyond, said Amnesty International today.

A court's decision today to release a woman who spent four years in jail in El Salvador for miscarrying her pregnancy is a great victory for human rights, said Amnesty International.

María Teresa Rivera, 33, was jailed in 2011 and sentenced to 40 years in prison for “aggravated homicide” after having a miscarriage.

"The release of María Teresa is yet another step towards justice in a country where women are treated as mere second class citizens," said Erika Guevara-Rosas, Americas Director at Amnesty International 

BURKINA FASO: NEW REPORT FINDS CHILD MARRIAGE PUTS THOUSANDS OF GIRLS AT GRAVE RISK  

“My dad married me off to a 70-year-old man who already has five wives. He threatened

me saying if I don’t join my husband he will kill me.” – 13-year-old Maria[i]

Demonstration outside Government Buildings to show abortion cannot be ignored in government formation

Tell the next Irish Government that it MUST expand access to abortion

Ireland’s laws on abortion violate the human rights of women and girls. And people in Ireland want that to end. 87% want expanded access to abortion. 69% think this should be a priority for the next government and 73% want a referendum to repeal the 8th amendment.

• 69% call for expansion of Ireland’s abortion law to be a priority issue for the next government (when ‘don’t knows’ and those who were neutral are excluded)
• 90% believe that women’s health must be the priority as part of any reform (when ‘don’t knows’ and those who were neutral are excluded)
• 68% describe current law as “cruel and inhumane”  (when ‘don’t knows’ and those who were neutral are excluded)

 Comments by Attorney General are ‘misleading’

Amnesty International has criticised moves to oppose reform of Northern Ireland’s restrictive abortion law in the region’s Assembly today as a “betrayal of women and girls” and another “stalling tactic”

Members of the Northern Ireland Assembly have submitted proposals to allow for abortion in cases of fatal foetal diagnosis and where the pregnancy was as a result of rape or incest. Political parties, the DUP and SDLP have announced that they will be voting against any changes. 

NORTHERN IRELAND: VOTE TO OPPOSE ABORTION LAW CHANGE IS A ‘BETRAYAL OF WOMEN AND GIRLS’

Comments by Attorney General are ‘misleading’

Amnesty International has criticised moves to oppose reform of Northern Ireland’s restrictive abortion law in the region’s Assembly today as a “betrayal of women and girls” and another “stalling tactic”

Law reforms would be ‘important first steps’ to reaching global human rights standards

7 in 10 Northern Ireland people back abortion law reform - poll

Proposed amendments to Northern Ireland’s law on abortion would be “important first steps” to bringing the region into line with international human rights standards and protecting women and girls’ fundamental rights, Amnesty International has said.

DUBLIN, 4 February 2016 - The next government must take urgent action to bring its draconian abortion laws in line with its international human rights obligations, Amnesty International said today following the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child’s assessment of the state’s approach to children’s rights. The Committee today issued its Concluding Observations on Ireland’s third and fourth periodic reports under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.