National Women's Council urges end to 12-week limit on abortion

Orla O'Connor: 'We must be able to respond to women's diverse needs.' Picture: Leon Farrell / Photocall Ireland

An end to the 12-week gestational limit on abortions in Ireland is among the recommendations from a National Women’s Council report on reproductive health.

Teaching about child sexual abuse could help prevent such abuse, the report also recommends, in addition to calling for a focus in school on the harms of pornography, abuse by partners, and gender stereotypes.

The council is calling for decriminalisation of abortion, saying this could be done through the review of the Termination of Pregnancy Act.

NWC director Orla O’Connor said: “The ongoing abortion review, the extended roll-out of the contraception scheme, and the review of our relationship and sexuality education are unique opportunities for the Government to adopt a holistic approach where progress in one area is matched with progress in another.

“We must be able to respond to women’s diverse needs and ensure access to care for all who need it.”

The report states this 12-week limit is an obstacle to healthcare, as is the mandatory three-day wait between appointment and termination, and that women whose baby has a fatal fetal anomaly can choose an abortion only if doctors are sure the baby will not live longer than 28 days.

Educating teenagers

The NWC report further focuses on how teenagers are educated on reproductive issues, including intimate relationships among young people of any gender.

The report called for SPHE (Social, Personal and Health Education) and RSE (relationships and sexuality education) classes to include age-appropriate, gender-sensitive training, saying this needs to include marginalised young women and girls’ experiences.

Examples given include positive body image and reproductive health. The risks of gender stereotyping meaning preconceptions about what women and men are like or can do, should also be covered.

NWC’s women’s health coordinator Alana Ryan said a modern curriculum could help address gender-based violence.

“How this is done is as important as what’s on the page,” she said. 

Teachers have been asking for adequate training, and the curriculum must respond properly to the needs of children and teenagers.

The NWC recommends removing the requirement for boards of management to legally uphold a school's religious ethos when developing RSE policies. 

It also called for further access to free contraception. This recently opened for women aged between 17 and 25 and from January could expand to women aged 16 to 30.

Ms Ryan said the scheme is hugely positive.

“Simple steps such as allowing pharmacists to dispense contraception where appropriate or allowing women to access medical services over the phone would make a huge difference,” she said.

“This is particularly true for women in rural areas, those working in the gig economy who may not be able to take the time off work, and lone parents without childcare.”