Ivana Bacik: As US abortion rights take a shocking step backwards, we must move forward

The dramatic decision of the US Supreme Court to restrict abortion rights by overturning Roe V Wade has important messages for us here in Ireland, writes Ivana Bacik.

Abortion-rights supporters protest following Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. Picture: Gemunu Amarasinghe

Yesterday was a dark day for women’s rights. 

With its majority decision in Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health Organization, the US Supreme Court has overturned the landmark judgment in Roe v Wade. 

That case in 1973 had established a constitutional basis for the right to choose abortion, based on the concept of personal privacy, and it had enabled women to access termination of pregnancy procedures across the US. 

Over the years since, numerous attempts were made by conservative activists to undermine its core principles, but it had survived as a binding legal precedent for 50 years.

Yesterday’s decision by the six judges in the majority — including the new conservative judges appointed by Donald Trump — has dramatically overturned that precedent. 

By a vote of 6:3, the court ruled that the Roe decision was "egregiously wrong".

It is now predicted that over half of all US states, those with Republican conservative lawmakers, will move to restrict or even ban access to abortion — with immense risk to women’s health and lives as a result.

The US judgment undoubtedly represents a shocking step backwards. And it has two important messages for us here in Ireland.

First, it should strengthen our resolve to ensure effective access to safe, legal terminations of pregnancy here. 

The ongoing review of our own abortion legislation must address its inadequacies. 

Just this week, figures showed that 206 women travelled from Ireland to Britain last year to obtain abortions. 

Every woman who must take that lonely journey represents a failure of our law to deliver on the mandate given by 66.4% of the electorate in the 2018 referendum to repeal the Eighth Amendment. 

We need to ensure effective access to abortion here in Ireland for women who need it. 

That must include ensuring a wide network of GPs across the country who are willing to provide abortion care to their patients.

Powerful reminder

Secondly, the Dobbs case serves as a powerful reminder to us here in Ireland, and across the world, that we can never take progress on women’s rights for granted. 

Many of us fought long and hard — for over 30 years in my own case — to achieve the right of women to access safe, legal abortion here. But we cannot assume that the fight is over. 

Ivana Bacik, at the launch of their major campaign for the introduction of legal abortion services in Ireland in 2007. Picture: Paul Sharp

We know that conservative forces are at work here, as in the US, seeking to undermine and reverse the gains made for women – and for equality within our society more generally. We must remain vigilant and keep advocating for progressive change.

And we must stand in solidarity with the women and girls in so many US states now facing such a terrible curtailment of their rights and the prospect of real danger to their lives and health. 

For this reason, we are holding a vigil from 5-6pm on Sunday, June 26, at the US Embassy in Ballsbridge.

American Embassy in Ballsbridge, Dublin. Picture: Stephen Collins/ Photos

We know from our own bitter experience that restricting access to abortion does not prevent crisis pregnancy and that constitutional restrictions on access to abortion will cause serious risks to women's lives and health. 

To put it bluntly, women die where we do not have safe, legal abortion.

That is as true now as it was 50 years ago. And that is the appalling vista for women and girls across America following yesterday’s decision.