The long-running issue of Northern Irish women accessing abortions in other parts of the UK has now been settled and, apart from hardliners in parties like the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), the change has been welcomed by a broad consensus of voices. This consensus – that abortion is a routine procedure – is not only absent in Northern Ireland, but it’s sometimes undermined by a debate often rendered in broad strokes and generalisations.
The same debate is currently raging south of the border. As the campaign to repeal the eighth amendment gathers pace, boosted by the recommendations of the Citizens’ Assembly, many activists are preparing for a referendum at some point next year.
Though the last referendum on a social issue in Ireland, that legalised same-sex marriage, fell in a liberal direction, a referendum to repeal the eighth is likely to be far more contentious and has the propensity to turn nasty. While many would agree that “allowing women to die rather than give them a life-saving abortion is extremist”, it does a disservice to both sides to argue this is shared by all people calling themselves pro-life.
Pro-life and pro-choice aren’t binaries. Such views exist across a spectrum and it is the moderates, those who didn’t march in the pro-life rally last week, who are still open to being convinced. These more moderate pro-life supporters would not typically agree with the extremist stances of some factions of the movement, as many who are pro-choice would be uncomfortable with some of the more liberal recommendations, including those recommended by the Citizens’ Assembly. Tarring an entire group – indeed, the very group that you want to convince to vote repeal, or to refrain from voting instead – is detrimental to pro-choice efforts.
We can’t ignore the nuanced and legitimate concerns of those who hold pro-life views. Not all are religious fanatics or women haters, but many hold a different view to our own. Any campaign run on demonising these people, rather than talking to them and hearing their concerns, will not succeed. A campaign is not a counter-demonstration and will not succeed if it simply fights against extremists.
The marriage equality side recognised this in various successful campaigns, such as “ring your granny”, which called on campaigners to sit down with more elderly relatives and talk honestly and compassionately about their reservations. The pro-choice movement would be advised to do the same.
