It’s not just Texas – anti-abortion activists are targeting women’s rights in Europe
Following the new abortion ban in Texas, which limits abortions to around six weeks, ASN’s Mara Clarke writes about the struggle for abortion access in Europe.
Many will say that if a person in Texas now requires an abortion after six weeks, they can travel to a different state. We have been hearing this argument for years. Irish women can “just travel”. Polish women can “just travel”. But this fails to take into consideration the obstacles to travelling for an abortion, such as childcare, insecure immigration status, the fear of stigma or ostracisation, money and Brexit, which is making it hard for non-EU or UK residents to come to England.
Helping people get abortions requires a strong constitution. We will never be able to reach everyone who needs our help. But we know that as abortion funders we are part of a growing global network of activists who are finding ever more creative ways to help people access abortion care, and that we will continue this work until our helplines stop ringing.