The Workers Party kicked off its activities in support of International Womens Week with a public meeting to discuss the status of a woman’s right to choose  in Northern Ireland and the Republic

Gemma Weir, the Party’s North Belfast candidate in next week’s Assembly election, addressed the situation in Northern Ireland and the specific issues around the 1967 Abortion Act and calls for its extension to Northern Ireland.

Mary Diskin, a member of the Workers Party in Wicklow and  a long time women’s rights campaigner provided an overview and update on the history of the struggle for abortion legislation  in the Republic of Ireland and the current ‘Repeal the 8th Amendment’ camapign.

The common message from both jurisdictions was that a woman’s right to choose must first be secured and that is should be ‘free, safe, legal and accessible’

Both speakers emphasised the class nature of the abortion issue and the differences for those who can afford to travel and avail of services in England and elsewhere and those who can’t.

It is likely that today’s meeting will prompt an updated  policy paper on the Party’s position on a woman’s right to choose in the near future.