Home Gender The right to choose. Socialism and women's rights in Ireland

The right to choose. Socialism and women’s rights in Ireland

Details
Published on Thursday
21 March 2013  17:15
Written by Radical Socialist
 

The right to choose. Socialism and women’s rights in Ireland

Socialist Democracy, Ireland

The death of Sativa Halappanavar after having been refused an abortion sparked a storm of protest and a renewed discussion of woman’s rights, occurring mainly within the ranks of United Left Alliance. The debate centred around a reformist perspective calling for legislation to rationalize and codify medical responsibility where a woman’s life is at risk, opposed by the demand that we call for a women’s right to choose. 

The reformist perspective was that politicians were under pressure and there was broad public support for limited reform. By joining in this call socialists could help win this reform and produce an environment conducive of further advances. 

The alternative view was that socialists were in principle in support of the right to choose and, that by striking when the iron is hot, they could swing popular opinion behind them. 

A sign of the coming demise of the ULA and its endemic electoralism and reformism came in a dishonest and mealy-mouthed ULA statement of December 16th. Listing a number of health issues it went on to say: 

“Many think that it should be up to a woman, in consultation with her doctor, to decide if she should continue with a pregnancy. We support all of these arguments – which give women the choice”. 

Health issues and consultations with doctors do not add up to the right to choose. The perspective that the ULA took was the reformist one. Events since then have shown how inadequate that perspective was. It fails to distinguish between public sentiment, mobilizations and the creation of a full-blown movement. It sees any reform as a permanent step forward, refusing to acknowledge that any rights under capitalism are subject to abolition as the needs of capital change. 

The initial mobilizations died away. The church, the virulent Catholic right-wing and forces within the governing Fine Gael party have all mobilized. Legislation will be brought forward but, rather than providing an environment for further advance, the discussion is about whether or not women should be allowed a “suicide clause” – that is whether the risk of suicide can be included as a threat to the life of the woman. 

The call for the right to choose has the advantage of bringing together the genuinely democratic forces in Irish society and giving them a programme around which they can unite. However this is not sufficient if it is linked to the idea that, if we strike while the iron is hot, we can win over public opinion. 

The feminist movement in Ireland has faced a strategic crisis for many years. In the ’60s and ’70s many feminists saw their movement as linked to the Republican and socialist movements. Their gradual decline saw a growth in belief in the modernisng influence of imperialism – especially that of Britain in the North and of Europe south of the border.   That belief has been eaten away as a modernizing facade has been replaced by an all-out assault designed to push workers’ rights to the levels of the 19th Century. 

The decay of capitalism means that levels of democracy and of individual rights will constantly be eaten away and that democratic movements that operate only within the con-fines of capitalism are bound to be disappointed. 

The members of Socialist Democracy believe that socialists should stand foursquare behind the call for a woman’s right to choose. We do not oppose partial reform, will gladly work with anyone fighting for this and will welcome any gains. 

For ourselves however, we consistently call for the right of women to choose and call for feminists to join in the fight for a socialist republic. We do this, not because it is a short cut to victory, but because without these principles the journey has not yet begun.
 

RELATED ARTICLES

Selling Sexual Services: A Socialist Feminist Perspective

Details Published on Saturday 07 February 2015 09:43 Written by Radical Socialist

REVOLUTION WILL BE FEMINIST OR IT WON’T BE

Details Published on Monday 20 June 2011 11:26 Written by Radical Socialist

Proletarian Socialism and Women’s Liberation

Details Published on Tuesday 13 October 2009 05:41 Written by Radical Socialist

Most Popular

Support the Occupy Wall Street Movement!

Details Published on Saturday 22 October 2011 10:12 Written by Radical Socialist Support the Occupy Wall Street Movement! Statement by Socialist Action, USA Socialist Action welcomes the growing Occupy movement...

Public Statement on Palestine by Concerned Indians

Details Published on Sunday 13 June 2021 13:17 Written by Radical Socialist Around 260 Indian citizens signed the statement calling on the Government of India to de-recognise...

WSF Declaration of the Social Movements Assembly

Details Published on Sunday 13 February 2011 17:06 Written by Radical Socialist WSF Declaration of the Social Movements Assembly 12 February 2011 As the Social Movements Assembly of the World...

Radical Socialist Statement on The Karnataka Verdict and the Future

Details Published on Sunday 14 May 2023 09:51 Written by Radical Socialist

Radical Socialist Perspectives: National and International

Details Published on Monday 18 July 2022 15:16 Written by Radical Socialist

No to Russian Imperialist Aggression, No to US/NATO interference, for a Democratic, Socialist Ukraine, for the Right of Self Determination for all Oppressed Nationalities

Details Published on Monday 28 February 2022 15:21 Written by Radical Socialist Kunal Chattopadhyay and Achin Vanaik Russian Imperialism is the Aggressor: We unequivocally condemn the Russian aggression on...

Proletarian Heroine: Domitila Barrios

Details Published on Saturday 17 March 2012 04:21 Written by Radical Socialist Remembering Domitila: Making Bolivian History Emily Achtenberg Rebel Currents March 15, 2012 (Credit: Ben Achtenberg, refugemediaproject.org) Bolivians paid tribute this week to Domitila Barrios...

Contribution to the debate

Details Published on Tuesday 03 November 2009 16:28Written by Radical Socialist

Israel: Colonial-settler state

Details Published on Saturday 17 October 2009 06:48 Written by Radical Socialist Phil Gasper ZIONISM IS a political movement that originally emerged in the late nineteenth century as a...

Obama and Cuba: The End of an Illusion

Details Published on Monday 22 March 2010 16:59 Written by Radical Socialist “The times we live in reflect that in Latin America and the Caribbean the confrontation between...