Catalogue Number
NMLH.2025.32.10
Object Name
poster
Title
'Party For Choice 2 Northern Ireland needs you! Music Bingo | DJs | Karaoke. Saturday 7th July, Peer Hat, 8pm. No one turned away, tickets on the door. All funds going to Abortion Rights Campaign Manchester to support the campaign for free, safe and legal abortion on the island of Ireland'
Place
Northern Ireland, Manchester, UK
People
Sister Supporter Manchester, Abortion Rights Campaign, Alliance Rights Campaign, Alliance for Choice
Events
Northern Ireland abortion decriminalisation 2020
Description
A pink digital poster with a red line drawing of a raised fist in the bottom right corner. Red and black text reads: 'Party For Choice 2 Northern Ireland needs you! Music Bingo | DJs | Karaoke. Saturday 7th July, Peer Hat, 8pm. No one turned away, tickets on the door. All funds going to Abortion Rights Campaign Manchester to support the campaign for free, safe and legal abortion on the island of Ireland'.
This poster was created to promote a party to fundraise for the campaign to decriminalise abortion in Northern Ireland. This party took place shortly after the successful decriminalisation of abortion in Ireland, which had energised campaigners to push for decriminalisation in the North. At the time of the poster's creation Northern Ireland was the only part of the UK where abortion was not legal under any circumstances, as the 1967 Abortion Act which legalised abortion in Scotland, England and Wales did not apply to Northern Ireland. Northern Irish people seeking abortion care had to travel to England, Scotland or Wales to receive care.
Northern Irish campaigners had drawn attention to the fact that then-ruling party the DUP's unionist politics (meaning they want Northern Ireland to be treated as a part of the UK) were at odds with their refusal to bring NI's abortion law into line with the rest of the UK. For unrelated reasons, the Northern Irish devolved government broke down, and direct rule from Westminster led to Labour MP Stella Creasy introducing a Private Members bill requiring abortion to be decriminalised for pregnancies up to 12 weeks, in cases of health risks to the pregnant person, or cases of severe or fatal fetal disability. The Abortion (Northern Ireland) Regulations 2020 mean that for the first time Northern Irish people do not have to travel to access this healthcare. Abortion rights campaigners in the UK and Ireland campaigned heavily for this legal equality for Northern Ireland.
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