Birth Groups welcome JOC decision to recommend referendum on repeal of the 8th amendment

BIRTH GROUPS WELCOME JOINT OIREACHTAS COMMITTEE OUTCOME – News release for immediate release 13/12/17

Birth groups have welcomed today’s recommendation by the Joint Oireachtas Committee on the 8^th Amendment that the people of Ireland be given the option of full repeal in the up-coming referendum.

Chair of Midwives for Choice, Philomena Canning, said: ‘This is an Amendment that denies women – who want the best for their babies as well as themselves – the freedom to refuse unwanted medical intervention during pregnancy, labour and birth. We now hope that the government will step up to its responsibility to ensure the human rights of all pregnant women are protected by calling on the people of Ireland to repeal the 8^thAmendment’.

Echoed by AIMS Ireland, chairperson Dr Krysia Lynch said: ‘Today’s outcome marks another important step towards the standard of maternity care that women want and need. Denying pregnant women the right to make informed decisions about their maternity care can impact negatively on motherhood. The onus is now on the government to ensure the 8^th Amendment is finally removed from the Constitution as the key to protecting women’s human rights in maternity care.’

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Further information:

Midwives for Choice: mfc@midwivesforchoice.ie or call 087 6294969

AIMSI: pr@aimsireland.com or call 0877543751

Notes on MfC and AIMSI

Midwives for Choice is a voluntary Irish organisation which advocates for an Irish society and a world where the rights of all women and girls to be safe and healthy before, during and after childbirth are upheld. This is achieved by ensuring they can make informed choices in their sexual and reproductive lives, and have full access to high quality information, education and health services regarding sex, sexuality, contraception, safe abortion, sexually transmitted infections, pregnancy, childbirth and the postnatal period.

AIMS Ireland is a consumer-led voluntary organisation that has been supporting women in the Irish Maternity System for ten years. Our mission is to inform the public on models of care, birth practices and settings, which are supported by evidence-based research and international best practices, and to identify areas of excellence within the Irish Maternity System and to advocate for their extension. Our mission is also to speak on behalf of the service user experience in Ireland as to where evidence based practices are lacking, as to where care is unsafe and as to where new investment and services are needed. We also campaign for recognition of maternal autonomy and issues surrounding informed choice and informed refusal for women in all aspects of the maternity services.

@midwives4choice

@AIMSIreland

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