Northern Ireland

Stars of Derry Girls to join march on Westminster calling for abortion reform

Nicola Coughlan, who plays Clare Devlin in Derry Girls, will take part in a march on Westminster for abortion reform this week
Nicola Coughlan, who plays Clare Devlin in Derry Girls, will take part in a march on Westminster for abortion reform this week Nicola Coughlan, who plays Clare Devlin in Derry Girls, will take part in a march on Westminster for abortion reform this week
By Allison Morris

MEMBERS of the cast of Derry Girls will travel to Westminster this week to lobby the Secretary of State to reform abortion laws in Northern Ireland.

The women will join a march to Parliament Square before a 62,000-strong petition is delivered to the Northern Ireland Office.

While laws on abortion have been liberalised in Britain and the Republic, terminations are only allowed in Northern Ireland if a woman's life is at risk or there is a risk of permanent and serious damage to her mental or physical health.

Siobhan McSweeney, who plays nun Sister Michael in the hit show, said: "It makes me so angry that women there are being denied bodily autonomy and health care services available to others in the rest of the UK and Ireland – they have reproductive rights too."

Nicola Coughlan, who plays Clare Devlin, said: "It was such a proud moment when we repealed the 8th (amendment to the constitution) in Ireland but it's now time our sisters in Northern Ireland get the change so desperately overdue.

"Women who have abortions are not criminals, it's time the law stopped treating them as such."

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A cross-party delegation of MPs will join the march on Friday including Karin Smyth, Diana Johnson, Heidi Allen and Christine Jardine.

Planned by Amnesty International, groups including the Family Planning Association, Marie Stopes and BPAS will also take part.

Amnesty campaign manager Grainne Teggart said 62,000 people "are calling on the Northern Ireland Secretary of State to decriminalise abortion".

"All eyes are firmly on the Secretary of State to see how she’ll respond. For too long our demands for equality have been ignored and our rights sacrificed for political expediency".

Precious Life spokeswoman Bernadette Smyth said the actresses needed to "respect devolution and the democratic will of the people of Northern Ireland". Picture by Ann McManus.
Precious Life spokeswoman Bernadette Smyth said the actresses needed to "respect devolution and the democratic will of the people of Northern Ireland". Picture by Ann McManus. Precious Life spokeswoman Bernadette Smyth said the actresses needed to "respect devolution and the democratic will of the people of Northern Ireland". Picture by Ann McManus.

However, anti-abortion group Precious Life hit out at the involvement of the Derry Girls, accusing them of " abusing their very public profile".

Spokeswoman Bernadette Smyth said: "Westminster has no right to override devolved democratic decisions. These actresses need to respect devolution and the democratic will of the people of Northern Ireland."