May 25th marks the fourth anniversary since Ireland voted to repeal the 8th amendment and make abortion accessible at home.

But there are still a number of ongoing and significant barriers impacting abortion provision in Ireland. On Wednesday May 25th, we will hear from a panel of speakers about the impact of the ongoing issues and why government must commit to taking action to remedy them in the current abortion review.

We will host a digital event from 10am-11am on May 25th, featuring:

Amy Dunne aka 'Miss D'

Dr Marion Dyer, START Doctors & Doctors for Choice

Christina Zampas, Centre for Reproductive Rights

Orla O'Connor, NWC Director

You can watch the event live on our Facebook page from 10am on May 25th

https://www.facebook.com/NationalWomensCouncilofIreland/

** If you require ISL support for this event, please let us know by Wednesday 18th May by emailing susanmcc@nwci.ie **

Speaker Bios

Amy Dunne

Amy Dunne is the woman who was known as ‘Miss D’ during a High Court case in 2007, in which she fought for her right to travel for an abortion. Amy wrote a book released in March 2022 on her experience called I Am Amy Dunne, in which she reflects on the culture of shame that she and many other Irish women lived through.

Amy will be speaking about her personal experience of traveling for an abortion she could not obtain in Ireland and sharing her story at this event.

Christina Zampas

Christina Zampas has been Associate Director for Global Advocacy at the Center for Reproductive Rights since 2019. She oversees the Center’s advocacy work at the UN human rights system and with UN agencies. She is an international human rights lawyer with 25 years’ experience advocating for greater protections and accountability for sexual and reproductive rights at the UN, regional and national level. She has been a consultant for numerous UN agencies, including WHO, UNFPA and UNAIDS, where she led the development of strategies and publications for national human rights institutions and guidelines on eliminating forced sterilization, and on sexuality education, abortion, and sex work. She has testified before the Oireachtas on abortion law reform and authored the Amnesty International report on abortion in Ireland. Christina has also taught human rights courses in law schools and for public health students around the world.

Christina was the human rights advisor on the development of the new WHO guidelines on abortion care and will be speaking at this event about how Ireland could bring its abortion policy in line with international best practice.

Marion Dyer

Dr Marion Dyer graduated from medical school in Galway in 1985 and worked in a variety of hospital posts before moving to the UK. In 1999 Marion returned to Ireland and founded a GP practice in Blanchardstown, West Dublin. Marion is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Public Health and Primary Care in Trinity College Dublin. Marion joined the Committee of Doctors for Choice Ireland in 2012 and represented the organisation on the Coalition to Repeal the Eighth Amendment. She is also a member of Southern Taskgroup on Abortion & Reproductive Topics (START) Doctors. She served as a member of the board of the National Women’s Council of Ireland from 2018 until 2020. The areas of activism in which Marion is involved closely match her clinical interests - in women’s health and social disadvantage.

Marion’s contribution at the event will focus on barriers to providing abortion services evenly across the country and the impact this has on people who need abortions, decriminalisation of healthcare professionals and the need for Safe Access Zones.