Reproductive Rights in Ireland 297 Appendix 2- History of Reproductive Rights in Quebec 300
Abortion Rights in Quebec and Ireland: Divergent Paths Laura Harris A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES IN PARTIAL FULLFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY GRADUATE PROGRAM IN POLITICAL SCIENCE YORK UNIVERSITY TORONTO, ONTARIO November, 2013 ©Laura Harris, 2015 Abstract The ability to control one’s personal reproduction should be experienced by all women, regardless of citizenship. For Irish women, however, this does not exist. Ireland’s constitutional protection of a fetal right to life exists in direct conflict with a woman’s right to control her body. At first glance, one might point toward Ireland’s Catholicism, or perhaps its strong sense of nationalism, as likely reasons. When we consider Quebec, a jurisdiction with a historically strong sense of both Catholicism and nationalism, the answer as to why Ireland has one of the most conservative policies against abortion in the western world becomes more complex. By considering competing institutional strategies, the role of nationalism, the role of Catholicism, elites, and other interest groups, and the impact of multi-level governance, this dissertation seeks to uncover how Ireland and Quebec have such different policies regulating abortion rights. With regard to institutions and opportunities for the success of social movements, I consider which factors have been both present and absent from the reproductive rights movement in Ireland, ultimately leading to an incredibly slow progression of the liberalization of abortion access. I emphasize the ways that authoritative agents such as Dr. Henry Morgentaler, political institutions such as the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and an effective women’s movement came together to foster the necessary climate for change.
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