Fiona Bloomer is Senior Lecturer in Social Policy at Ulster University, UK. Emma Campbell is Co-Convenor of Alliance for Choice (AFC) - representing the thousands of people who have had, or need abortions in NI - and PhD Candidate at Ulster University, UK.
These two volumes, Decriminalizing Abortion in Northern Ireland, are a remarkable achievement. Bloomer and Campbell have pulled together the voices of abortion seekers, abortion activists, people working in non-government organisations, policy-makers and academics to document how abortion was decrminialized in Northern Ireland. Given the Northern Ireland political system (devolved legislature; consociationalism), the stories told are complex and deeply personal. Authors cover a vast array of topics, including legal debates, abortion campaigns and struggles, alliances and coalitions, strategic litigation, the confluence of local and international dynamics, personal tragedies and resilience, political acts of betrayal, research, protests, education, silences, volunteerism, myths, misinformation, as well as the role of international solidarity, the Irish diaspora, trade unions, student movements, LGBTQ+ and women's movements, and the courageous actions of various abortion providers. As pointed out by the editors, no one single action can ever deliver social change . These books show, however, how concerted feminist effort can and must win the day. The volumes are a must-read for anybody - whether professionally or personally - interested in ensuring reproductive justice and agency for people with uteri. * Professor Catriona Macleod, Rhodes University, South Africa *