‘It was a great honour to pay the deepest respect to the legacy of Dr Savita Halappanavar, whose death powered the determination of activists to change Irish abortion laws and fight for reproductive justice all over the world.’
Emma Watson has penned a powerful open letter to Indian dentist Savita Halappanavar, who died following a septic miscarriage at Galway University Hospital after being refused an abortion in 2012.
Halappanavar’s death was central to the campaign to change Ireland’s abortion laws, and the Harry Potter star publicly announced her support for Ireland’s abortion referendum, framing their choice as a “vote for women’s rights [and] equality.”
The letter, which was published in PORTER Magazine, begins with:
“Dear Dr Savita Halappanavar, You didn’t want to become the face of a movement; you wanted a procedure that would have saved your life. When news of your death broke in 2012, the urgent call to action from Irish activists reverberated around the world – repeal the Eighth Amendment of the Irish Constitution.”
You can read the full letter here, and Emma Watson followed it up with a further call to action:
“So Ireland repealed the eighth – what’s next? There is still more work to be done. Free, safe, legal and local abortion care is needed across the globe. People needing abortions in Ireland will continue to be forced to travel to England, or access abortion pills online, until legislation is passed. Please consider supporting these abortion funds that provide confidential, practical and financial support to people in Ireland and around the world: Abortion Support Network (UK/IE) and Women Help Women (Global).
– Emma Watson”
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