Anti‐abortion Activism in Poland and the Republic of Ireland c.1970s–1990s*

Abstract

Anti-abortion Activism in Poland and the Republic of Ireland c.1970s-1990s*This comparative article explores anti-abortion activism in Poland and Ireland from the period of the 1970s to the early 1990s. Drawing on a range of archival and printed sources, it sheds light on the Polish and Irish anti-abortion movements as a part of transnational anti-abortion efforts and underscores the importance of studying such phenomena transnationally, in a comparative perspective. We argue that despite political, social, and legislative differences that characterised both countries during this period, several pertinent parallels existed between Polish and Irish antiabortion activism. As we show, both movements relied on transnational antiabortion networks and discourses, employed medical knowledge to legitimise their efforts, and represented women undergoing abortion as victims.