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

Abstract

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 anti-abortion activism. As we show, both movements relied on transnational anti-abortion networks and discourses, employed medical knowledge to legitimise their efforts, and represented women undergoing abortion as victims.