Abortion Doula: Lucht Cabhrach

Alliance for Choice are planning a series of workshops in order to provide guidance and training to those interested in becoming involved in the development of an NI Abortion Doula support service, aimed at complimenting the existing limited statutory abortion service provision.

This work has been informed by international research on similar services and the benefits to women and the frontline work carried out by Alliance for Choice in dealing directly with women and pregnant people who have particular needs when it comes to their abortion journey.

The project is intended to be a pilot project with the ultimate aim of establishing an NI Doula Support Network and/or service on a longer term basis to meet the needs those accessing abortion in a society where obstacles to abortion prevail and the approach to abortion healthcare remains deeply stigmatised from institutional to community level. 

The immediate impact of this service would aid women directly, but would also lend itself to the huge body of work that is required in the longer term to destigmatise abortion on every level.

Given the demands of restrictions in and around the COVID-19 pandemic, it will be necessary to deliver a series of online sessions to those with experience of abortion campaigning and rights and who have a particular interest in this type of work. The sessions are planned as follows: