Musings: Dear women of America, my heart goes out to you

Already certain States have declared that they have banned abortion.

This week has been a difficult and heartbreaking one for women in America. Well, maybe frustrating and terrifying might be a more accurate descriptions, as those are the words I'm seeing used the most since the overturning of Roe vs Wade. Frustration that a right fought for has now been taken away. Terror at the thought of back alley abortions becoming the norm in the States that now have the power to ban legal abortion.   The truth is banning abortion only bans safe abortion options, something we knew in Ireland and fought to change. I knew women who were told that their baby had no chance of survival outside the womb but were still forced to go through the whole pregnancy and give birth. I knew women who were assaulted and had to travel aboard for a safe abortion, far away from home and their loved ones. We watched on the news as women died from dangerous pregnancies because hospitals refused them an abortion. We saw and knew it had to stop. But this week, even though America saw and knew all of this the right to a safe abortion has now been taken away from thousands of women. Already certain States have declared that they have banned abortion outright and this is only the beginning. It hurts to watch the news or look on social media right now. My hearts breaks for my American friends and for all women in America right now. A right that was there for many mothers is now no longer there for their daughters, should they need it in the future. Because the fact is, whatever your feeling on abortion, sometimes women need one and when they do they should be able to access one safely. Women of America, know that women across the globe are watching and our hearts go out to you right now.