Women's Rights

Reproductive rights

The Workers’ Party recognises that women have the right to control their own bodies, including their fertility, and to pursue all reproductive choices. This is fundamental to any reasonable concept of gender equality in order to achieve full political, social, and economic equality with men.

The Workers’ Party rejects the paternalistic attitude that regards women as second class citizens incapable of making their own decisions. The Workers’ Party supports a full programme of secular sex education for schools, free access to contraception, proper health and social care for pregnant women, the provision of appropriate free and quality child care facilities and adequate support for single and low income parents.

The Workers’ Party believes in a woman’s right to choose and supports the provision of free and safe abortion in Ireland which will include practical facilities to support women seeking an abortion and quality post-abortion care.

In line with these objectives, the Workers’ Party is committed to:

• Guaranteed free access to abortion and post-abortion care.

End Violence against Women

The Workers’ Party supports full implementation of the standards in the Istanbul Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence.

The Workers’ Party is committed to:

1. Removing legislative and practical barriers to safe housing for victims of domestic violence.

2. Increasing the emergency accommodation capacity of domestic violence services.

3. Ring-fenced funding for domestic violence services.

4. Effective cross-government coordination informed by domestic violence services.