The fourth annual ‘March for Choice’, organised by the Abortion Rights Campaign, took place in Dublin yesterday, attracting a crowd of thousands.
Earlier this month, two Irish journalists - Roisín Ingle and Tara Flynn - spoke publicly about their experiences of having to travel abroad for abortions.
This week, UK beauty editor and journalist Sali Hughes came out in support of Roisín, Tara and other Irish women, by writing about her own abortion when she was 19.
She wrote that "my pregnancy occurred through foolishness, the irresponsibility of quite a messed-up teenager alone in London. But, as stupid and reckless as I was in getting pregnant, what I did afterwards was one of the most responsible and considered decisions of my entire life".
Sali spoke to Colette Fitzpatrick on today's show about her experience and her reasons for speaking out about it:
"I think like lot of teenagers I didn't think things through quite as well as I always should have," she explained. "I had quite a complicated setup in that I'd left home very young and didn't have any money... It was just a mistake basically, and everyone can make one at any age I think".
Sali says she was 'quickly resolute' that she wasn't going to go ahead with the pregnancy.
"In this country, you need a signature from two doctors," she explained. "I think the termination took place maybe two days after that. It was quite swift, and very early on in the pregnancy".
"I didn't feel guilt because I knew I had done the right thing for any potential child," Sali observed. "There was no way I was ready to be a parent. I didn't have any money, I didn't have a clue what I was doing. I was trying to establish a life for myself. There was no way I would be doing anyone a favour by becoming their mother at 19-years-old".
While Sali says she did not feel any guilt or regret, she did point out "I think those two things get conflated a lot. Some people do feel guilt, and that's perfectly normal. That's not the same as regret, which means you wished you hadn't done it... To feel guilt does not mean that you wish you could turn back time and erase the decision".
She argued that while some women do regret terminating their pregnancies, she says "that's not the same as making that abortion a criminal activity. A woman being upset about what she did does not mean the law should intervene and use her feelings against her, legally, and that woman should then face up to 14 years in prison. That's indefensible to me.
"If a woman regrets her decision and feels incredibly sad about it, the thing to do there is not call her a murderer or a criminal - it's to try to understand and help".
Speaking about the Irish situation, Tara and Roisín's stories and the response to her own piece, Sali - who now has two sons - said, "I've had one person, a British man, send me really offensive tweets and tell me I'm going to hell. What I have had is literally hundreds and hundreds of Irish women tweet me to say thank you.
"I didn't write that piece because I live in Ireland or have a vested interest in Irish law. I happen to love Ireland... but the law has nothing to do with me. I wrote the piece because I want Irish women to know British women support them. I support Tara, I support Roisín, I support all the Irish women who are coming forward with their story".
Sali said she hopes Irish women calling for action are "able to take it all the way to the referendum and have the law changed". She argued Ireland is moving forward while the US is moving backwards when it comes to debates about abortion and possible law reform, suggesting "there's a great deal to be optimistic about" in Ireland.
