We, the Doherty Sisters, are running our first Half Marathon together in aid of the Abortion Support Network. ASN is a small but mighty charity that provides immediate practical support to women who are unable to access safe and legal abortion in their own countries.

Abortion is only legal in Ireland under incredibly restrictive circumstances, meaning most women faced with an unwanted pregnancy are forced to travel to Great Britain for the procedure. In 2015, according to data from the U.K. Department of Health, 4,389 women resident in Ireland travelled to Great Britain to have an abortion- an average of 12 women each day. These women must pay for travel, accommodation, childcare and time off work, before even counting the cost of the abortion procedure, which can be up to £2000. 

Frankly, when faced with an unwanted pregnancy, Irish women with money have options, while those without money are forced to continue with pregnancies they do not want, or do dangerous and desperate things. For these women, ASN is a lifeline offering confidential, non-judgemental information, accommodation with supportive volunteers and much-needed financial assistance for accessing safe abortions.

We are fundraising for ASN because we believe in a woman’s right to choose and to have autonomy over her body. Women’s rights are human rights. Reproductive rights are human rights.

Please support us in our half marathon fundraising for ASN!

Bríd & Clare xx