The Migrants and Ethnic-minorities for Reproductive Justice (MERJ) is an Irish advocacy group for

reproductive rights Reproductive rights are legal rights and freedoms relating to reproduction and reproductive health that vary amongst countries around the world. The World Health Organization defines reproductive rights as follows: Reproductive rights rest on t ...

for migrants, Travellers and people of colour in Ireland.

History

Migrants and Ethnic-minorities for Reproductive Justice (MERJ) was founded in 2017 as a voice for migrants, Travellers and people of colour affected by the restrictive access to abortion in Ireland as part of the wider Repeal the 8th campaign. In particular, some migrants in Ireland could not travel for abortion services in the United Kingdom or Europe before the Eighth Amendment was repealed.

Core activities

MERJ campaign highlighting how migrant women, women of colour and from ethnic minorities are disproportionately affected by issues relating to maternal health, with 40% of maternal deaths in Ireland being migrant women in 2015. Since the repeal of the Eighth Amendment in 2018, MERJ now focus on how the current legislation on abortion services in Ireland continue to affect migrants and asylum seekers as well as campaigning against racism and direct provision. MERJ is organising events on and opening up conversations about abolitionist feminism and challenging white feminism in Ireland and beyond. In June 2020, MERJ with

Black Pride Ireland Black Pride Ireland is a Black gay pride advocacy group in Ireland founded in 2019 advocating for the rights of black LGBTQIA+ people on the island of Ireland. History Black Pride Ireland was launched in August 2019 "by queer Black people, for ...

and

Movement of Asylum Seekers in Ireland The Movement of Asylum Seekers in Ireland (MASI) is an Irish advocacy group for those seeking international protection in Ireland, with the goals of ending direct provision and deportation. History MASI was founded in 2014 after the protests ...

, were involved in organising

Black Lives Matter Black Lives Matter (abbreviated BLM) is a decentralized political and social movement that seeks to highlight racism, discrimination, and racial inequality experienced by black people. Its primary concerns are incidents of police bruta ...

protests and demonstrations in response to the

murder of George Floyd On , George Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, was murdered in the U.S. city of Minneapolis by Derek Chauvin, a 44-year-old white police officer. Floyd had been arrested on suspicion of using a counterfeit $20 bill. Chauvin knelt on Floyd's n ...

References

{{Abortion in the Republic of Ireland Non-profit organisations based in the Republic of Ireland Organizations established in 2017 Abortion-rights organisations in Ireland