Watch: A mural of Savita Halappanavar became a site for vigils as Ireland voted to legalise abortion
It all began with the Indian dentist’s death, resulting from not being allowed to have an abortion despite her life being threatened.
In 2012, Indian dentist Savita Halappanavar died after a septic miscarriage in Ireland, because she was not allowed by the laws of the country to have an abortion that would have saved her life. That law was finally subjected to a referendum last week, and 66.4% of respondents voted to repeal the eighth amendment, which makes abortion illegal. Now, a new law will be made, and campaigners are asking that it be called Savita’s Law.
At a mural which had come up after Savita’s death, women gathered spontaneously in a vigil (video above), leaving flowers and explaining why this change in the law is crucial to them. There were widespread protests after Savita’s death six years ago, demanding a change in the law (video below).
This is who Savita Halappanavar was, and this is why she became the rallying point for the mass movement that is finally leading to the legalisation of abortion in Ireland. The footage was recorded in 2011, as a small community of Indians in Ireland celebrated St Patrick’s Day.