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 human reproduction, reproduction and reproductive health that vary amongst countries around the world. The World Health Organization defines reproductive rights: Reproductive rights ...

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in Ireland could not travel for abortion services in the United Kingdom or Europe before the Eighth Amendment was repealed.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 Direct provision () is a system of asylum seeker accommodation used in the Republic of Ireland. It has been criticised by human rights organisations as illegal, inhuman and degrading. Operated by the International Protection Accommodation Servic ...

. 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 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 (BLM) is a Decentralization, decentralized political and social movement that aims to highlight racism, discrimination and Racial inequality in the United States, racial inequality experienced by black people, and to pro ...

protests and demonstrations in response to the

murder of George Floyd On May 25, 2020, George Floyd, a 46-year-old Black American man, was murdered in Minneapolis by Derek Chauvin, a 44-year-old White police officer. Floyd had been arrested after a store clerk reported that he made a purchase using a c ...

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