“Intersectionality has been hailed as one of the most transformative theoretical developments in critical legal studies, political theory, feminist and critical race studies and its influence is felt in a range of policy areas: social work and social justice, education, urban studies. Intersectionality emerged out of activist movements and continues to be shaped by activism. So intersectionality as a theory is indivisible from intersectionality as an activist stance and approach to real-world instances of injustice and inequality.”

But what is intersectionality?

In this episode, Professor Peter Keogh invites guests Fiona de Londras and Naomi Connor to explore the context of abortion law reform in the North and South of Ireland. Tracing the roots of intersectionality, the speakers offer a definition of the term and then explore how and why intersectionality is needed to contexualise abortion services in Ireland, identify the faultlines in reproductive health and rights and forge solidarities across movements.

”In a truly intersectional space, your colleagues will force you to stop and think again about what you think the answers must be, and how that can be rooted in the structures that are deeply oppressive” (Fiona de Londras).

”We are hailed as having the best abortion law in perhaps the world, but it’s the application of that is where the intersections fall away” (Naomi Connor).

Biographies

• Peter Keogh is Professor of Health and Society at the School of Health, Wellbeing and Social Care at the Open University. His background is in community-based research and knowledge co-creation in the areas of HIV, LGBT+ health and rights and reproductive justice. For many years, Peter was qualitative research lead for Sigma Research and a Qualitative Research Director at NatCen Social Research.

• Fiona de Londras is Director of Research for the College of Arts and Law and Professor of Global Legal Studies at Birmingham Law School. Her research concerns constitutionalism, human rights, and transnationalism. She is particularly interested in the role and function of rights in contentious policy fields, inquiring into how (if at all) rights shape the making of law and policy in complex contexts of, for example, counter-terrorism, reproductive rights, government and parliamentary responses to COVID-19, and the implementation of international legal standards. Professor de Londras undertakes this through her academic scholarship, public engagement, and advisory work.

• Naomi Connor is Co-convenor of Alliance for Choice and has been active in the campaign for decriminalisation and since then in pushing for access to legal services. Naomi is also a long-time Trade Union activist. As a woman who was forced to travel from Northern Ireland to England to access abortion services, Naomi has first hand experience of the difficulties that women and pregnant people in NI face when seeking to access abortion healthcare. She is an outspoken advocate of women’s rights and reproductive justice.

Suggested reading and links

Shreya Atrey (2019) Intersectional Discrimination - Shreya Atrey - Oxford University Press (oup.com)

Fiona Bloomer and Emma Campbell (2022) Decriminalizing Abortion in Northern Ireland: Legislation and Protest: Fiona Bloomer: Bloomsbury Academic