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Emma Watson addressed the 71st UN General Assembly on the need for security of women and minorities.
USA TODAY & # 39; HUI
Emma Watson, UN Women Goodwill Ambassador, attends the launch of the HeForShe campaign at the United Nations on September 20, 2014 in New York, New York.(Photo: Photo by Eduardo Munoz Alvarez / Getty Images)
Emma Watson, the actress "Harry Potter" best known recently for her role as a women's rights activist, wrote a powerful open letter to the woman who became the rallying cry for reforming the legislation in Ireland after being denied an abortion and died shortly thereafter.
The actress was invited by the publication to write a letter to Savita Halappanavar, a woman who died of a miscarriage in 2012.
"You did not want to become the face of a movement, you wanted a procedure that would have saved your life," Watson said in a letter, published in Net to wear.
"Time and time again, when our local and global communities collectively grieve a tragic death due to social injustice, we honor, mobilize and proclaim: stay in power," said Watson. "A promise made to the dead and a rallying call to society, we sing: never again, but it is rare that justice really prevails for those whose death symbolizes structural inequality."
More: Emma Watson at the UN: The security of women and minorities is "a right and not a privilege"
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Last month, Ireland officially canceled its eighth amendment, which gave unborn fetuses the same rights as their mothers, thus severely limiting abortions.
According to Net-a-Porter, the Irish government plans to introduce new legislation, called "Savita's Law", in the next two months, to cover "unrestricted abortions up to 12 weeks, with exceptions for pregnancies up to 24 weeks if the woman's health is in danger. "
Watson continued, "That the eighth amendment would value the life of an unborn fetus rather than a living woman was a wake up call for a country." For you and for those who are forced to travel to United Kingdom to gain access to legal and safe harmless abortion … In your memory and towards our liberation, we continue the fight for reproductive justice. "
Below, Watson's complete letter, by Net-a-Porter:
Dear Dr. Savita Halappanavar,
You did not want to become the face of a movement; you wanted a procedure that would have saved your life. When news of your death erupted in 2012, the Urgent Appeal to the action of Irish activists has resounded worldwide: Repeal the Eighth Amendment of the Irish Constitution. Time and time again, when our local and global communities collectively grieve a tragic death due to social injustice, we honor, mobilize and proclaim: rest in power. A promise made to the dead and a rallying call to society, we sing: never again. But it is rare that justice really prevails for those whose death comes to symbolize structural inequality. Even rarer is a historic feminist victory that emboldens the struggle for reproductive justice everywhere.
Your family and friends have been kind and galvanized sharing your memory. They told us that you were passionate and keen, a natural leader. I heard that in Diwali in 2010, you had won the title of night dancer and that you continue to perform choreographies with children in your community. I'm watching your dance video at the 2011 St. Patrick's Day parade in Galway and I'm moved to tears by your thousand-watt smile and your palpable enthusiasm. Sharing their grief and hope with the world, your family has publicly supported the Together for Yes campaign. Celebrating the repeal, your father expressed his "gratitude to the Irish people". Conversely, I heard the 'repulsors' of Ireland say that they owed a great debt to your family.
A note on your memorial in Dublin said, "Because you slept, many of us woke up." The eighth amendment, which valued the life of an unborn fetus rather than a living woman, was awakening for a nation. For you and for those who have been forced to go to the United Kingdom for access to safe and legal abortion, justice has been hard won. From Argentina to Poland, restrictive abortion laws punish and endanger girls, women and pregnant women. However, the law on abortion in Northern Ireland is earlier than the light bulb. In your memory and towards our liberation, we continue the struggle for reproductive justice.
With all my love and solidarity,
Emma x
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