Sir, - David Carroll's suggestion (November 30th) that abortion is a gender-neutral issue is clearly absurd. His argument is based on the premise that foetuses are both male and female.
However, the fact that it is always a woman who becomes pregnant automatically makes this a gender issue. To deny this is to imply that women are merely vessels for foetuses. This line of argument indicates a complete lack of respect for a woman's subjectivity and personhood.
It is time Irish society came to terms with the fact that women have a right to control their own bodies. It wasn't that long ago that contraception was a controversial issue. The current situation with abortion indicates how far Ireland has to change in order to become a society in which women are full and equal citizens.
It is clearly David Carroll, not Ivana Bacik, who has missed the point. - Yours, etc.,
R≤is∅n Ryan-Flood, The Gender Institute, London School of Economics, Houghton Street, London WC2.