Former President and CEO of Planned Parenthood Cecile Richards. Photo by Jennifer Graylock A pro-life group in Dublin’s Trinity College has criticised the visit of former Planned Parenthood Federation President, Cecile Richards, after she was invited to the university to receive an award for her pro-choice activism.
Ms Richards was invited by the Philosophical Society to speak on campus and receive their Gold Medal of Honorary Patronage on March 19. The event was promoted in relation to the society’s International Women’s Week celebrations.
Commenting on the decision, Chairwoman of the TCD Pro-Life Society Brigit Hirsch said: “We accept that the Phil has the right to invite any speaker it chooses to the university.
“However, as a woman, I find it objectionable that someone who has caused so much pain and suffering for women by promoting abortion as the only option in an unplanned pregnancy should be rewarded in the name of feminism.”
The society said that during Ms Richards’ tenure as President of Planned Parenthood, more than 3.8 million unborn babies and countless women died in Planned Parenthood clinics, adding that the organisation is under federal investigation in the US for selling baby parts at a profit after an undercover investigation by the Centre for Medical Progress was released in 2015.
“It’s truly horrifying what was exposed in this investigation. Regardless of where you stand on the issue of abortion, I would encourage people to look at the evidence for themselves and see what was revealed. The appalling and cavalier disregard shown towards women and their unborn babies is beyond dispute when you view the footage,” Ms Hirsch said.