Based on research funded by the British Academy on political discourse on abortion in Northern Ireland, Dr Fiona Bloomer and Dr Claire Pierson of Ulster University challenge the common assumption that religion is fundamentally opposed to abortion. This will be done by providing comparative historical and contemporary examples of religious perspectives on abortion. The discussion will then consider how political dialogue on abortion in Northern Ireland manipulates human rights and attempts to use religion as a barrier to women’s full citizenship. This event is part of the NI Human Rights Festival 2015 (http://www.nihrf.com/events-background/2015/12/9/is-religion-fundamentally-anti-choice) and is limited to 25 participants. Please register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/is-religion-fundamentally-anti-choice-tickets-19676105762