Morgan Healey

Morgan Healey

Dr. Morgan Healey is based in Wellington, New Zealand. She was elected President of the Abortion Law Reform Association of New Zealand in March, 2011.

Education

In 2003, Morgan moved to Cork, Ireland, to pursue a master’s degree in Women’s Studies through University College.

One of her professors, Dr. Sandra McAvoy helped Morgan come to appreciate Ireland’s damaging and draconian abortion laws, under which abortion is constitutionally banned except where the life of the mother is at risk.Along with several of her friends, Morgan became active in the Cork Women’s Right to Choose Group, of which Dr McAvoy was a founding member.

Muse Feminist Magazine

As at 30 September, 2010, Healey worked for the pro-abortion Muse Feminist Magazine.

ALRANZ

As at August, 2010, Dr. Morgan Healey served as National Secretary for the Abortion Law Reform Association of New Zealand. She worked alongside Dame Margaret Sparrow since the beginning of her involvement with ALRANZ. She was elected President of the Abortion Law Reform Association of New Zealand in March, 2011.

It was through her membership at the Wellington branch of the National Council of Women that Healey was introduced to ALRANZ. Soon she was on the National Committee and later became the association’s National Secretary. One of her focuses in ALRANZ has been to recruit younger women and men to the pro-choice movement. She co-sponsored a film event with Victoria University’s Women’s Rights Officer, Caitlin Dunham, in May 2010 for Women’s Fest. From there she worked with a small group of women to help form Action for Abortion Rights, the pro-choice group at Victoria. Morgan was also an organiser of the national pro-choice gathering in Wellington in March 2011. She is currently working with other organisations and individuals to form a coalition whose focus is on changing the current law in New Zealand. Morgan is also a collective member of Muse feminist zine.

No More Jumping Through Hoops Protest

Healey stated that she would attend the 5 October 2010 No More Jumping Through Hoops Protest outside the Court of Appeal in Wellington. An estimated 50 pro-abortion activists attended the protest. Right to Life commented,

"The demonstration was disappointing. It is the court's function to interpret legislation made by Parliament. It is outrageous and wrong for this misguided group to be seeking to exert pressure on the court. It is appropriate that the demonstrators are wearing red. The colour reminds us of the spilt blood of unborn children when they are dismembered in their mother's womb."

Family Planning Association

Morgan Healey spoke at Family Planning Conference 2010 which was run by the Family Planning Association from 15 - 17 October 2010 at the Wellington Town Hall.

National Campaign To Decriminalise Abortion

On March 12, 2011, Dr. Morgan Healey, ALRANZ and Kirstie Vonk issued a co-authored press release on behalf of the newly launched National Campaign To Decriminalise Abortion, announcing that it had started that weekend, "with a Wellington meeting of over 70 activists from around the country." Healey said the campaign was aiming to educate the public about the inequity of current laws and to place abortion in its proper legal and practical home, as a health rather than a criminal issue.,

Praised Dame Margaret Sparrow

In a special feature in the May 2011 newsletter of the Abortion Law Reform Association of New Zealand entitled "Honouring Dame Margaret Sparrow", Morgan Healey made the following statement honouring the former abortionist and president of ALRANZ:

"Dame Margaret Sparrow is one of the most incredible women I know. Her indefatigable energy and her passion for ensuring women’s reproductive rights is an inspiration. I have marveled on more than one occasion at her keen intelligence and her quiet, yet firm demeanor.The service that Margaret has given to New Zealand, both through her work as a doctor and through her presidency of ALRANZ, has continually touched people’s lives. She would never want any of us to lose sight of our shared goal – creating a national law which sees women treated as equal human beings, deserving of people’s trust to make decisions about their own bodies. I relish the opportunity to live up to the high standard that Margaret has set for the President of ALRANZ. I only hope I can be half the inspiring woman that she is."