Ivana Bacik
Ivana Catherine Bacik was born May 25th 1968. She is an Irish politician and academic. She has been a member of the Seanad for the Labour party since 2007.
Political Career
Ivana Bacik was candidate in the 2002 elections and narrowly missed taking a seat. She was later elected for the first time in 2007 and a second time in 2011. She is the leader of the Labour group in the Seanad. She is also Deputy Leader of Seanad Eireann.
Education
Ivana Bacik graduated in 1989 at the Trinity Law. She later obtained a Masters from the London School of Economics and practised for years as a Barrister in Dublin. As President of TCD Students’ Union.
Notable Works
Ivana Bacik has been very active in the field of human rights and gender equality.
In the years 1989 and 1990, she was taken to court by SPUC for providing information on abortion - in a case that paved the way for legal change in favour of women’s rights.
Initiator of the Law Scholarships Scheme providing access to College for students from disadvantaged schools. An access scheme is now operative throughout the College under the auspices of the Trinity Access Programme.
She also is a co-ordinators of a major Government-funded study of gender in the legal professions. Published in 2003 as Gender Injustice by Law School.
Editor of the Irish Criminal Law Journal until 2003.
A long-time activist with pro-choice and feminist campaigns, including recent campaigns to get the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Act 2013 passed to provide for abortion where necessary to save a woman’s life.
She has been an active legislator, who has had three private members’ bills accepted by Government since her election in 2007 (on the prohibition of Female Genital Mutilation; the legalisation of Humanist marriage ceremonies; and the abolition of the right to discriminate in employment for religious-run schools and hospitals); and has published or introduced a range of other private members’ bills including a bill on climate protection (2007) and on the right to marry for gay couples (2013).
She is a regular contibutor to the Irish Times and Irish Independent newspapers; RTÉ’s Questions & Answers, Vincent Browne’s show on TV3; and other media.
