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Handmaids lobby MHKs on abortion reform

Consultation prompts overture to politicians

A group seeking reform of the Island's abortion laws has made a public gesture to politicians who will vote on whether to allow change.

The Handmaids stepped into the limelight on Tynwald Day in July, when they staged a silent protest on the Hill in support of reform.

They promoted their cause symbolically again today, dressed in the distinctive red coats and veils of the repressed female servants in the TV series A Handmaid's Tale.

Boxes of cakes were offered to Tynwald members who met them outside Legislative Buildings on Prospect Hill - a week after a public consultation on abortion law reform ended. 

Organisers say the gift was a positive gesture, in contrast with the stark images posted to Tynwald members by their pro-life opponents.

This protestor who didn't want to be named said the group is grateful the issue is high on the political agenda: 

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