While the law and health policy on abortion in particular jurisdictions has a direct influence on how and if women access abortion, wider cultural factors influence how these laws and policies are made and interpreted. Debates on abortion are multi-layered and complex, comprising a consideration of institutional factors related to government structure, politics and party systems configuration, as well as the influence of non-government actors such as the medical community, the pro-choice and anti-abortion movements (Engeli, 2012). Schwartz and Tatalovich (2009: 78) argue that cultural factors must also be considered alongside institutional factors. Institutions do not operate in a vacuum but ‘through values and norms that make them part of the cultural fabric of a society’, with variation in cultural and institutional factors present in different jurisdictions.

Abortion debates often focus on arguments based on supposed religious and cultural values and assumptions, rather than on women's rights or healthcare needs. Religious and cultural norms have huge potential to influence both individual and societal perceptions of abortion and its legality. The terms ‘religion’ and ‘culture’ have many points of overlap, are often used interchangeably and may be tied to conceptions of nationality and nation-building. Both religious and cultural narratives can be appealed to in order to oppose abortion and claim that it is not part of a particular society's cultural order. Kozlowska et al (2016), for example, argue that where religion is tied into national identity, it is more likely that restrictive abortion policies will be in place.

This chapter addresses the influence of religion and culture on abortion discourses in societies which have undergone substantial transitions and therefore have attempted to build new and inclusive national identities. Transitions offer unique opportunities to examine changes in conceptions of rights and citizenship, and are typically particularly gendered. Transitions have often been shown to be negative for women, with leaders often promoting traditional or conservative gender norms as a means of building a cohesive national identity (Meintjes et al, 2001).

The examples of Northern Ireland and South Africa – the former having undergone a transition from violent conflict to relative peace, and the latter a transition from apartheid and violent conflict to democracy – exhibit very different outcomes in terms of abortion legislation.