Handmaids Isle of Man were outside government offices in Douglas yesterday (Monday) handing out thank-you cards and cakes to MHKs.

The cards and cakes were said to be a thank-you to the island’s politicians for considering changing the laws relating to abortion, which is currently not permitted, except in limited circumstances.

Nearly 3,000 responses have been submitted in a public consultation into proposed changes to Manx abortion laws.

The draft Abortion Reform Bill 2017 would allow terminations to be carried out in the first 14 weeks of pregnancy.

Canadian author Margaret Atwood’s dystopian novel The Handmaid’s Tale provided the inspiration for a silent demonstration at this year’s Tynwald Day by the Handmaids group.

The group was inspired by a pressure group in the US called the Betsy Riot, but has emphasised they do not share the US group’s tendency towards using aggressive tactics to put their message across.

The Handmaids don the outfits to illustrate unfairness and the fact that they are not happy with how women are treated in Manx law.