Trigger warning: This post contains talk of abortion.
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Abortion has been free, safe, and legal in Britain for 50 years. Any person who requires abortion for any reason can be assisted, treated, and receive after-care, all with the aid of the NHS. In the Republic of Ireland, however the situation is quite different. That is why the Repeal the 8th movement was founded.
A Little Bit of History
While the UK was passing the Abortion act of 1967, the young women of Ireland who dared to become pregnant out of wedlock were shunned by their families and communities and sent to work and live in the equivalent of workhouses, run by the Catholic Church.
The shamed women were thrust into the Magdalene laundries, where they would suffer years of systematic abuse. Others simply had heir babies taken from them and put into Mother & Baby Homes, also run by the Catholic Church. Can you sense a theme here?
Most women who had illegal abortions were married and already had several children. Women could travel across the water for an abortion, however that was a privilege that only, well, the privileged could afford.
Ireland has been a predominantly Catholic country for the majority of its modern existence, and it shows.
The 8th Amendment
In 1983, an amendment was added to the Irish constitution, thanks to the pressure of religious rights groups and the firm grip of Catholicism over Ireland. This change to the constitution gave the foetus the exact same rights as the mother.
“The State acknowledges the right to life of the unborn and, with due regard to the equal right to life of the mother, guarantees in its laws to respect, and, as far as practicable, by its laws to defend and vindicate that right.”
Where it once turned a blind eye, the constitution was now fully focused on those who would try to journey to the UK for abortions. The amendment made it illegal to travel to Britain to terminate a pregnancy.
The X-Case & Savita Halappanaver
There are two main cases that have brought reproductive rights to the forefront of Irish and British political consciousness. The first is the X-Case. In 1992, a 14-year-old rape victim wanted to travel to the UK to have an abortion. The Irish Government attempted to stop her.
Let that sink in for a moment. A modern Republic tried to force a child to endure a pregnancy that was the result of rape. It was not Ireland’s finest moment.
Then, in 2012, Savita Halappanaver made headlines because her husband made the brave decision to stand up and share the story of her completely preventable death. At 17 weeks pregnant, Savita was suffering a septic miscarriage. It was literally killing her.
The couple requested an abortion, but were told that it could not be carried out because there was still a foetal heartbeat. Doctors “wanted to see how things turned out naturally”.
Her death caused a public outcry, and a need for change was realised throughout the country. The OIreachtas (like the House of Lords, or Congress) passed the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Act 2013, allowing terminations in mitigating circumstances to ensure that a case like Mrs Halappanaver didn’t happen again.
The Repeal the 8th Movement
The Coalition to Repeal the 8th Amendment is a continually growing alliance of 80+ groups including community organisations, NGOs, trade unions, Human Rights groups, artistic collectives, and even knitting circles.
Those involved are working under the coalition banner to raise awareness about the need for a referendum to repeal the 8th Amendment. They have certainly been making their mark.
They believe that every person has the right to bodily autonomy, that reproductive rights are human rights, and that the lingering stigma of a redundant religious rule should be removed.
Support can be seen across social media, with many prominent Irish Youtubers, including Melanie Murphy and Clare Cullen, openly discussing and getting involved in the pro-choice movement.
The campaign utilized the Women’s Rights March at the start of the year to raise awareness and show just how much support the movement had. So many people turned out that traffic came to a standstill in Dublin.
There have been murals, nationwide strikes, gatherings, twibbons, marches, rallies, and even DJ events. The support has been astounding.
So far, it seems that voices have been heard.
The Citizens Assembly
In what some referred to as a “meek” attempt by the government to placate activists, a citizen’s assembly was formed. It had several meetings to discuss a possible solution, and acted as a way for the government to gauge the leanings of the populous.
On April 23rd 2017, the Assembly made the decision to replace the 8th amendment. The majority of the Assembly agreed that abortion should be allowed without restrictions as to reasons. This is an overwhelmingly great step forward.
On May 2nd, these provisions and recommendations were brought before the OIreachtas. Then, finally, in June the new Irish Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, confirmed that there will be a referendum in Ireland next year to repeal the 8th amendment.
The Repeal the 8th movement has been one of the largest civil rights movements in Ireland’s recent history. Now that a referendum has been called, it shows that yes, marching works. That petitions work. That even if you’re standing up to something more powerful than you, what you’re standing up for can make you more powerful still.
Your voice has power. Your voice matters. You matter.
Image provided by The Irish Labour Party
