‘How can you not talk about it?’ The Repeal campaign’s impact on you

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In a week which began with confirmation of a referendum on the 8th amendment and culminates in the March for Choice this Saturday, there is no greater time to find out what the Repeal the 8th campaign means to our readers.

Eager to hear how the last 12 months in Ireland has impacted you and your stance on the 8th, we reached out, and you responded in your droves.

From pro-life and pro-choice readers to women with personal experience of a termination, our investigation shone a light on the far-reaching effect the campaign has had on women in Ireland, irrespective of their position.

Upon reflection, Two Women Travel, the Strike for Repeal and the results of the Citizen’s Assembly have acted as milestone moments in many of our readers’ memory of the campaign.

“The two women tweeting their abortion journey was heartbreaking and opened people’s eyes to the stark reality,” asserted one, while another considered the courage of the nation’s women the defining factor.

“Seeing so many braving the backlash to tell their stories publicly resulted in the overwhelming numbers on the March for Choice,” she said.

Echoing this sentiment entirely, another respondent said the merit of first-person experience cannot be underestimated.

“[The stand-out memory of the campaign] was hearing from people who are actually affected by the amendment, and not others talking for them.”

Given the intensity of the campaign, it’s perhaps unsurprising that some of our readers found themselves reconsidering their stance over the course of the last 12 months, with more than 20 per cent confirming as much.

“I personally wouldn’t have an abortion, so I was against the repeal at first, but with some research I’ve discovered it’s more than just that, and it’s about all women’s rights which we should be entitled to,” explained one.

“I used to believe the unborn child deserved the right to live, but was too naïve to see and understand the impact an unwanted child can have on a woman’s life,“ admitted another converted pro-choice reader.

“I was always opposed to the 8th. But I used to think there should be limits on abortion access. I don’t anymore because I realise that opinion is based on the notion that women can’t be trusted, which is misogynistic," another added.

With more and more women fighting for a repeal to the 8th in this country, a small number of our pro-lifer readers have admitted they have struggled to articulate their thoughts on the campaign due to the backlash they receive.

“You can’t say anything pro-life without being verbally attacked,” responded one reader. “You can’t be feminist, liberal or intelligent it seems, unless you are pro-choice. You’re not allowed to have or share an opinion unless it is the ‘correct opinion’.”

“I generally just don’t talk about it, and avoid the campaign at all costs”, she added.

It seems this works both ways, however, with one pro-choice user explaining that she has struggled to argue her stance on occasion.

“I tend to know what I’m talking about for the most part, but sometimes I’m made feel so guilty by anti-choice campaigners that I forget the reasons I believe what I believe,” she admitted.

For one pro-life reader, the pro-choice decision to mark International Women’s Day last March with a protest was an imposition of sorts.

"[They] made a day that was supposed to be about every woman everywhere into a day for being pro-abortion and repealing an amendment that perhaps some women (including myself and several people I know) want to keep. It upset me that I couldn't just celebrate Women's Day."

According to our findings, the desire for reasoned debate appears to be a priority regardless of position, with one user recalling her direct experience of the campaign.

"A guy from Amnesty International tried to mansplain to me and my sister why we need abortion to be legal and how it affects us and our bodies and autonomy", she recalls.

"But there was also a lovely girl I met on the street, who I have to say was the only person I was actually able to have a conversation with on the issue, and although we disagreed on the 8th amendment, she was so nice."

Ultimately, 90 percent of our respondents said they are eager to see a repeal to the amendment, citing equality and bodily autonomy as the principal reasons for their interest in the campaign and the outcome of next year's referendum.

“I have been forced out of my country for a basic medical procedure,” explained one woman. “I don’t want any more women and families to feel like criminals because our politicians are cowards.”

“In the 21st century, there is still a chance that I may some day have to travel for health care that should be available to me in my own country. I do not have full ownership of my own body,” added another.

“If I get pregnant, I will be more or less punished in this country, punished by having to carry a baby I don’t want.”

But whether for or against its repeal, the impact the campaign has had on Irish society cannot be underestimated, with one young woman asserting: ”It’s everywhere. How can you not talk about it?”

“As debate grows, so too does discussion and so does the hope that sooner rather than later, this country will look after its women properly.”

The March for Choice in Dublin City Centre takes place this Saturday, September 30.

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