#together4yes

NOT AT HOME is an installation by Grace Dyas in Temple Bar. Today I walked passed hundreds of messages from Irish women and their supporters - a deafening cacophony of voices urging to finally Repeal the 8th. Ireland, please listen today and vote with compassion.

#repealthe8th #together4yes #womensrights #ireland #referendum #vote #voting #yescampaign #gracedyas #notathome (at Temple Bar)

Tomorrow, we can make Irish history. After 35 years, we finally have the chance to repeal the 8th amendment. This amendment to our constitution was introduced to prevent Irish women having abortions. And yet, each day, at least 9 women are forced to travel to another jurisdiction to have an abortion, a decision which they have not taken lightly and which is best for them. Yesterday, today, and even tomorrow, 3 women will take an abortion pill, by themselves, without any medical guidance. How can we call the 8th amendment anything but a momunental failure in light of this? It hasn’t prevented abortion. But it has facilitated illegal and unsafe abortions. It has resulted in the exportation of an Irish problem to the UK. Are we happy to allow Westminster to regulate abortion for our mothers, sisters, daughters, granddaughters and friends? Tomorrow, we are not asking Irish people to personally agree with abortion - we are asking Irish people to finally accept responsibility for the healthcare of Irish women. We can not continue to ignore these women who desperately need to access healthcare in this country - whether because of rape, fatal foetal abnormality, or indeed for any other reason. In years to come, will you be happy to look your daughter or friend in the eye, and tell them that they must travel? Will you be happy to tell them that you could have changed the status quo, but instead voted no? Or didn’t vote at all? I will never, ever ask a person to morally agree with abortion. But I do ask that you respect that for many women, it is the right decision. Please, if you want to see change on this country, if you want to bring Ireland in line with nearly every other first world country, and if you want to stop exporting this horrible situation to the UK and other European countries, vote Yes. You don’t have to agree with abortion, but please, accept and respect that we should have a choice.
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#repealthe8th #together4yes #togetherforyes #feminism #prochoice #8thamendment #limericktogetherforyes