We spoke to some women about illegal abortion at the pro-choice rallies in Dublin on International Women’s Day

Their country could be a glimpse of our country’s future if we pass an anti-abortion law

While everyone dreams of traveling to Ireland for the beautiful country side, and the delicious Guinness on tap EVERYWHERE, not everyone knows the dark history Ireland has with its relationship with the Catholic church. Many Irish have died defending their religious freedom, and many others have died in the name of Catholic morality, specifically the morality associated with child birth.

While a lot of the Catholic church’s influence has dissipated, the 8th amendment remains in the Irish constitution which states abortion is illegal. Another aspect to this law is that it is a crime to get an abortion when the pregnancy is not life threatening to the mother with a penalty of up to 14 years in prison.

The reactions to this law are passionate on both sides of the argument, and while many of us have heard these debates time and time again, it is rare to get the perspective of what it would truly be like in modern times to have a law against abortion in our country. Luckily, I was in Ireland for International Women’s Day on March 8th, 2017.

There were numerous protests against the law, in which the women protesting refused to go to their jobs with their slogan being “Strike 4 Repeal.”

These efforts were intended to show how many women stood behind the repeal of the anti-abortion 8th amendment and to display the request to decriminalize abortion. These messages were portrayed through speeches, poems, signs, and through the sheer number of people in support of them. Below is a short video of one of the speeches on reducing the sentence for women who get an abortion that shows the number of participants and the passion in the crowd:

There were powerful poems and personal accounts from women that have been affected by this law.

While there were hundreds of protesters it was obvious that this country, even in the liberal city of Dublin, is extremely divided on the matter. Multiple people walked by the protests saying things like, “What about the babies?” “Just go to England!” and “Baby killers!”

These comments only empowered the protesters and stories about going to England to receive abortions began to come out.

The brave women that spoke told stories about having to raise money for their friends to travel to England, because they could barely afford the flight let alone the operation. This reminds me of women below the age of 18 in states where parental consent is mandatory, traveling across borders to hide what they were doing from their parents.  They must face this situation alone, and without guidance. This can even put vulnerable women at risk of being taken advantage of by anyone that aides them. I have witnessed the incredible struggle to receive money and a way in which to travel and this is just when a girl needs to travel into a different state.

The women in Ireland must get a flight to a different country in order to have even the option of a safe abortion. The stories of those women less fortunate, who could not produce the money were even more horrific, dangerous drug cocktails being the most common method. These experiences have fueled these protesters who are pushing their message through signs like these:

 

 

 

There were many male allies there to speak and support the repeal as well.

I listened with an open mind to each speech and learned of how hard life can be for women without a choice. I even got the chance to interview one of the poets there named Rebecca.

In the end, I came to understand the overall message of the protests: every single one of the women who choose to have an abortion have their own story and their own purpose for getting the operation. To take away that option is taking away rights to one’s own body, which only results in more dangerous and expensive decisions.

As of now, in our country, condemnation by religion and parental figures have stopped women from getting abortions. Women who decide to end their pregnancy will do whatever it takes whenever abortion is not an option; history, and many women of Ireland show this as proof.

Someone who was arguing with a protester said, “I do not know a single reason when an abortion is acceptable, and it will not happen in my country.” While this was the minority perspective in the crowd that I was in, I am sure that many Irish people stand by this argument, and perhaps many U.S. citizens would as well.

Nevertheless, the 8th amendment in Ireland has not stopped abortion. This argument has been heard by many in the United States, but this shows proof that in a modern country a law will make people pursue other options. As citizens we must keep these lessons in mind for our ever-changing democracy and allow our opinions to be heard. So, what is yours?

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University of Pittsburgh