Success: Ireland Lifts Constitutional Ban on Abortions

Target: Orla O’Connor, Co-Director of Together For Yes campaign

Goal: Ensure that Irish lawmakers provide legalized abortions to the country as soon as possible.

After more than three decades of fierce campaigning, a referendum vote finally removed a constitutional ban on abortion in Ireland. Exit polls showed nearly 70 percent of the population approved of repealing the Eighth Amendment. Following its incorporation in 1983, the livelihood of the mother and fetus became equal. What this meant was that sometimes individuals had to carry out terminal pregnancies, resulting in illness and death. Thanks to civic activism, including previous ForceChange efforts, no longer will Irish women be treated as second-class citizens.

Abortions have always been restrictive in this Catholic nation. Historically, some women resorted to performing their own terminations, fleeing the country, or receiving treatment from unqualified surgeons. People faced up to 14 years in prison for seeking or providing abortions, and the procedure was even prohibited under rape, incest or fatal fetal abnormality. As lawmakers prepare for reformations, the online community must stress the importance of safe and accessible means to reproductive health services. Sign the petition to praise pro-choice campaigners while pressuring officials to respect the people’s voice in a timely manner.

PETITION LETTER:

Dear Ms. O’Connor,

Congratulations on your recent victory at the polls. At last, the electorate clearly and unambiguously voted to overturn Ireland’s constitutional ban on abortion. Over the years, Ireland has become notorious in the developed world for its draconian laws denying abortions to women. This landslide victory represents a remarkable cultural shift in the making, but there’s still work to be done. Minister for Health Services Simon Harris may have reservations seeing that he intends to address legislation ¨as soon as is practicable.¨

The fact also remains that abortion will only be permissible for up to 12 weeks. Beyond that, only in case of medical emergency. How officials at Oireachtas (the Irish legislature) define ¨emergency¨ is still up for speculation and scrutiny. Based on your recent successes, we implore you to remain vigilant and motivated in the next coming weeks. The pressure is still on. Once again, thank you for your dedication to progressive social mobilization. Hopefully Northern Ireland gets inspired to launch its own initiatives to liberalize abortion.

Sincerely,

[Your Name Here]

Photo Credit: William Murphy