Local Abortion Rights Group vows to campaign until Eighth Amendment repealed

Thousands are expected to attend the 6th Annual March for Choice in Dublin today. Today’s theme is ‘Time to Act!’

Participants will assemble at the Garden of Remembrance on Parnell Square from 1.30pm, before marching towards Dáil Éireann at 2 pm.

In April this year, The Citizens’ Assembly, made up of 99 members of the public and chaired by Ms Justice Mary Laffoy, reached the overwhelming consensus that Ireland’s abortion laws should be changed.

Earlier this week, Taoiseach Varadkar confirmed that a Constitutional Referendum will take place in May or June next year concerning the Eighth Amendment (Article 40.3.3).

Also last week, former Independent election candidate Tim Jackson staged a ‘hunger strike’ in a bid to force the Oireachtas committee examining the Eighth Amendment to watch a video of an abortion. Jackson ceased the strike on Wednesday.

Speaking to Donegal Woman, a spokesperson for Donegal branch of the Abortion Rights Campaign says that they will make the trip to Dublin in the morning to support the March for Choice.

“We remain hopeful that the Oireachtas Committee will honour the findings and recommendations of the Citizens’ Assembly in moving Ireland towards a more compassionate stance to all pregnant people.

“The Eighth Amendment adversely affects every pregnancy in Ireland, even wanted pregnancies.

“We’ve heard from Donegal women who want to have children but are terrified to become pregnant here as they are so afraid of losing their bodily autonomy once they become pregnant.

“We look forward to the day when pregnant people have the same human rights as the rest of the population and we will continue to campaign until that becomes a reality.”

Rape survivor Dominique Meehan has also spoken out about how the fear of falling pregnant following a traumatic sexual assault made her suicidal.

It is expected that the special Oireachtas committee on the Eighth Amendment will finish their work by the end of this year. This will include the exact wording that will be used in the referendum.

The last referendum held in Ireland on the topic of abortion was in 1992, meaning that no one under the current age of 43 would have been able to vote.

The subject of the 1992 referendum was concerned with whether or not the risk of suicide in pregnant women could be considered grounds for abortion, which was voted against by 65.5% of voters.