March for Choice 2015

On Saturday, September 26th, the sun shone down on Dublin City, Ireland. A large crowd began to gather in the Garden of Remembrance, the air was electric, it felt like the calm before a storm.

The Garden of Remembrance is a memorial garden in Dublin City Centre dedicated to the memory of all those who gave their lives in the cause of Irish freedom' and is the site where many organisations gather before marching through the city. Today, this march was organised by Abortion Rights Campaign Ireland, the fourth annual march they have organised, and many pro choice people, were gathering to march to repeal the 8th Amendment from the Constitution of the Republic of Ireland.

The 8th amendment it was brought into effect on the 7th of September, 1983 after a referendum, which asked the Irish people to vote on Ireland's abortion laws. The amendment says that ;

'The State acknowledges the right to life of the unborn and, with due regard to the equal right to life of the mother, guarantees in its laws to respect, and, as far as practicable, by its laws to defend and vindicate that right.'

This means that, by law, no woman in Ireland can avail of an abortion, under any circumstances, as the right of the life of the unborn, equates to the life of the mother. 

In accordance with this law, any woman who has an illegal abortion can face up to 14 years in prison, abortion is a criminal offence in this country. 

No one under the age of 50 has ever had the right or opportunity to vote on abortion in Ireland. No one of childbearing age in Ireland has ever had a say on their own reproductive rights. 

We brand Irish women who have had abortions as criminals, regardless of their reasoning or need to have their abortions.  But of course, this is not reality. Women who have abortions are NOT criminals. They are very simply, women who made a decision for themselves, to benefit their own lives in the long run. Some may call them selfish, but to make a huge and scary decision such as an abortion, takes a lot of guts, and any women that makes a big decision to look after herself, can only be praised.

Before the march began, there was speeches. The first speech came from Tara Flynn. Tara is an Irish actress, comedian and writer. She has also had an abortion, and she shared her brave, and eye-opening story with the public the week previously in The Irish Times. Her story was brutally honest, and drew a lot of attention. But the main thing many people took from her story, was she was not the first woman to go through this, and she will not be the last.  (you can read her story here)

Tara was the first person to speak, and she opened the proceedings in the perfect way.

'My name is Tara Flynn, I had an abortion, I'm not a murderer, I'm not a criminal, I'm not a vessel. I am an Irish woman'

Tara went on to mention that when she said 'Irish woman' she wanted us to realise she was 'including and recognising women of all nationalities living in Ireland, as well as trans-men, and any other person who may need to avail of an abortion' Something which was so important and vital to mention, and received a huge round of applause.

Tara went on to explain how she was 'forced to travel for medical care I needed' and how 'this is the story of women in Ireland who have been ignored', she went on to explain how;

'No one should have to tell their story, but I'm glad I did'. At this stage, everyone was feeling the emotions. You never come across Irish women who are willing to share their abortion stories, it is still seen as a taboo here, as something we keep quiet. But to hear that Tara felt glad that she had shared her story, was so powerful.

(A 'Women Help Women' banner. A very important site for anyone who needs an abortion: Link)

The next speaker was Mandy La Combre of the Trade Union Campaign to Repeal the 8th. During her speech she announced that the ICTU (the Irish Congress of Trade Unions) has taken a position in supporting the repealing of the 8th amendment. And in her words 'that's a big win guys'.

The trade union movement has 800,000 members North and South of Ireland. This is massive. 

We also heard from Maria Clarke of the Abortion Support Network. An organisation who helps women who want to have abortions, they raise money for women who want to travel, as well as providing advice and help in any way possible.  She began her speech, sharing the mindset of us all. 'I'd say I was happy to be here again, but frankly, I'm pretty fucking furious about it'. she went on to explain exactly what the Abortion Support Network does, adding

'we don't ask women how they got pregnant, we don't ask women why they want an abortion, we don't even ask them if they're WOMEN' (another nod to the transgender community of Ireland, and again, very importantly so) 'Because we don't judge people who want abortions' 

Next to speak was Annie Hoey of USI (the Union of Students in Ireland) If a rousing speech was what you came to the March for Choice for, then Annie Hoey delivered. She not only gave her opinion on abortion, she also gave us hard facts. 'The current legislation makes abortion a class issue and inherently, inaccessible to students'  She also reminded us of the importance of only voting for parties who promise to commit to repeal the 8th amendment.“I believe the government must commit to holding a referendum. If they don’t, don’t you dare give them your vote.”

Finally, we heard from Speaking of I.M.E.L.D.A. who arrived to the march as self- appointed secular bishops, and who insisted on absolving us of patriarchy. They reminded us that was are 'the moral agents of our own bodies' They spoke about the pope's recent comments about offering women who have had abortions 'absolution'. He announced that women would now be able to receive absolution from parish priests, whereas before they had to go directly to a bishop.  

As the ladies from Speaking of I.M.E.L.D.A put it so perfectly;

'We do not need absolution from people who have conducted such brutal violence against women' (referring to the church-run mother&baby homes & Magdalene laundries of the not-so-long ago past)

And with the speeches finished, the march began. An estimated 10,000 of us took off marching through the streets of Dublin city centre. Along with all of the very clever and eye catching posters, banners and placards, were some fantastic chants.

'What are we feeling?' 'Repealing!'  'Not the church. Not the state. Women must decide their fate'.

This was my first March for Choice, and I will admit I was worried, worried about the backlash we would face, wondering if there was a counter protest from those on the anti-choice side.

But thankfully, we experienced the exact opposite. Car, Bus and Taxi drivers beeping their support, people in top of an open top double decker bus cheering us on. Men from outside pubs clapping and cheering as we went past, shouting support, 'IT'S ABOUT BLOODY TIME TOO' One of them shouted! People who were possibly too busy to march in the parade, taking the time to stop and applause us as we marched through Dublin City Centre, I felt proud of what we were doing, and the support was fantastic. 

We marched through Dublin City centre, and on to Merrion Square, where the final part of the march took place, Here, 10,000 of us arrived to a stage of speakers and photographers from national news outlets. First we heard from Colm O' Gorman, Executive Director of Amnesty International in Ireland. A very important figure to have at the march for choice, and a determined person to have on the side of pro-choice. He reminded us how all Amnesty International members around the world are supporting our call to repeal the 8th amendment in Ireland, he also remind us of the statistics that are very hard to forget. 12 women leave Ireland daily, to have an abortion abroad. 4,000 women a year leave their family and friends behind to travel to the UK or elsewhere to avail of abortion services, 177,000 women since 1971, have been turned away by Ireland, and have had to travel for the medical services they need. 

'Our laws criminalise, stigmatise, and traumatise women and girls. Our sisters, our mothers, our friends, our daughters. It's time that we stood, finally to demand respect for their rights, we can't wait, enough is enough'

At this point, we heard from Clare Daly, an independent TD, a woman who is one of the most passionate TD's working towards repealing the 8th amendment. She said 'The move to repeal the 8th amendment, the biggest barrier to the delivery of abortion rights in this country, has now become an unstoppable force'

She went on to remind us that;

'Today is a day of pride, a day of confidence, a day where we reclaim this country for the woman if Ireland'

We also had speeches from Valerie Molay, a representative from the migrant support group 'Akidwa', Eileen Flynn of the Irish Traveller Movement. Sinead Redmond of AIMS Ireland (Association for Improvements in the Maternity Services Ireland). Mary Favier for Doctors For Choice. Emma Campbell of Alliance for Choice. And Justine Murphy of the Abortion Rights Campaign.

Look at that list and tell me there isn't an appetite from ALL walks of life to repeal the 8th amendment in Ireland. Look at this entire account of the day, from all the speakers, to the 10,000+ who marched, to the people on the street who showed their support. There is a huge call to repeal the 8th in this country, to improve the lives of women and trans men, young and old, and to give them the right to have a say over their own reproductive rights. 

Because of the 8th amendment. Irish women are treated as secondclass citizens. 

This is why we marched.

We marched, not only to call for a repeal of the 8th amendment by our government, but to let every single Irish women who has, or who will have an abortion that they are NOT a criminal, that they are NOT alone, and that thousands of people, all over the country support them and their decision.

(Also, shoutout to this gal for having the best t-shirt ever. 

Straight to the point!)

The abuse and neglect of animals in Ireland.

You know what I am actually sick to the back teeth of? The horrible and disgraceful treatment of animals in this country.

Pounds and animal rescue centres are over flowing, just the other day Limerick Animal Welfare literally had to close their doors to any more animals, due to over crowding. This didn't even phase them though, and they continued on as normal the next day working to save animal's lives. It's their dedication and hard work, along with countless other rescue centres that gives me a slight glimmer of hope in regards to the state of animal welfare in this country.

AHAR (Animal Heaven, Animal Rescue) is one of the biggest animal rescues in the country, and the work they do is phenomenal. Suzanne Gibbons and her AHAR army are the hardest working animal rescuers in the country and one look at their Facebook page will tell you that.
No animal is too small or too big for AHAR, they have taken on cats, dogs, pigs, goats and of course, horses, which Suzanne has a special place in her heart for.
She and her team of dedicated workers have literally saved animals from the brink of death and have done all this on donations alone, and somehow, have remained sane while doing so.

Sadly, there is not enough funding for rescue centres like AHAR, PAWS and Limerick Animal Welfare. (all are links to donate to these rescues) A grant that some rescues receive from the government can be as small an amount as €1,000 a year. A YEAR. That would not even run a rescue for a week! It sickens me to think that animals and the people who care for them the most, are placed at the bottom of the pile, forgotten about.

Dogs are being dumped on the side of the road. Either too old to provide entertainment, or too young and boisterous for a family to handle. Litters of unwanted kittens and puppies are being dumped, that is, if they are lucky enough. We all know the horrible faith that some face.

In the media, certain breeds of dogs are being cast as vicious and calls for them to be banned.

Instead of blaming irresponsible and downright bad owners, people would rather ban certain breeds and not actually address the issue surrounding how owners handle and train their dogs. 

Amanda Brunker wrote an article last year, not just calling for Pit-bull and Pit-bull crosses to be banned, but how we should, 'selectively phase them out'. Like literally get rid of the breed entirely.

Amanda has since gone on to support animal charity campaigns, and when questioned about her current stance, and if she now believed every breed of dog deserves a chance, she was, well, unavailable to comment, we'll say. Thanks Amanda?

I went on to contact PAWS, an animal charity that Amanda supports, and they confirmed for me there are bull breeds in their care, and of course their 'Paws for a Cuppa' week in aid of their rescue centre supports all breeds that are in their care. Wonderful news! 

Here is some info about this event, I am hoping to do my part and arrange to hold this event in my college : http://paws.ie/paws-for-a-cuppa/

Visit any animal rescue centre's Facebook and you will see many images of abused and neglected animals. Animals that people have just thrown out or forgotten about like a bag of rubbish. 

Or, the more sinister side of things, where animals have intentionally been harmed and injured by humans. It's vile and very worrying. I questioned whether or not I should post such images here, I am of the belief that we need to see the reality of what animals in this country face, but I also do not wish to upset anyone. 

A person in this country, can get off with a small fine and a warning if they are charged with animal abuse. Where as in countries like the USA, Italy, Canada and Australia, imprisonment and a hefty fine can be issued to the animal abuser, as well as never being allowed to own an animal again. 

We need laws like this in Ireland, people need to learn that when you abuse, neglect or dump an animal, there are consequences. We need stricter laws to protect those who have no way to protect themselves, more of us need to speak up and be the voice for those who cannot speak from themselves. 

If you see an animal being abused, or know of an animal being neglected, call someone, intervene, stop the cycle. 

(P.S- ADOPT FROM YOUR LOCAL ANIMAL RESCUE, IF YOU CANNOT ADOPT, DONATE)

Also, if anyone else knows of any other animal charities I should include a donation link to, just drop me a comment and I'll add them in. 

Ireland, and its inability to trust women.

When the Deputy Chairperson of prolifecampaign.ie contacts you and suggests you write a blog post for International Women's day 2015, you can probably already harbour a guess as to what exactly I'm going to discuss. 

Ireland and Abortion in 2015.

This is a topic that I am forever vocal about. Something that I feel is so important, that I will literally use any opportunity, online or in real life, to bring up the topic and discuss it with others. 

I am Pro-Choice, nothing will change that, and I thankfully have surrounded myself with a few pro-choice friends who also feel as passionate about the subject as I do. 

Today is International Women's Day, and on this day, I have chosen to speak about this very important topic.

There are a few things I would like to set straight before I get into this topic. I will not be mentioning or discussing Youth Defence, at all, whatsoever. People know what they do, they know their methods, they have seen the posters. There are extremist groups in every circle. And I believe it would be unfair to mention them, for the sake of the Pro-life argument. (Jaysus, never thought I'd ever say something like that!)

I will be referring to the Anti- abortion side as they so wish to be referred to, as 'Pro-life'. Even though, in my opinion, that could not be further from the truth, but again, that would not be fair to them.

Recently, the very brave and always commendable Clare Daly brought a bill forward to the Dáil. Protection of Life in Pregnancy (Fatal Foetal Abnormalities) Bill. The bill was to provide and allow abortions in the case of a fatal foetal abnormality, in which case the child would not survive birth, or would die shortly afterwards. Two doctors would have to confirm the child was suffering of a fatal abnormality before an abortion was allowed. This bill was voted down, 104 votes to 20.

Currently, in this country, the Dáil is made up of 25 female TD's. It is a fact that women are a minority when it comes to seats in the Dáil. Bit confusing to have an issue that affects women, being put to a vote by a male dominated room, right? Would it not make more sense to have a fair representation of the genders in such an important place? Of course it would. Yet, here we are.

I am in complete agreement of abortion in any case, if a woman wants to take that step, but this decision shook me to my very core. I have no shame in admitting I was watching the vote live online, and when they showed the bill had been voted down, I burst into tears. 

I cried for all the women who are forced to carry dying children inside them, the women who will be forced to give birth to babies without skulls, babies who's organs are outside their bodies, the suffering the child has to go through as it's born into this world just to be ripped away from it. I sat and I cried and I cried. 

I have no words to describe the horror and pain that women and couples must go through in this situation. 

'About 1,500 cases of fatal foetal abnormalities are diagnosed in Ireland each year and about 80 per cent of women travel to the UK for terminations (often in the form of early, induced labour).'

                                                                             ...

But hey, it's not ALL bad news. In 2013, a bill was passed that allowed abortion if the woman's life was considered at risk due to physical illness or suicide. All she has to do is PROVE it. Literally, PROVE she is depressed and at risk of taking her own life. Words alone don't count here, you really have to prove it to the health care professionals that you're set on taking your own life. One would wonder what that entails?

Do I have to have a failed suicide attempt behind me? Do I have to be inflicting self harm before someone stops and says 'fine, okay, we'll help you'. Still nothing to be done for women who are victims of rape or incest though.

Fab lil' country we live in, right? 

After doing some research, this is the clearest information I could find regarding how a suicidal woman can go about requesting an abortion:

'If a woman requests a termination because she is suicidal, this process will begin. Three medical practitioners – one obstetrician and two psychiatrists – have to jointly certify “in good faith” that there is a real and substantial risk of loss of life by way of suicide and that in their reasonable opinions, that risk can only be averted by carrying out a termination. The three-doctor panel have also been encouraged to consult with the patient’s GP, once consent is obtained from the woman. If a termination is not granted because the conditions above are not fulfilled, then an appeals process can be accessed. The review panel will consist of three more doctors.'

Imagine how long this takes, they have a woman in front of them that may or may not take her life at any time, and they are doing reviews and referring to other doctors and GP's. It's disgraceful. 

As I've stated previously, I am in favour of abortion in all cases, I believe it is a woman's choice to decide exactly what she can and cannot do with her body, and for anyone else to try and tell her otherwise, should focus on their own problems, and stop trying to control other people's lives.

Why, in Ireland, do we allow others to make the decision for women, why can we not trust women enough to make their own decisions on the matter? 
To make their own decisions for what is right for them, their families and their life. 

The pro-choice campaign literally only wants women to have the right to do what they believe is best by themselves, on their own terms. The pro-life campaign wants to force women into doing what THEY believe is right, it's twisted and very disturbing when you think of it that way. 

Ireland has repeatedly turned it's back on women, has refused to help them, and has either locked them away to keep them quiet, or has forced them to travel to other countries to seek help. It actually sounds like I'm reading you a passage from a horror book as I type this, but I'm referring to the Magdalene Laundries, victims of Symphysiotomy and the lack of abortion services. We either force women into situations they do not want to be put in, or push them off to be dealt with somewhere else.

Why is it that as long as I am carrying a child in my womb, everyone else is allowed to have an opinion on what I can and cannot do with it, but the second I push it out of my vagina, suddenly it's entirely my own responsibility? Should that responsibility not begin the second I conceive a child? Why do other people get to decide for me and what I have to do with the foetus growing inside me, but the second it's been pushed out of me and the doctor has snipped the cord, suddenly I'm free to make whatever choices I want regarding this child? It's a bit mind boggling, don't try and think about that one for too long, I did, and my brain nearly caved in.

On this day, International Women's Day 2015, I wish I was writing a blog post about how great it is to be a women in modern day Ireland, about all the opportunities that lay at my fingertips. But, I feel while choices I should be making about my own body, lay in the hands of others, I cannot even begin to write about living in this country and feeling like I'm an actual valued citizen, because I feel like nothing more than a vessel.

Meet the Blogger.

So after months of deliberation, finding the right time and the motivation to start a blog, I finally did. 
Thanks to lots of encouragement from different people I thought to myself 'just go for it' and here we are. 

This is probably the most difficult blogs I'll write, seeing as I'll be speaking about myself, and does anyone really enjoy that?  Like actually throughly enjoy it? Doubt it. 
Right, prepare yourselves for the most awkward of awkward of writings as I do my best to introduce you to myself. 

My name is Rebeccah O' Donovan (forget the 'h' at the end of Rebeccah and I'll have a mild fit, I had to grow up with an extra 'h' at the end of a normal name, (thanks to the parento's for that one) so you have to suffer through it with me)

I'm a 21 year old Design (Visual Communications) student, currently in my third year in Waterford Institute of Technology and I've been living in Waterford for four years now. 

I'm originally for the small Town of Tipperary, and thankfully escaped (literally escaped) before small town syndrome hit hard. That being said, I visit all the time, and will probably move back there for a while after college, it's not the worst place in the world, but it's home, and only I and other people from Tipp Town are allowed to mock it. 

I'm am a feminist, and very proud of that fact. I love feminism, and everything to do with it. I genuinely feel (and it's also a fact) that without feminism, women as a whole would not be where they are today. It's such an powerful movement, from the first-wave of feminism, right up to today, it's something that I feel is so so important, and I don't think a day goes by where I don't try to remind people of that. 

I'm very vocal online, especially on Twitter, which encouraged me to set up this blog, as a friend of mine, Rachel said this morning 'I think everyone should have blogs like 140 characters is not enough' and she's so right. I see so many of the people I follow tweet things, that I would love to read full blog posts about.

As for what I have planned for this blog? Currently my mind is just awash with ideas! I literally woke up this morning and decided today was the day I would start this blog, and I've been writing down ideas since.
I think the great thing is even though I am so vocal about things like feminism, abortion, and things that are going on all over the world, I'm also really into make-up and fashion, photography and lots of other things too.
I also really want to conduct some interviews and interview real life, ordinary people that I find inspiring.

So christ only knows the direction this blog will take, for now though, lets have some fun.

Beccah xx