In 1983, Ailbhe Smyth was spat at and denounced as a “baby murderer” in the street as she campaigned for Irish women to have the right to abortion.
Thirty-five years later, the activist is still at the heart of Ireland’s abortion battle, fighting for her daughter, granddaughter and other women to get control over their bodies.
This time, she is hopeful that the country’s prohibition of abortion, even in cases of rape or fatal foetal abnormality, which is enshrined in the constitution, may be overturned in a referendum expected to be held on 25 May.
On Tuesday, the Irish government will confirm the date and wording of the referendum on the eighth amendment – the clause in the constitution that gives foetuses and women equal right to life. If the vote is in favour of repeal, the government is expected to introduce legislation permitting unrestricted abortion during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy.
Smyth, who leads the Coalition to Repeal the Eighth Amendment, said: “We are absolutely determined to win this campaign, but we have learned that you should never try to second-guess the people in a referendum.
“We know that a majority of people want change. Ireland is a different country today, a more equal society. This is the logical next step.”
About 3,500 Irish women travel to the UK each year to terminate their pregnancies, incurring large costs, facing logistical difficulties and undergoing emotional strain.
Another estimated 2,000 women a year end pregnancies by taking the abortion pill, illegally obtained online, without medical supervision.
“We need to be honest with ourselves. The reality is that abortion does happen, but we can’t go on exporting it,” said Smyth. The present situation adds “layers of psychological stress” to women who need to end pregnancies, she said.
The eighth amendment was inserted into the constitution under pressure from the Catholic church, according to Smyth. “There was no abortion in Ireland. There was already a stringent law against it. It was a crime punishable by life imprisonment,” she said.
“But rightwing forces, rooted in the Catholic church, moved to enshrine it in the constitution, to copper-fasten it. They said ‘If we don’t act, abortion will become rampant’, that abortion is evil, a mortal sin. They used very violent language.”
The amendment was intended to make the issue of abortion untouchable. “The constitution should be the place for the values and aspirations of a society, not a place where you deal with the complexities and messiness of everyday life. That’s a matter for legislation,” Smyth said.
For more read the full of article at The Guardian
