SHEmazing!
follow us
more
 
HomeTagsPosts tagged with "repeal the 8th"

repeal the 8th

by

Tánaiste and Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald has spoken out about the Citizens' Assembly decision to replace or amend the 8th amendment. 

The Minister told RTÉ  that 'the Constitution is not the place to deal with this very complex issue.'

'It's best dealt with between a woman and her doctors.'

'But of course you also have to have an appropriate legislative basis. My own thinking is that there should be a referendum next year.'

'Over the next few months, the all-party Oireachtas committee will consider the Assembly's advice and refine it into a proposal that can be put to the people,' said Minister for Social Protection Leo Varadaker, in a statement obtained by RTÉ.

'I believe that once this has been done, a final proposal should be put in a referendum in 2018 so that the people can have their say.'

The Citizens' Assembly voted in favour of access to abortions without restrictions over the weekend.

Despite an Amnesty International Ireland poll which found that 80 per cent of Irish people would vote yes in a referendum to repeal the the 8th amendment, Pro Life Campaign  spokesperson Cora Sherlock has said that 'it’s far from certain that it would pass.'

Trending

by

The Citizens’ Assembly have voted this afternoon to 'replace or amend' the 8th amendment rather than repeal it entirely. 

In a 56 per cent majority, the assembly feel that legislation to change or replace the 8th amendment is needed.

There will now be a third ballot presented to the assembly to distinguish how the article should be replaced or amended.

Two types of replacement or amendment are possible, the first option is that it should be replaced with a constitutional provision that explicitly authorises only the Oireachtas to legislate to address both termination of pregnancy and any rights of the unborn.

This provision would grant the government the exclusive power to make or amend law on these issues.

The second option decrees that the 8th amendment should be replaced or amended with a new constitutional provision that directly addresses both termination of pregnancy and any rights of the unborn.

This constitutional provision, as interpreted by the courts, would limit the law-making power of the parliament.

The voting will begin on Ballot 3 at 1.20pm, and the results can be expected at 5.20pm this evening. 

Trending

by

The Citizens’ Assembly have voted today to amend the current laws on abortion.

In an overwhelmingly vote of 87 per cent to 13 per cent, the majority of the assembly feel that legislation to change the 8th amendment is needed.

The assembly was given a ballot paper this morning with two options. 

The first read that 'Article 40.3.3 should be retained in full', while  the second said that Article 40.3.3 should not be retained in full'.

The second vote was expected to get underway this afternoon, but a current power outage to the building has put a temporary hold on proceedings.

The results of Ballot 2, which will decide is the 8th amendment should be repealed entirely or amended, should be announced at 2.30pm. 

Trending

by

The Repeal Project continues to fight for body autonomy for Irish women, and their latest video campaign is no exception. 

The campaigners have created an incredible new short film that poignantly captures the emotions of the fight to repeal the 8th amendment. 

The video was directed by Laragh McCann. 

 

A post shared by Repeal Project (@repealproject) on

Shot in black and white, like many of the Repeal Project's campaigns,  the video shows a group of Irish women using dance to express the issue of abortion rights. 

'I hope that the piece, as well as encouraging sisterhood and solidarity as we endure hardships together, also encourages a bridge of understanding from people who are very clear about being pro choice, to those who are in a grey area,' said the director. 

The film comes at a pivotal moment, as today the Citizens’ Assembly will vote on whether or not to amend current legislation surrounding abortion in Ireland. 

Oh, and while we have you; don't forget to have your say in the inaugural SHEmazing Awards this May! It's time to vote, and you can do it right here!

Trending

by

The Citizens Assembly will meet this weekend for the final time as the assembly continues to reconsider Ireland's controversial constitutional restrictions on abortion.

The assembly will vote today to establish their recommendations on whether to change the current legislation.

The meeting this weekend will focus on establishing what will be included in a ballot that will be put to the members.

The assembly will decide whether to recommend to government to retain, repeal or reform the 8th amendment, after hearing a series of experts from both sides of the abortion debate. 

The assembly will begin at 10am.

 

Trending

by

Thousands of Irish women marked International Women's Day by taking to the streets in both the strike and march to repeal the 8th amendment.

The Repeal Project has gone from strength to strength since its conception, and supporters of the movement can be identified by their distinguishable black slogan jumper.

Unfortunately, the jumpers have been out of stock for months, despite the demand for them.

 

A post shared by Aoife Mc (@eefa.loves) on

Aside from a Repeal pop-up in Nine Crows last December, the jumpers have been notoriously tricky to get ahold of since last summer.

Luckily, for those who still hanker to get their hands on one, the Repeal Project has announced that they will be restocking their online store on April 23. 

The store previously sold the jumpers as well as T-shirts, and even hinted at some snazzy bomber jackets. 

 

A post shared by Repeal Project (@repealproject) on

The proceeds from the sales go to The Abortion Rights Campaign Ireland, so you can now sartorially support the cause while donating to it financially.

People have been going to great lengths to get their hands on the jumpers, and SHEmazing! even previously exposed a black market of counterfeit jumpers. 

Mak your calendars if you've been waiting all these months to get your hands on the real deal. 

Trending

by

Massive crowds gathered on O'Connell Street at the Strike 4 Repeal to rally against the 8th amendment to the constitution on March 8.

Dublin city centre was brought to a standstill twice, as up to 8000 people participated in the strike, with a further 11,000 participated in the later march. 

"We've been really overwhelmed with the amount of people here today," Claire Brophy, one of the strike organisers commented on the day. 

While the strike made international headlines, some activists felt that there was a distinct silence from some of Ireland's broadcasters.

RTÉ covered the strike, but organisers of a new event feel that the strike was discussed all too briefly, and have decided to call attention to their perceived discrepancies.

RTÉ Recognition 4 Repeal is a new event doing the rounds online, and it calls for Repeal protesters to picket outside the RTÉ studios to demand more extensive coverage of the issue.

The Facebook event has already garnered interest from hundreds of potential picketers in the 24 hours since its conception.  

"On March 8th thousands of us around the country and abroad demonstrated our urgent demand for a repeal of the 8th amendment," reads the event manifesto.

"The events of that day made international headlines but once again our national broadcaster failed to cover the repeal movement properly."

"RTE cannot get away with ignoring us and refusing to show the truth: that we are many and we will not wait."

"Think that the rise in price of stamps is more important to cover than the strike? Think again," finishes the statement, making reference to the broadcaster's coverage of other issues over the Strike 4 Repeal. 

The event is a call-to-arms for protesters, and it requests the picketers be outside RTÉ, ready to rally, at 4.30pm on Monday. 

"We're hoping that by bringing the story to them, RTE will have no choice but to show some actual coverage," said event organiser Eva Griffin, who is currently undertaking her Masters in UCD. 

"We need our national broadcaster to show us so that those undecided on whether to support the repeal campaign can get an idea of who we are and what we're doing."

"I had the idea on Thursday evening and by the end of the night we had over 100 people attending. There's still a few days to go and we're only just ramping up on the media front so who knows how many will turn up."

"It was very disheartening to see the action on Wednesday get international coverage and then a measly slot on RTE that didn't do justice to the amount of people, passion and effort that went into it," she said.

"As our state-funded national broadcaster, their refusal to cover the movement properly speaks volumes. By not showing us, they're engaging in bias by omission, and I would imagine it's all in the name of 'balance' in the debate, which is not a good enough excuse."

"What I do know is that we are an incredibly passionate group of people who refuse to stay silent on these matters, and after seeing a small group of people rise up to organise the strike, I realised that self-organisation is key. I've never organised a picket or political event, but it turns out all you need is a Facebook event, some supportive friends and a lot of tweets."

When asked about the recognition of the Repeal Project in the media, Eva said: "We've been referred to as 'pro-abortion campaigners' when what we're really striving for is the right to bodily autonomy."

"We're not asking anyone to get an abortion and that message needs to stop being spread."

The picket is set to go ahead at 4.30pm until 7pm on Monday outside the RTÉ studios in Dublin 4. 

Trending

by

Last night, Dublin City Council passed an emergency motion to support the Strike 4 Repeal without debate.

The council offers their formal support to the movement, and calls on Dublin City Council management, as a major employer in Dublin City, to ensure any workers who wish to participate in the strike by taking an annual day of leave are facilitated to do so.

It also calls on any workplace events in support of the strike to be given the support of management.

"Ahead of International Women’s Day, the Council welcomes the Strike4Repeal initiative as a reminder of the stark reality of women’s inability to access abortion in Ireland," reads a statement from Dublin City Council.   

"We note the support given by the Council to the repeal of the 8th amendment in September 2015, as follows: That Dublin City Council:

"Noting the welcome passing of the marriage equality referendum by a wide margin reflecting a qualitative shift in public opinion in favour of progressive social change particularly among the youth and working class communities where the highest 'Yes' votes were recorded."

"And further noting recent reports from Amnesty International and the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights critiquing Ireland's highly restrictive abortion laws

Dublin City Council also "calls on the government to hold a referendum to repeal the eighth amendment of the Constitution.”

The Strike 4 Repeal movements "Meet me on the Bridge" video campaign has gone viral, with over 370,000 views and thousands of likes. 

The strike is going ahead tomorrow, kicking off at 10.30am in a picket at the Department of Justice and culminating in a mass gathering on O'Connell Bridge at 12.30am. 

SHEmazing! will be at the strike tomorrow, so follow us on Snapchat @shemazingie for live updates. 

Trending

by

The Abortion Rights Campaign and the Repeal Project are continuing to fight for female body autonomy, and have called for a strike to demonstrate their opinion on the 8th amendment to the government. 

#Strike4Repeal is taking place on March 8, which aptly happens to be International Women's Day, and everyone is encouraged to get involved.

The people of Ireland are being asked to strike in support of the 11 women who have to take time off work every single day in order to travel abroad to procure safe termination services. 

An Irish Times poll of almost 1000 respondents shows that 50% of Irish people will take the day off work to strike against Ireland's anti-abortion stance.

19 percent said that while they will not be available to strike, they will wear black to honour the occasion.

31 percent said that they will not strike as they do not agree with it. 

Abortion is currently illegal in Ireland except in the most life-threatening circumstances, and women who willfully opt for a termination cn face up to 14 years in prison.

“Our demand is that the Irish Government call a referendum to repeal the Eighth Amendment by the 8th of March. If not, Ireland will strike,” said event organisers.

The poll results come ahead of the strike drive's first public meeting which is open to those who wish to volunteer for the cause.

Trending

by

As the so-called Citizens Assembly continues to debate the rights of women, one particular drive is gathering considerable pace. 

#Strike4Repeal is taking place on March 8 – International Women's Day – and everyone is encouraged to get involved.

With video in support of the movement being released this morning, people in Ireland are being asked to strike in support of the many women who have to take time off work in order to travel abroad to access abortion services. 

"We have one demand to the Government," the video, which features seven different women, states, "call a referendum before the 8th of March – or there will be a national strike."

It adds: "We are asking you to show your solidarity… if a referendum is not called, strike."

It furthermore calls for women to refuse to complete domestic work, and to wear black.

"We won't wait," it concludes.

The official #Strike4Repeal Facebook page explains: "This strike is based on non-traditional strike actions for human rights that we have witnessed in other parts of the world.

"In October of last year, thousands of people in more than 60 cities in Poland went on strike to protect their access to abortion, and won."

The strike will not be an industrial strike in the traditional sense, with the movement stating that "we encourage participants to be imaginative in how they approach the the action". 

"If you can strike, do," it adds. "If it’s possible, book a day off work in advance. 

"Stage an event at 12 noon or on your lunch break to remember the 12 women who have been forced to travel for abortion that day, and every day.

"If you are a business owner, consider giving a day off to your employees or completely closing the business on that day, with no cost to your staff."

It concludes: "We encourage everyone to come up with their own ideas for participation on the day.

"Every person who has an abortion has to take at least a day, whether to travel or stay at home. Use this day to stand in solidarity with them, and demand change."

You can find out more about #Strike4Repeal on the related Facebook and Twitter pages – and make sure to watch the video below:

Trending

by

Supporters of the Repeal the 8th campaign have become synonymous for their penchant for a certain black slogan sweatshirt. 

The Repeal jumpers sell out in mere hours whenever and wherever they are sold, and you can't walk down the street without spotting someone wearing their political beliefs on their sleeve.

Proclaiming your politics through personalised merchandise is no longer the sole territory of Repeal supporters, as anti-abortion campaigners have adopted the trend, creating 'Save the 8th' jumpers to showcase the beliefs of the self-styled "silent majority."

The Life Institute website, the brain-child behind the 'Save the 8th' merchandise, claims that requests for "more than 10,000 'Save the 8th' stickers, badges, bumper stickers and T-shirts" have been heard by the site, and they are responding to the demand.

The organisation, who have previously likened a woman's right to choose to the genocide of Jewish people under the Nazi regime and the enslavement before America's Civil War, have begun producing merchandise for their followers. 

"It is time to let abortion activists in Ireland know that the silent majority is not going to be silent anymore!" proclaims the site.

"We will stand up against abortion and fight to preserve the right to life for everyone – born and unborn!"

A quick social media search shows that young supporters of the Life Institute are happy to don their Save the 8th hoodies with pride, with many of the 170 #savethe8th tagged photos on Instagram showcasing the colourful sweatshirts.

However, the Repeal project has over 18,488 posts on the hashtag #repealthe8th, suggesting that public opinion, on social media at least, is in favour of the pro-choice ideals. 

The Life Institute has been working to combat the idea of repealing the 8th, through their project 'Save Lives, Save the 8th', and have created not only hoodies but various other forms of merchandise. 

"If you’re tired of hearing the media endlessly prattle on about ‘Repeal the 8th’ then display your sticker with pride," says the site. 

The Life Institute declined to comment on the hoodies or their various projects for this article.

 

Trending

by

80 percent of Irish people would vote yes in a referendum to repeal the the 8th amendment, according to a study by Amnesty International Ireland.

The data gathered in a study of over 1000 people across all genders, social classes and counties showed that Irish people are in favour of repealing the 8th amendment, with only 12 percent saying that they would vote no should a referendum occur. 

"The concept that abortion rights is a deeply divisive opinion is nonsense." Colm O'Gorman, Executive Director of Amnesty International Ireland, told SHEmazing!

"Remarkably few people refuse to answer or don't know either, the data shows that overwhelmingly people are very progressive." 

"Only 5 percent of people are personally against abortion."

Red C and Amnesty International "Public Attitudes Towards Abortion in Ireland"

"The parties cannot pretend this is a divided or divisive issue."

"Our poll clearly shows that support for expanding access and repealing the Eighth is shared strongly right across the country and all age groups and social groups. People in Ireland are clear on the need to expand access to abortion and they want women’s and girls’ human rights to be respected."

The poll also shows that almost three quarters of people agree that the fact that women must travel abroad to access abortion unfairly discriminates against women who are unable to or cannot afford to travel. 

Red C and Amnesty International "Public Attitudes Towards Abortion in Ireland"

The study reveals that 55 percent of people agree with the United Nation's Human Rights Committee, and think that Ireland's abortion ban is "cruel and inhumane."

Another key finding was that almost three quarters, 72 percent, believe that the Government should hold a referendum to allow people to vote on whether or not to remove the 8th amendment from the Constitution. 

Two-thirds of people also believe that it is hypocritical that Ireland’s constitution bans abortion in Ireland but allows women to travel abroad for abortions.

 Red C and Amnesty International "Public Attitudes Towards Abortion in Ireland"

Even among the aforementioned 5 percent of respondents personally opposed to abortion in all circumstances (i.e. even where the woman or girl’s life is at risk), 34 percent would vote to repeal the Eighth Amendment, rising to half if there was legislation placing “reasonable restrictions” on access to abortion.

"This poll demonstrates yet again, that on the issue of abortion, Ireland’s people are way ahead of their political leaders," said Colm O'Gorman, 

Trending
© Copyright 2012-2024 - Shemazing.net. Déanta in Éirinn - Sheology.