Addressing stigma while moving a national campaign: Spotlight on Ireland

Posted May 28, 2019
by inroads Comms, with Linda Kavanagh and the Abortion Right's Campaign

The Abortion Rights Campaign (ARC), played a very key role in the Repealing of the 8th Amendment and continues to be a key voice in grassroots activism and higher level policy advocacy for free, safe and legal abortions in the Republic of Ireland. At the same time, global solidarity has always been important for participants of the campaign in Ireland, and, due to shared common beliefs, many ARC members are also members of inroads. In fact, Katie Gillum, the inroads Executive Director, began her activism for abortion rights and access while serving as Co-Convenor to the ARC. The ARC is unique in that it practices non-hierarchical organization at all moments and therefore intrigues us to learn more.

In this piece, Linda Kavanagh, member of inroads, and other members of the ARC in the Republic of Ireland tell us more about the realities of their activism for abortion rights right now.

What will it take to totally humanize and normalize abortions in Ireland even post the victory to Repeal the 8th Amendment?

At our 2018 March for Choice, post-referendum but before services had been implemented, we took to the streets in our thousands to say our work is not done. Our then co-convener Denise O’Toole declared to the crowd we are here for “abortion on demand and without apology!”.

Continued: http://makeinroads.org/making-inroads/2019/May/inroads-members-in-national-campaigns-talk-stigma-spotlight-on-ireland