Tomorrow’s 8th amendment committee will be a historic chance to end 33 years of state oppression of woman says Brid Smith TD
People Before Profit TD and member of the Dáil committee on the 8th amendment has said that tomorrow’s meeting which will vote on a range of issues is a historic opportunity to end the constitutional clause which has brought untold suffering to women.
Welcoming signs that the committee will recommend a simple repeal referendum as well as accept the right of women to choose abortion up to the first 12 weeks, Deputy Smith said that while historic tomorrow’s vote was in reality just the beginning of the end of the 8th amendment.
“We need to ensure that after this vote we galvanise a whole generation of people who have never had the opportunity to vote on this issue. The 8th amendment has caused untold damage to countless women, forced thousands into exile and criminalised women who exercised their right to bodily autonomy. Tomorrow we can draw a line under this. But we then need to win the referendum and ensure the maximum rights are won by legislation for women in Ireland.
“The movement to repeal has transformed the debate around abortion and it is clear that young women especially will not accept the status quo of criminalisation or state or church control over their bodies.
“Their message to those political parties that are still stuck in the past is clear: repeal and give women the right to make their own choice on their body.”
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Contact- Bríd Smith TD- 087 909 0166
Nick Lee (Press Officer)- 087 615 6473