*Winner of the James S. Donnelly, Sr. Prize 2022*In Ireland, 2018, a constitutional ban that equated the life of a woman to the life of a fertilised embryo was overturned and abortion was finally legalised. This victory for the Irish Repeal movement set the country alight with euphoria. But, for some, the celebrations were short-lived – the new legislation turned out to be one of the most conservative in Europe. People still travel overseas for abortions and services are not yet fully commissioned in Northern Ireland.This book traces the history of the origins of the Eighth Amendment, which was drawn up in fear of a tide of liberal reforms across Europe. It draws out the lessons learned from the groundbreaking campaign in 2018, which was the culmination of a 35-year-long reproductive rights movement and an inspiring example of modern grassroots activism. It tells the story of the ‘Repeal’ campaign through the lens of the activists who are still fighting in a movement that is only just beginning.
Camilla Fitzsimons is an activist and a member of the Dublin West Pro Choice group. She works at Maynooth University and is the author of Community Education and Neoliberalism.Sinéad Kennedy is the co-founder of The Coalition to Repeal the Eighth and an executive member of Together for Yes. She works at Maynooth University and is the co-editor of The Abortion Papers, Ireland.
Foreword – Ruth CoppingerPrologue1. Introducing the Real Heroes2. Reproductive Oppressions in Ireland3. Ireland's Dark History of Injustices Against Women - Camilla Fitzsimons & Sinead Kennedy4. After the Eighth, the Slow Movement for Repeal - Sinead Kennedy5. No Quiet Revolution - the Grassroots Gathers6. The Together for Yes Campaign7. The Battle Continues8. Where to Next in the Struggle for Reproductive Rights?
‘A must-read for anyone interested in reproductive rights. It is a call-to-arms in the ongoing global fight for abortion access and reproductive justice’