On Saturday, the Prime Minister of Ireland said that it is a quiet revolution to end a ban on abortion in a country which was considered as one of Europe’s socially conservative countries. The voters of the country voted in the support of the ban with the ratio of two-to-one. While giving an interview, physician Mary Higgins said that from the years they were trying to look after the women but couldn’t do so and the passing of the bill means everything to them.
In the last decade, the Irish laws forced more than 3000 women to travel Britain for abortion. Together and Yes campaigner further said that people of Ireland were already ordering abortion pills online and it was already a reality in the country.
The Yes campaign was started by the Irish women publically in which they share the painful experience of women traveling abroad for the abortion. This campaign then urged 40 constituencies to vote in the favor of the campaign. According to the prime minister of the country, Leo Varadkar, this is a once-in-a-generation change which saw a historic turnout.
The Yes campaign produced a turnout of 64% which is the highest turnout for any referendum in Irish history. After voting for the campaign, Varadkar, the first gay prime minister of Ireland said that this is a historic day in Irish history as a revolutionary change has taken place in the country.
He further said that everyone deserves a second chance and this is the second chance for the country to treat everyone equally. The prime minister further added that the Irish people voted in favor of the reality. Ireland has the history of adopting changes as the country was the first in the world to allow gay marriage three years ago.
Those who voted against abortion were the first to accept the defeat as the Irish people recorded the highest turnout of the history. The anti-abortion activists told that they will not create any hindrance in the government plans to allow abortion for a pregnancy of up to 12-weeks. An anti lawmaker said that this is the tragedy with this country and by the support of the majority a wrong does not become a right.
Voters were asked to vote in favor of the change by the Yes campaign which demands an equal right for mother and the unborn child. Back in 2013, the ban on abortion was partially lifted in those cases where mothers were in danger of losing their lives.
The Irish Independent, the largest newspaper of the country described this change as a massive change in Irish history. Before the results, the Yes campaigners gathered in numbers at count rooms wearing ‘Repeal’ jumpers and ‘Yes’ badges. And many were seen singing songs, crying, and hugging each other outside the main Dublin center. As soon as Varadkar approached the mic for thanking the audience, the people cheered for the prime minister. These reforms in Ireland has also ignited the prospect of moving women from North Ireland, where abortion is still banned, to the South for abortion. A member of Democratic Unionist Party said that this movement will pose serious threats to the lives of unborn children in North Ireland.
Never in the history of Ireland, a social issue has divided the nation so quickly. Back in 2012, Savita Halappanavar, a 31-year-old Indian immigrant died due to miscarriage. After the results, the Yes campaigners left candles and flowers at the mural of Savita Halappanavar in Dublin. Savita’s parents thanked the brothers and sisters of Ireland to make these reforms and asked them to call the new law as “Savita’s Law”, as reported by the Irish Times newspaper. While commenting on the change, the deputy prime minister Simon Coveney said that the historic turnout of 64% has allowed the doctors and women rather than lawmakers to decide whether the termination is justified or not.
Colm O’Riain-44 who had a son born with a 14-week premature pregnancy said that it is a totally changed Ireland. He further said that the new Ireland is more tolerant which allows everyone to live freely without any recrimination.