Although we are often concerned with the rising restrictions on abortions within the United States, there are many dated, and more restrictive, abortion regulations in other areas of the world, including Europe.
Ireland has some of the most severe laws in Europe, and the citizens have started to take a stand. Plans have been made to hold a referendum in Ireland in 2018, which would mean voting to reverse the legislation put in place over 30 years ago. This previous amendment to the Irish constitution outlawed any kind of abortion in Ireland, deeming the life of an unborn child as equal to that of the mother.
Currently, abortion is even illegal in the case of incest or rape, but Irish women are set on changing that. This referendum could reverse the archaic laws put in place so long ago, and make abortion much more accessible within Ireland.
If the laws were changed, women would no longer have to travel abroad or resort to extreme measures in order to terminate a pregnancy, and they would finally have the right to choose about their own bodies.
However, the movement is facing some political opposition from the Irish government. The current prime minister is Pro-Life, and although the same-sex marriage movement in Ireland had the support of many major political parties, fewer officials in Ireland are behind the campaign for legal abortion.
This current struggle in Ireland points out holes in a flawed system, as depriving women of the right to choose and confining them to outdated legislation is sexism at its core. A long, hard journey lies ahead of this movement, but these citizens are set to persevere.
