Yes campaignersRollingNews
The Irish Times exit poll shows a massive 68 to 32 percent win for the “Yes” side in the abortion vote.
A top politician shared with me his reasons why it passed so easily.
1) The “No” side’s disturbing posters played very badly with women of all ages, showed a complete lack of empathy for women.
It’s quite an intense experience to be in Ireland in this moment when they are nearing their voter referendum on the 8th amendment that acknowledges the right to life of the unborn.
Dublin City is plastered with signs urging citizens to ‘Vote Yes’ or ‘Vote No’ on abortion. pic.twitter.com/EzAdKiG3n0
— cℓaudia stєℓℓ✰r ✂️ (@ClaudiaStellar) May 24, 2018
2) Savita Halappanavar’s death in Galway still resonates strongly. The Indian-born dentists’ life could have been saved if the doctors had aborted her non-viable fetus. Her face once again in the media was a powerful reminder to many of what happened.
Savita Halappanavar
3) The pain of a young woman describing her abortion experience in London on the Pat Kenny show moved women and men all over the country.
This is the young woman who spoke up in the final debate tonight #pkshow https://t.co/DaQk2sPRCa
— Naomi O'Leary (@NaomiOhReally) May 23, 2018
I think Saoirse and the shocked gasps at Ronan Mullen's response to her story is a standout moment of this campaign #pkshow pic.twitter.com/ZRuohwIeOl
— Naomi O'Leary (@NaomiOhReally) May 24, 2018
4) Two women were sexually assaulted and murdered in horrific circumstances -nothing to do with abortion - the week of the referendum, reminding women how vulnerable they were.
Joanne Ball (Lee) aged 38, Natalia Karaczyn, aged 30, Anastasia Kriegel, aged 14 and Jastine Valdez, aged 24, all lives stolen in 2018 due to known or suspected male violence. This has to stop. (Source: Women's Aid #Femicide Watch) pic.twitter.com/YIbxL3pDXX
— Women's Aid Ireland (@Womens_Aid) May 22, 2018
5) Pictures of thousands of returning migrants coming to vote “Yes” were deeply influential.
Home to Vote
6) The inability of the “No” side to empathize with victims as young as 12 who were raped, saying they should have to carry the baby to term.
Anti-abortion rally Ireland. Photo: RollingNews
7) The complete absence of any influence of the Catholic Church on the debate. The pedophile scandals still haunt.
8)The cervical smear disaster when over 200 women were given false all clears by the Irish health system which later learned the results were false but never told the women. It took a week for the head of the Health Service to stand down. The forlorn voices of the women now dying of a cancer that is curable if caught early enough were heard with a deep anger by millions of women.
Read More: Abortion worse than rape, says Irish bishop
Savita Hallapanavar died in Ireland, in a hospital, begging for a life-saving abortion they refused to give her because, as she was told, “this is a Catholic country.” Five years later the people of Ireland have a chance to vote against that thinking.
— Erin Matson (@erintothemax) May 25, 2018
8) Facebook, Google ads from outside groups who were overwhelmingly against repeal were blocked.
"Facebook’s decision to ban foreign advertisements which seek to influence the Irish abortion referendum vote on May 25 is an overdue reality check for the social media giant."
— tajones 🌊🌊🌎💞 (@ceili_woman) May 24, 2018
https://t.co/Gc6ZHgdmNP
9) For this referendum, topics and experiences that were long shrouded in shame came out into the open as women of all ages shared their stories - it had a profound impact.
Mammy Maher has friends over. A bunch of wine drinking ladies nattering away about abortion; who had one, who chose not to, how close they came themselves, stories they heard and how they will vote yes.
They never had this conversation before.
No matter what Ireland has changed.— 🌒Obstreperous🌕Emmy🌘 (@EmmyMaher) May 23, 2018
Are there any other reasons you think the Yes vote passed? Share your thoughts in the comment section.