The 6th annual Abortion Rights Campaign (ARC) March for Choice took place last Saturday, September 29th. This march was particularly special as it came just days after the Irish government announcing a referendum to decide the fate of the Eight Amendment will take place next year. Now we don’t know many details yet, but here’s hoping this is a positive step in the right direction, and the last time we will have to take to the streets protesting the Eight Amendment. If, like me, work commitments kept you from partaking in the day’s events, then here’s what you can do instead.
1. Register to vote. If you want to repeal the Eight Amendment, then you’re in luck. You can vote on it! However, as young people we’ve got a lot going on, registering to vote isn’t always at the top of our priority list. The conditions are that you must be over 18 years of age, and you must be an Irish citizen from the 1st of September the year before the next register. A lot of us being college students, there is an allowance for you to register either in your home constituency or where you are situated in college. You can apply by submitting a form available in the post office or your local library, with forms also available on the website ‘www.checktheregister.ie’
2. Keep up to date. If you missed this march, don’t worry. Events are often happening all over Ireland protesting the Eight Amendment. International Women’s Day, which takes place in March, is also a huge day for Abortion Rights Campaigns all over the world. If nothing is happening in your nearest city or town, look inside your university, or better yet, organize something yourself! Awareness can be something as small as a few people handing out flyers. The ARC also have a calendar available on their website for you to keep an eye on over the coming months.
3. Stay involved. Social media is a fantastic tool for engagement, so be sure to follow groups likes the ARC and Amnesty International on Facebook and Twitter. The 40,000 people present at that march have also shared some really inspiring and interesting pictures and posts from the day so make sure to like and share, spread the word to your contacts.