01 Jun Ireland Votes “Yes” in Historic Win for Abortion Referendum
On May 25, 2018, the people of the Republic of Ireland voted with a resounding “Yes” to legal abortion. Once signed into law, this will repeal the Irish 8th Amendment, which saw the life of a pregnant woman and that of an unborn child as equal.
66% of 706,349 voters turned in their yes ballot. Irish broadcaster, RTE, conducted an exit poll that found that voters aged 65 and above were the only ones with a majority vote for no, while those aged 18-64 voted “Yes.”
On the political front, while there were entire parties that backed the repeal, main government parties allowed a free vote versus a joint party vote.
It is also observed that campaigns on the referendum were not driven from the political front, but from the citizen front.
This was the sixth referendum on the subject in the past 35 years.
Previous to that, those in the Republic of Ireland had to cross the border to the UK or Wales for safe and legal abortions. An incident that is credited to be key to the campaign for this referendum was the shocking passing of Indian dentist Savita Halappanavar in 2012 due to a septic miscarriage. Her miscarriage lasted over a period of seven days as the sepsis went largely undetected by doctors. Halappanavar had requested an abortion early in the process but was denied when doctors first determined that her life was not in danger. By the time sepsis was detected, it was too late, and Halappanavar died of cardiac arrest incurred by it.
References:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/may/26/ireland-votes-by-landslide-to-legalise-abortion
https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/abortion-referendum/abortion-facts
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/may/13/ireland-abortion-referendum-25-may-repeal-campaign-women
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Savita_Halappanavar