Irish women are taking to Twitter to share details of their menstrual cycles in a call for Prime Minister Enda Kenny to repeal the country's restrictive abortion laws.
Abortion is socially divisive in Ireland where, amid large street protests from both sides of the fraught debate, a complete ban was only lifted in 2013 when terminations were allowed if a mother's life was in danger.
In the call to action, women used the hashtag #RepealThe8th - which refers to the 8th Amendment to the Constitution of the Republic of Ireland - to rally the PM:
@EndaKennyTD On my 2nd period in 1 month! Imagine that! But at least I know I'm not pregnant (again). Lucky ol' me eh Enda? #repealthe8th
— Ciara O'Shea (@ciara_o_shea) November 4, 2015Hey @EndaKennyTD just so you know, I got my period two days ago. Pretty heavy flow at first but now just occasional spotting #repealthe8th
— Gráinne Maguire (@GrainneMaguire) November 2, 2015Hey @EndaKennyTD decisions decisions but are they my own to make? #repealthe8th pic.twitter.com/jLAvDWUmUm
— Niamh I O'Connor (@thislilstudio) November 6, 2015So @EndaKennyTD, my period's just over. But I could tweet you some old smear test results, if you'd like? #repealthe8th
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— Tara Flynn (@TaraFlynn) November 4, 2015Hey buddy @EndaKennyTD My period feels like a bull in china shop, but instead of a shop it's my uterus. #repealthe8th @GrainneMaguire
— Katie Poushpom (@KatiePoushpom) November 3, 2015Others joined in by supporting the women Tweeting their menstrual cycles:
😘 to all the women tweeting @EndaKennyTD their period news. They can take our human rights, but they'll never take our humour #repealthe8th
— Gráinne Maguire (@GrainneMaguire) November 4, 2015Wonderful campaign from our sisters in Ireland - moving and funny. Hope we see some bloody change soon. #repealthe8th
— Sophie Ranald (@SophieRanald) November 6, 2015Genius, @GrainneMaguire. If they want a say over our bodies, they might as well know it all. #repealthe8th https://t.co/YQ79WCML3z
— Tara Flynn (@TaraFlynn) November 4, 2015The Eighth Amendment equates the right to life of a pregnant woman with that of an embryo or foetus. In doing so it criminalises abortion in all cases except where to continue a pregnancy would result in death.
Prime Minister Kenny, a practicing Catholic, was sent plastic fetuses and letters written in blood by pro-life campaigners for bringing in the limited reforms two years ago and has said any further changes will be left to the next government.
His junior coalition partner, Labour, has already said it will campaign at the elections next year to allow abortion for cases such as rape, incest and fatal fetal abnormality.
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