As we do every year, we’ve been asking you to tell us why you are marching in this year’s March for Choice on the 29th of September. Debbie is a wife and mum of two, who works in the childcare sector in the West. Here she shares her feelings around the repeal campaign and why she will be marching in the 7th Annual March for Choice on September 29th.
If you would like to tell us why you’re marching this year, please email [email protected]
In a few days I’ll be getting a very early train from the West of Ireland to travel to Dublin for the 7th March for Choice. Last September was my first march, I’d had an abortion the year before and over the last couple of years I’ve found myself in the middle of the Repeal movement. What a couple of years it has been, it started with an unplanned pregnancy, feelings of stupidity and shame and secrecy around my abortion. Then slowly as time went on I shared my story and hundreds and hundreds of women supported me and told me their stories. Most of these women were strangers, we shared our stories with each other through social media and the media. Imagine I felt I could tell strangers about my abortion before my own family and friends. That’s what old Ireland had done to us.
So I’m marching to say thank you to all of these women, I’m marching to say thank you to ARC the national group and all the local groups nationwide. I’m marching to thank all of the men who stood up for us and fought for us. I’m marching for all the girls and women old Ireland has hurt. I’m marching for my daughter to say to her “I’ve got this, you’re never going to have to go through what I did”. I’m marching to send a message to the Catholic Church, “GET YOUR ROSARIES OFF MY OVARIES”. I’m marching for myself, I’m not a bad person because I had an abortion. I’m marching to say thank you to the 66% that voted yes on the 25th May. I’m marching to send a message to the government, “We’re not going away, legislate now”. Finally I’m marching for the women who will on the 29th have to get a flight to the UK and for the women taking pills at home. I’m so sorry you have to go through this I’ll march for you today.
