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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/aug/20/irish-woman-live-tweets-journey-for-abortion-on-mainland-britain
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| Irish woman live-tweets journey for abortion in Great Britain Irish woman live-tweets journey for abortion in Great Britain | |
| (4 months later) | |
| An Irish woman who is live-tweeting her trip to Great Britain to obtain an abortion has thanked prime minister Enda Kenny for forcing her to “hit the road”. | An Irish woman who is live-tweeting her trip to Great Britain to obtain an abortion has thanked prime minister Enda Kenny for forcing her to “hit the road”. |
| The woman and a friend left Ireland at about dawn on Saturday, documenting their journey via the handle @TwoWomenTravel from 5am BST. | The woman and a friend left Ireland at about dawn on Saturday, documenting their journey via the handle @TwoWomenTravel from 5am BST. |
| They described their mission: “Two women, one procedure, 48 hours away from home.” | They described their mission: “Two women, one procedure, 48 hours away from home.” |
| Good morning all .Thanks for all of th messages of solidarity and support.Thanks to@EndaKennyTD we're about to hit the road.#twowomentravel | Good morning all .Thanks for all of th messages of solidarity and support.Thanks to@EndaKennyTD we're about to hit the road.#twowomentravel |
| Ireland has strict laws banning abortion, with a foetus given rights equal to the woman carrying it under the eighth amendment of the constitution. | Ireland has strict laws banning abortion, with a foetus given rights equal to the woman carrying it under the eighth amendment of the constitution. |
| With procuring an abortion illegally carrying a prison sentence of up to 14 years, about 10 women a day are thought to travel from Ireland to Great Britain or another European country for the procedure. | With procuring an abortion illegally carrying a prison sentence of up to 14 years, about 10 women a day are thought to travel from Ireland to Great Britain or another European country for the procedure. |
| With their flight scheduled to depart at 6.30am, the pair told the Guardian they would “start moving” at 4.30am. | With their flight scheduled to depart at 6.30am, the pair told the Guardian they would “start moving” at 4.30am. |
| “Pressure is on!” she added. | “Pressure is on!” she added. |
| #twowomentravel boarding, it's chilly. @EndaKennyTD pic.twitter.com/mffXYkpI71 | #twowomentravel boarding, it's chilly. @EndaKennyTD pic.twitter.com/mffXYkpI71 |
| She declined to be interviewed but confirmed both were “well over” 18. | She declined to be interviewed but confirmed both were “well over” 18. |
| Their journey comes two months after a landmark ruling by the UN’s human rights committee that the Irish government subjected a woman to cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment for forbidding her an abortion in 2011. | Their journey comes two months after a landmark ruling by the UN’s human rights committee that the Irish government subjected a woman to cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment for forbidding her an abortion in 2011. |
| The ruling that Ireland had violated Amanda Mellet’s human rights by refusing her an abortion of a foetus with congenital defects that meant it would die in the womb or shortly after birth was expected to set an international precedent. | The ruling that Ireland had violated Amanda Mellet’s human rights by refusing her an abortion of a foetus with congenital defects that meant it would die in the womb or shortly after birth was expected to set an international precedent. |
| Pro-choice campaigners in Ireland have used Twitter to call for changes to the abortion law in the past, often hashtagging them #repealthe8th. | Pro-choice campaigners in Ireland have used Twitter to call for changes to the abortion law in the past, often hashtagging them #repealthe8th. |
| Irish women were encouraged to share their period stories with the taoiseach, Enda Kenny, on Twitter in November last year. | Irish women were encouraged to share their period stories with the taoiseach, Enda Kenny, on Twitter in November last year. |
| Grainne Maguire started the trend with the call: “Women of Ireland! Your vagina is their business!” | Grainne Maguire started the trend with the call: “Women of Ireland! Your vagina is their business!” |
| Kenny did not respond on Twitter, but has said he would not commit his Fine Gael party to a referendum on the issue, the only way to effect changes to the Irish constitution. | Kenny did not respond on Twitter, but has said he would not commit his Fine Gael party to a referendum on the issue, the only way to effect changes to the Irish constitution. |
| In April, a 21-year-old Northern Ireland woman who took abortion pills to terminate a pregnancy was sentenced to a three-month prison sentence, suspended over 12 months. Her flatmates had reported her to police. | In April, a 21-year-old Northern Ireland woman who took abortion pills to terminate a pregnancy was sentenced to a three-month prison sentence, suspended over 12 months. Her flatmates had reported her to police. |
| Weeks later, three women handed themselves into a police station in Derry in protest against the laws, admitting that they had procured and taken the pills and requesting to be prosecuted. | Weeks later, three women handed themselves into a police station in Derry in protest against the laws, admitting that they had procured and taken the pills and requesting to be prosecuted. |
| Among them was Diana King, 72, a retired social worker, who said the treatment of women was “unforgivable”. | Among them was Diana King, 72, a retired social worker, who said the treatment of women was “unforgivable”. |
| She said she would tell police she had procured the nine-week pills “on several occasions” but would argue she had not committed any offence. | She said she would tell police she had procured the nine-week pills “on several occasions” but would argue she had not committed any offence. |
| “We know that going to jail is a possibility,” she said, “but we will be saying that we don’t think that we have done anything wrong.” | “We know that going to jail is a possibility,” she said, “but we will be saying that we don’t think that we have done anything wrong.” |