Women are driving a bus around Ireland today to fight for safe access to abortion

A group of activists are driving a bus around Ireland on International Women’s Day to fight for reproductive rights in their country.

The members of ROSA (Reproductive rights against Oppression, Sexism, and Austerity) plan to drive the bus between Dublin, Cork, and Galway in a campaign for the repeal of the 8th amendment, which puts heavy restrictions on abortion access.

“We’re protesting the almost total ban on abortion in Ireland and want to make it clear that when we say we want to repeal the eighth, we do not mean replace the eighth with a less severe abortion ban which says some women’s abortions are acceptable but that some should be shamed and sent to the UK, said ROSA spokesperson Rita Harrold to Buzzfeed News.

https://twitter.com/udfredirect/status/838666494154268672

According to ROSA, about 12 women travel every day from Ireland and Northern Ireland to other countries in Great Britain to access abortion procedures.

“We want to provide information so that even if a woman doesn’t have €1,000 to travel to England, that they still have the right to make a decision to continue a pregnancy or not, and that these pills are available if women need them," she said.

https://twitter.com/udfredirect/status/838660762516226048

The bus is making its way to Dublin so that members of ROSA can participate in the mass protest, “March4Repeal,” on Wednesday.