Categories
Health

Twitter Reacts to Ireland's Historic Abortion Vote


On Friday, voters in Ireland took to the polling stations to cast their ballots on whether the country should repeal the eighth amendment of its constitution, which effectively bans abortions. Results for the referendum started coming in on Saturday—by the afternoon, the final vote was at 66.4 percent for the repeal and 33.6 percent against—and folks around the globe celebrated what could be considered Ireland’s first step towards allowing legal and safe abortions.

Constituents gathered at Dublin Castle in the nation’s capital, taking a moment to honor Savita Halappanavar, a dentist who died of sepsis in 2012 during a miscarriage, during which she’d asked several times for an abortion (doctors wouldn’t administer one as they could still hear a fetal heartbeat). Her death was considered a catalyst for the movement to repeal the eighth amendment, her image becoming a part of the campaign for a “yes” vote.

When the results were announced, Taoiseach (that’s Prime Minister to those of us outside Ireland) Leo Varadkar gave an incredible speech, remarking: “Today is an historic day for Ireland. A quiet revolution has taken place, and a great act of democracy. A hundred years since women got the right to vote. Today, we as a people have spoken. And we say that we trust women and we respect women and their decisions.”

“Today I believe we have voted for the next generation,” he continued. “We have voted to look reality in the eye and we did not blink. We have voted to provide compassion where there was once a cold shoulder, and to offer medical care where once we turned a blind eye.”

Across the globe, many chimed in via social media with their thoughts on Ireland’s historic referendum. Here are some of the most powerful, poignant reactions to the repeal vote from Twitter.

There were celebrations and congratulations…

…as well as reminders about the collective power of women at the polls.

Read the stories of women who traveled home to Ireland to vote in the historic referendum here.

Related Stories:

Why These Women Are Traveling Over 9,000 Miles to Vote in Ireland’s Abortion Referendum

Ireland Has Voted to Repeal Its Abortion Ban

Why You—Yes, You—Need to Pay Attention to Ireland’s Historic Abortion Referendum





Source link

Categories
Health

This is How Kellyanne Conway Explained Why She Didn't Vote for Hillary to Her Daughters


From Oprah Winfrey as “The Titan” to Shonda Rhimes as “The Showrunner,” the women in TIME‘s new “Firsts: Women Who Are Changing The World” feature are shattering barriers and glass ceilings in their respective fields. Among the dozens of game-changers is Counselor to the President Kellyanne Conway. Her title? “The Adviser.” Her position is one that’s raised more than a few eyebrows, and questions, along the way—including ones from her daughters about why their mom didn’t support the first female presidential candidate from a major party. (Hillary Clinton, of course, is also included in the feature as “The Nominee.”)

In a video interview with TIME, Conway mentions that her gender was always a point of interest as she started a career in Republican politics 20 years ago. “There were few women consultants; there were few women candidates; there were certainly few women congressmen and officeholders,” she said. “I have described [it] as walking into the men’s locker room at the Elks Club, holding a bachelor party.”

Once she learned how to “think like a man and to behave like a lady,” as she put it—which speaks to just how much we need more women in politics, no?—she started to feel more comfortable in her role. But she was, and still is, a minority in politics. So it’s not surprising that her children wanted to know “why Mommy, who’s a woman, did not support the first female presidential candidate from a major party.”

“I would tell them that I respect very much that Secretary Clinton was running for president, and it showed that in this country anybody can do anything if they set their mind to it. At the same time, I tried to explain to them that you could be excited for someone with whom you disagree and share in that moment in history as a proud American,” Conway said. “We are making our own choices and really making history every day—but yet making history in the fact that we are increasingly in control.”

In an interview last year she told Glamour that, “I relish the idea of a female president in my lifetime. True feminism means you’re strong and independent enough to stand on your own. It motivates me to say that I’m for a woman, but not that woman. I’m like many American women in that we say Hillary Clinton shares our agenda but not necessarily our life experience, our vision, or our values.”

Instead, she’s supported Donald Trump throughout his many lies and sexual assault allegations—which, one day, might be a little harder to explain to her daughters.

Related Stories:
Kellyanne Conway Says It ‘Undercuts Modern Feminism’ to Criticize Her
Kellyanne Conway Says It’s a “Privilege” to Work for Donald Trump
Kellyanne Conway Says Donald Trump ‘Doesn’t Think He’s Lying’



Source link