A SPEECHMAKER at an abortion rally in Dublin yesterday said men should ‘know their place’ in the abortion campaign.

During the impassioned speech, the woman said that the campaign is a women’s campaign.

Speaking on the country’s latest abortion case, where a young women was refused an abortion and a c-section was carried out, she said:

“The hospitals in this wretched country gave her a horrible disservice.

“I am sorry to the women who are still having to go through this s**t in this country because of a cowardly government.”

She then addressed the men who attended the rally:

“I want to address all the men in this audience. All the men who have with their female friends who have come here today to be with us, to support us.

“I want to talk to all the men today, who made placards and banners of pro-choice.

“I want to talk to the men today who made countless articles to show support to women to have body autonomy for themselves

“I am saying to all those men – know your place. This is a women’s movement. And your support, as much as it's always needed, you must always remember you are here are here to support women.

“If you see any man, any man, friend or foe – if they are against any women who are trying to speak about their experience - you know nothing about it.

“You must listen to them, you must never tell them of any women’s studies or international development course that you decide of your won free choice to participate in. Your debate is not my life.

“I love and respect and appreciate the men who do this. But remember your place. This is a women’s movement.”

Stephanie Lord, spokeperson for Choice Ireland told Independent.ie:

"We understand that there may be people who felt unsettled at the comments but the sentiment of them was that men involved in the pro-choice movement should be supporting and not dominating the conversation.

"While the speaker also thanked the men present and stated that she respected them for being there.

"We are a movement aiming to eradicate gender inequality, so that also involves being self-critical and not replicating the oppression of dominant political structures where men consistently make decisions regarding women's reproductive choices.

"However, we do recognise that transgender men and people outside the gender binary may also experience pregnancy. This is their campaign too."

Jene Kelly of AIMSI said: "AIMSI congratulates Amanda on her powerful speech at yesterday's demonstration. Women's voices are so often lost in academic and political debate around maternal health and rights.

"There are often attempts to invalidate and discredit women's stories - instead of listening to and prioritising them as with a woman-centred approach.

"The voice of migrant women needs to be front and centre in this discussion - they are all too frequently overlooked, yet disproportionately represented in tragedy after tragedy in our maternity wards."

Online Editors