Everyday Stories project talks about abortion as an everyday issue

An exhibition has been launched in Dublin to share the real-life stories from Irish women who have travelled for an abortion. The project highlights the impact the 8th Amendment has had on the lives of women and their families in Ireland.

About the exhibition

Caoimhe Anglin launched Everyday Stories after her experience of travelling for an abortion in 2016 following a crisis pregnancy. When speaking about her own experience, Caoimhe said "I was accessing a normal healthcare service but – to do so – I was subjected to needless hardship: I had to travel abroad, stay in a hotel, find the money to cover all these expenses, and get time off work. And I had to do all this under a cloud of secrecy because of the Eighth Amendment and the restrictions it has caused."

She felt inspired to start this project to share her story and the stories of other women. Last year, 10 Irish women travelled every day to the UK to have an abortion, each with their own reason and their own story.

Each story in the exhibition is illustrated by a different Irish-based artist, and share experiences that range from crisis pregnancies to cases of fatal foetal abnormalities. 

According to Caoimhe Anglin, the aim of the project is to show abortion as “an everyday, essential healthcare service accessed by thousands of Irish women each year”.

Where to see Everyday Stories

The exhibition in Filmbase, Temple Bar, Dublin 2 is curated by Amy McKeogh and will be open until Thursday 9th November. An online project is available at www.everydaystories.org and is managed by Caoimhe Anglin. Members of the public are invited to submit their own stories through the website. A new story will be published online every two weeks.

Everyday Stories hope to bring the exhibition on tour in 2018.