“In Her Shoes” and In Her Words: Voices, Silences, and Bodies in Irish Women’s Abortion Narratives

Abstract

Abstract:For this article, researchers analyzed “In Her Shoes” social media posts from January 15, 2018 to September 2, 2018 to ascertain how Ireland’s anti-abortion legislation impacted women’s everyday lived experiences from the 1980s to the 2018 referendum and beyond. Through “In Her Shoes,” we argue, many women explicitly gave voice to topics and experiences that were common historically (and recently) but rarely recognized both by Irish society and by scholars. These themes center bodily experiences, such as bleeding and descriptions of pain; the notion of hiding alongside being on display or under surveillance; and containment and mobility. Our investigation thus provides evidence for the pervasiveness and importance of the body in Irish women’s history and current lives. Narratives also underscore how finding a voice through “In Her Shoes” was accompanied by camaraderie with and support from other women, particularly family members across generations. This article thus demonstrates how movements such as “In Her Shoes” not only used storytelling to convince voters to support Repeal but also allowed women, with the support of others, to give voice to hidden historical and contemporary realities and thus contest the silence and shame that has dominated Irish society for so long.