To think men shouldn't be voting in the Irish abortion referendum

[jess6543]

Abortion is something that can affect a woman forever, and if she has an abortion it i no easy decision. Women need that choice in order to have agency over their bodies, and the option if a pregnancy is a danger to her life.

So it makes me cross to see so many men speaking out against abortion. Pregnancy and abortion is something that will never affect them in the same way it affects a women. It's not their bodies. Banning abortion is just a way to keep control over women.

It affects women and therefore I don't think men should have had a vote in the Irish abortion referendum.

That’s democracy for you OP. Men are affected too, yes it’s not their body but imagine how you’d feel as the husband/partner of a woman forced to travel.

I agree with a previous poster that it’s been a positive thing in showing that the majority of the entire population support a woman’s right to choose.

I can certainly see a tiny amount of logic, OP, in that abortion is a woman’s issue. That’s not how democracy works, though. Banning men from voting wouldn’t have just affected those who wished to vote no.

In theory, I definitely agree OP. In the wise words of Rachel from friends, ‘no uterus, no opinion’! It fills me with rage when I see a man passionately campaigning for the ‘no’ vote, because it is not something which directly concerns him and I really think unless you’re a women you don’t quite understand the enormity of this vote.

However, I then have to remind myself that that wouldn’t be democratic, and the fact that we’ve got this far and finally been able to vote against it is something very extraordinary in terms of Ireland’s history. As well of this, there are an astounding amount of men campaigning for the yes vote as they understand how important this is and what it means for women’s rights. I would even hazard a guess that without all of these supportive brothers, husbands, fathers and friends, the predicted landslide wouldn’t have been possible because as hard as it is to beleive there are women voting no

Yes it's women who have to have the baby... Pregnancy/childbirth/probably caring for the kids (no mean feat I know!!) but the babies who are aborted are both male and female. That's why I think both genders should be allowed to vote.

There was a thread on this same topic yesterday. Yabu.

I know what you mean OP, but I also agree with the others about it being completely undemocratic.

My real feelings are that men should only be allowed to vote if they vote YES but that may be ever so slightly wrong :D

I understand the principle but in a democracy everyone gets a say over the laws that govern us - even if the laws aren't ones which will apply to us.

It also looks like men voted overwhelmingly in favour of repeal, so I think we should largely be viewing them as allies in this.

I have read posts from women who are very strongly for No. I think it is dangerous to presume that all women would vote yes.

“Banning men from voting wouldn’t have just affected those who wished to vote no.”
And look at all those queues of nuns lining up to vote!

I know 2 very elderly nuns who voted yes.

But so many of those men will also have voted to repeal the ridiculous eighth amendment. That will have made a difference to the outcome. Why should they not have been able to vote?

We have family and friends in Ireland. I know a number of Irish men who would support the right of women to choose what happens to their own bodies, and do not support the eighth amendment.

Nelly: I did wonder, actually, whether all nuns would follow a ‘no’ line. Some of them must have seen some awful things in their lifetime, given that the Magdalen Laundries only closed in the 60s. Some may even have joined convents in difficult circumstances themselves. Or just have free thinking consciences.

Men are affected too if their baby has a fatal abnormality. They are entitled to an opinion. They are also entitled to vote on the makeup of a constitution of a country they are citizens of. By your reasoning women who cannot have children should also be excluded.

I disagree with your argument firstly because this was a constitutional matter and so by its nature everyone with an entitlement to vote is entitled to vote and secondly because I would prefer to live in a Country where women are supported by their husbands, brothers, fathers and friends. While having an abortion is ultimately up to the woman, most women I would hope would take into account the fathers feelings in coming to a decision. It is his baby too. The thing that had made me feel most hopeful in this poll is that 66% of Irish men feel that it is the woman's right to choose and they demonstrated that by voting yesterday. I feel much happier with that outcome than I would where men were silenced and had their rights removed from them. This appeal was about giving women rights over their bodies and it looks like that has been done.

I really think unless you’re a women you don’t quite understand the enormity of this vote.
If this was reversed, there'd be murder. "You don't understand because you're a woman."

I too feel rage when a man spouts the 'no' rhetoric. I feel betrayed when a woman does. I lost a baby at 13 weeks, I whole heartedly believe that life begins at conception. I have my own, personal boundaries for situations in which I would have an abortion. But, I do not get to decide what other women's boundaries are. Every woman has the right to decide what happens to her body. I hope they vote to repeal in a landslide.

I understand the sentiment but YABU. I would feel no better being denied an abortion by a woman than a man.

I think Savita husbands shock and horror watching his dear wife die, and his subsequent campaigning to have the 8th repealed means that we saw the cost in human terms of the “foetus’s right to life” over and above that of her mother’s.

Without Savita and her dear bereaved husband, Aand MissP, Xcase, I doubt the 8th would be repealed.

I think YABU to suggest men don’t love their wives and daughters, their sisters and cousins, mothers and aunts, and want to police their wombs!

Men are as important as women (not more, not less) in effecting change in our world. Excluding any group builds resentment and a lack of understanding.

I’m delighted. Spent a good 10 minutes last night at the exit poll news blubbing my heart out for all the women and girls who didn’t have the choices we will now have. Very emotional.

Scrub one was a teacher & one a doctor in Africa. Both said they’d had seen terrible poverty & women with too many children to feed

"I really think unless you’re a women you don’t quite understand the enormity of this vote"

Really? Savita's DH cannot understand the enormity of this? Over, say, a woman who has never had an unwanted pregnancy? I have no idea what it is like to lose a loved one because a law said their life was of no importance.That man has.

Nelly: good for them. Just shows how we (I!) make assumptions!

If you ban a certain group from voting, you set a dangerous precedent which could very easily extended to other groups. And banning a group from voting because you expect them to vote a certain way is particularly dangerous.

One of the lovely things I saw on twitter yesterday was a photo of a group of elderly men holding a banner with the words 'Grandads for yes' on it, so probably wrong to make assumptions about voting choices anyway!

The best thing about today is that the right choice has been made and it was made democratically.