Not A Vessel

"Mine" is an anthology of comics and illustrations in support of the Abortion Rights Campaign to Repeal the 8th Amendment. Last week I submitted a piece of work to the anthology.

The Eighth Amendment "criminalises abortion in all cases except where to continue a pregnancy would result in death."* In the eyes of the law, an Irish woman is reduced to a child-bearing vessel. A container. A tupperware box, if you will.

As Sarah Ditum wrote for The Newstatesman: "their governments see them as something less than human." 

(Ditum's article 'The abuse of Irish women can go on no longer - abortion must be legalised' is great and I suggest you read it.)

Work in progress

It was this image of a 'child-bearing vessel' that I wanted to show through my artwork. I decided to go literal with a ship in a bottle battling papercut waves... Perhaps the waves of the Irish Sea that "around 800 Northern Irish women make the journey [across] to England every year"**.

'Not a vessel' has become a popular slogan on placards at protests, and across social media, as anger rises that the women of Ireland are not being afforded basic human rights. The ship's sail serves as its placard... 

(Perhaps now is the time to point out that ships are named after women. Are you tired of this metaphor yet?)

Hand cut pieces that formed the final piece

Across the pond, Republican politicians are sharing outdated views on abortion on almost a daily basis. Meanwhile, Irish women are living under one of the most restrictive abortion regimes in the world.

It is time the women of Ireland were afforded the same rights as other women living in the UK.

It is time to #Repealthe8th Amendment. 
 

Not A Vessel (2016) Copyright Oh Cut It Out

Have you signed the petition?

Until next week...

-Karen


* http://www.abortionrightscampaign.ie/repealthe8th/
** http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/feminism/2016/03/think-donald-trumps-comments-are-shocking-theyre-law-some-uk-women