*This article originally appeared on the 'Why I March' section of the Abortion Rights Campaign in 2013. I am deeply indebted to Lauren Howells, for her patience in editing this piece and for taking up the Repeal mantle in England on behalf of Irish women.* *As of 25 May 2018, the Irish people voted by referendum to repeal the 8th Amendment from the Irish Constitution. On 18 September 2018 following signature by the President, the 8th Amendment was officially repealed.* In a Paris bar, a French friend asks me: “What does it mean, ‘Repeal’?” He has clearly seen my profile photo on Facebook, with the bold, white REPEAL emblazoned across my chest. And in my Irish-centricity, I realise that this could mean anything to a foreigner. So I start with the basics: the Irish Constitution, the 8th Amendment. I explain that according to the Constitution, the right to life of the unborn carries equal weight to the right to life of the mother. He nods. I explain th...