Sarah Moynihan, 21, is a student from Co. Meath
“I have always been pro-life but I remember the day I wholeheartedly promised to always stand up for the unborn.
“I heard a woman speak called Melissa Odhen, who survived an abortion in America. I remember asking myself ‘If abortion was really about womens’ rights, then where were Melissa’s rights when doctors tried to end her life when she was in the womb?’
“I see and acknowledge the gift of life as the fundamental cornerstone upon which society survives. The right to life is the most important human right, without it all other rights are meaningless.
“As women we have the capacity to bear life inside of us. This is something which should empower us. I understand that women can sometimes find themselves in difficult situations when pregnant, but if the only help we as a society can offer her is to end the life of her baby, then we have failed that woman.
“Being pro-life in today’s society is often labelled as something repressive and anti-woman, but for me it is the exact opposite. From personal experience, and from meeting many other like-minded people, I know that there is always a better answer than abortion. When women find themselves in such crisis, society should strive to eliminate that crisis, not the child. Abortion is life-ending, not life-saving.
“I hope that together we can work towards protecting Ireland’s Eighth Amendment, a law that has protected hundreds of thousands of Irish lives. We must remember to be compassionate and loving towards all those most personally affected by this issue but also be firm and unafraid of what we are standing for. Future lives depend on it.”