Woman behind 'Repeal' jumper was 'haunted' by Savita's death
The Irish woman who came up with the idea of the iconic 'Repeal' jumpers has said she did so after being "haunted" by the death of Savita Halappanavar - and feels justified by the eighth amendment referendum result.
Anna Cosgrave, 28, from Rathnew in Co Wicklow, told the Irish Examiner at the RDS count in Dublin today she is still coming to terms with last night's historic exit poll predictions.
However, she said the results - if officially confirmed later today as expected - underline the reasons why she and her colleagues first put forward the REPEAL jumper idea while in college in 2016.
"I just started thinking in 2016 having been at the vigil of Savita Halappanavar when I was a student.
"Like so many young women, I was just so haunted and so angry by what happened.
And I thought what would happen if an Irish woman wore a t-shirt saying 'I have had an abortion', how she would be treated and how she would feel.
"I just put it on a jumper to make the 12 women a day who have an abortion feel supported, and just to humanise the issue," she said.
Ms Cosgrave said she believes "thousands and thousands" of REPEAL jumpers have now been sold worldwide.
Asked about no vote campaigners, she said:
"The majority of people want change. I don't know what the people who don't want change are advocating for."
