In early 2018 the Facebook page In Her Shoes: Women of the Eighth
began as an art project with the intention to change undecided voters'
minds in the upcoming referendum on the Eighth Amendment to the
Constitution. The grassroots project posted anonymous stories of the
negative impacts of the Eighth Amendment alongside a simple photo of a
pair of shoes. In the five months from its creation to the referendum
vote on 25 May 2018, the page grew over 115,000 followers with an
organic reader reach of over four million per week. RTÉ reported that it
was 'stories in the media' that influenced 43 per cent of voters to vote
Yes.
Out of the thousand stories sent to In Her Shoes, Erin Darcy has
selected thirty-two as a representation of the entire island of Ireland.
The anonymous stories are reproduced with their authors' consent and
remain in their original words. By preserving these stories within this
book, we enshrine women's experiences in history where are often written
out. In Her Shoes is the story of a changing social landscape, of an
uprising within the author and within Ireland.
Fully illustrated by the author, this book will speak to the historical
importance of women's storytelling and include a collection of 32
stories, representing the 32 counties on the island of Ireland.
