9. Women’s rights are on the rise

In late May, Ireland held a historic referendum on abortion and an overwhelming majority of the Irish people voted to change the most restrictive abortion law in all of Europe. The social media hashtags #HometoVote and #TogetherForYes show the emotion of this event. Ireland has a long and sad history of restricting many women’s rights, including requiring women who were public servants to quit their jobs within 6 months of marriage, requiring a man’s signature to get a passport, bank account, or loan of any kind, and prohibiting women from participating in sports. These laws have all thankfully been overturned. Now with the referendum on abortion, it feels like Ireland is about to turn the corner toward wide-spread equality for women.