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. RT 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.