Irish women are tweeting about their periods to Taoiseach Edna Kenny to protest abortion laws

Taoiseach Enda Kenny has received tweets about spotting, heavy flows and a series of other bodily functions

Abortions are illegal in the Republic of Ireland, unless the woman's life is at immediate risk (PETER MUHLY/AFP/Getty Images)

Ireland’s Prime Minister has been bombarded with live-tweets from women about their menstrual cycle to highlight the country’s restrictive abortion laws.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny has received tweets about spotting, heavy flows and a series of other bodily functions as part of a campaign to repeal the eighth amendment of the Irish constitution.

Equating the life of the foetus to the life of the mother, it criminalises abortion in Ireland. The country’s parliament rejected a proposed change to the abortion law to legalise terminations in fatal foetal abnormality cases in February.

Comedian Grainne Maguire began tweeting the Irish leader on Monday and the campaign has since gained momentum, with the #repealthe8th trending in Ireland.

"We know how much the Irish state cares about our reproductive parts,” said Ms Maguire, arguing that it was therefore only fair to share the details with Mr Kenny.

Ireland was criticised in an Amnesty International report earlier this year which said that pregnant women risked putting their health and lives in danger if they remain in Ireland.

"Women who need abortions are treated like criminals, stigmatised and forced to travel abroad, taking a serious toll on their mental and physical health,” said Amnesty's Secretary General, Salil Shetty.

She added that women’s human rights were “violated on a daily basis because of a constitution that treats them like child-bearing vessels."