Dublin: The government has confirmed that a referendum on gender equality will be held in Ireland in November this year.
Constitutional amendment proposals will be published by the end of June. The main subject of the referendum will be the recommendations of the Citizens’ Assembly to amend the existing constitution’s sections related to the dignity of women.
The government intends to hold this referendum following recommendations made by the Citizens Assembly on gender equality two years ago.
According to Article 41.2 of the current constitution, the state recognises that the woman who serves in the house supports the state with her life and that the public good cannot be achieved otherwise. The referendum is intended to remove this reference, replace it with a new article, and gain public approval.
Article 41-1 of the Irish Constitution states: The State recognises the family as the natural primary and fundamental unit group of society, and the State recognises the family as a moral institution possessing inalienable rights that are ancestral and superior to all positives.
However, the proposition that “recognises the importance of a woman’s life within the home” is subject to reconsideration and legal change, according to Article 41.2 of the Constitution.
At the same time, there is no mention of men’s duties in the Constitution. This also sparked criticism. This is where the argument for gender equality was raised.
In the referendum, ask voters whether this proposal (Article 41.2) should be dropped and how another article should be added in its place. Everyone who has the right to vote will go to the polling booth and register a yes/no vote in the referendum voting, which is conducted similarly to the general election. The constitutional amendment will be approved in such a way that the people’s will is favourable.
The government proposes that gender equality and non-discrimination be explicitly stated in the constitution.
Prime Minister Leo Varadkar made it clear that women and girls have long faced discrimination at home and at work and welcomed the plans to establish gender equality.
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