Ireland Referendum on Family and Women's Roles Defeated

Until 1973, single women were required to resign from their jobs upon getting married, and married women were disqualified from applying for vacancies.

The government of Ireland suffered a defeat in the dual referendums aimed at amending the nation’s constitution.

The discussions surrounding the campaigns centered on interpretations of family, the role of women within households, and the state’s responsibility towards its citizens.

Ireland’s electorate declined two proposed alterations to the constitution, which aimed to eliminate references to women’s domestic duties and expand the definition of family beyond traditional marriage.

Prime Minister Leo Varadkar, who said he wanted to remove “very old-fashioned language” in his country’s constitution, admitted the defeat and accepted the results.

“As head of government and on behalf of the government, we accept responsibility for the result,” he said. “It was our responsibility to convince the majority of people to vote ‘Yes,’ and we clearly failed to do so,” he noted.

Ballots are counted in Dublin for twin referendums that aimed to change the Irish Constitution on family and care. PHOTO/ AP — Ballots are counted in Dublin for twin referendums that aimed to change the Irish Constitution on family and care. PHOTO/AP

Opponents contended that the wording of the amendments was unclear and confusing, and voters expressed their concerns about potential unintended ramifications stemming from the choices presented.

Also, analysts and politicians said the results were more complex than a simple rejection of the proposed changes.

“A lower-than-expected voter turnout and confusing messaging by the “yes” campaign may have contributed to the proposals’ failures,” they said.

Still, 44% of the population turned out for the vote, and 67.7% of voters refused the changes, according to the official results.

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Constitutional Changes Proposed in Ireland

The referendum was seen as a pivotal moment in Ireland’s transition from a conservative, predominantly Roman Catholic nation to an increasingly diverse and socially liberal society.

The first question dealt with a part of the constitution that pledges to protect the family as the primary unit of society.

Voters were asked to remove a reference to marriage as the basis “on which the family is founded” and replace it with a clause that said families can be founded “on marriage or on other durable relationships.”

If passed, it would have been the constitution’s 39th amendment.

A proposed 40th amendment would have removed a reference that a woman’s place in the home offered a common good that could not be provided by the state.

The proposal would delete a statement that mothers shouldn’t be obligated to work out of economic necessity “to the neglect of their duties at home.”

It would have added a clause saying the state will strive to support “the provision of care by members of a family to one another.”

Indeed, until 1973, single women were required to resign from their jobs upon getting married, and married women were disqualified from applying for vacancies.

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Over the past few decades, Ireland, formerly characterized by deep conservatism and economic struggles as one of the poorest nations in Western Europe, has undergone a significant transformation into a socially liberal country.

In 1995, it made a landmark decision to legalize divorce, followed by the legalization of same-sex marriage in 2015, and the overturning of its abortion ban in 2018.