Irish voters have overwhelmingly rejected the proposal to revise the definition of families in the country’s conservative constitution and remove the mention of women’s “duties in the home.” Both the government and opposition parties have argued that the current text contains old-fashioned and sexist language about women and their role in society.
The referendum on the matter was held on Friday, which was timed to coincide with the International Women’s Day.
The voters were offered an option to expand the constitutional protection of families to include those founded on “durable relationships” other than marriage. They were also offered to remove the clause about the state’s duty to “ensure that mothers shall not be obliged by economic necessity to engage in labor to the neglect of their duties in the home.”
According to the official results released late on Saturday, 67.7% voted against redefining the family, while nearly 74% rejected the removal of the “duties in the home” clause.
“I think it’s clear at this stage that the family amendment and the care amendment referendums have been defeated,” Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said at a press conference in Dublin on Saturday, admitting that the authorities had failed to convince the majority of the public.