DUBLIN (AP) 鈥 According to Ireland鈥檚 Constitution, a woman鈥檚 place is in the home.
Irish voters will decide Friday 鈥 International Women鈥檚 Day 鈥 whether to change the 87-year-old document to remove passages the government says are outdated and sexist. The twin referendums are on deleting a reference to women鈥檚 domestic duties and broadening the definition of the family.
While many women and men support the amendments, others say the proposed changes are confusing and could have unintended consequences.
WHAT ARE THE REFERENDUMS ABOUT?
The first vote deals with a part of the constitution that pledges to protect the family as the primary unit of society. Voters are being asked to remove a reference to marriage as the basis 鈥渙n which the family is founded鈥 and replace it with a clause that says families can be founded "on marriage or on other durable relationships.鈥 If passed, it will be the 39th amendment to Ireland鈥檚 Constitution.
The second change 鈥 a proposed 40th amendment 鈥 would remove a reference to women鈥檚 role in the home as a key support to the state, and delete a statement that 鈥渕others shall not be obliged by economic necessity to engage in labor to the neglect of their duties in the home.鈥 It would add a clause saying the state will strive to support 鈥渢he provision of care by members of a family to one another.鈥
WHY ARE THEY HAPPENING NOW?
Ireland鈥檚 Constitution dates from 1937, though the country did not not formally become known as the Republic of Ireland until 1948. It has changed enormously since then, transforming from a conservative, overwhelmingly Roman Catholic country in which divorce and abortion were illegal, to an increasingly diverse and socially liberal society. The proportion of residents who are Catholic fell from 94.9% in 1961 to 69% in 2022, according to the Central Statistics Office.
The social transformation has been reflected in a series of constitutional changes. Irish voters legalized divorce in a 1995 referendum, in a 2015 vote and in 2018.
Prime Minister Leo Varadkar announced a year ago, on International Women鈥檚 Day 2023, that the government would hold a referendum to enshrine gender equality and remove discriminatory language from the constitution. The new votes are about removing 鈥渧ery old-fashioned language鈥 and recognizing the realities of modern family life, said Varadkar, Ireland's first ethnic minority leader, who is in a same-sex relationship but not married.
DO THE CHANGES HAVE WIDESPREAD SUPPORT?
Opinion polls suggested support for the 鈥測es鈥 side on both votes, but many voters remained undecided as polling day neared.
The debate has been less charged than the arguments over abortion and gay marriage. Ireland鈥檚 main political parties all support the changes, including centrist government coalition partners Fianna Fail and Fine Gael and the biggest opposition party, Sinn Fein.
Tracy Carroll from County Meath in central Ireland, who cares full-time for her two children, said women had long been told 鈥渙ur place in society is in the home and looking after our children and our husbands.鈥
鈥淲e鈥檝e moved from that, but the constitution hasn鈥檛 moved from that, and a women鈥檚 place is anywhere she wants it to be,鈥 she told Sky News.
Opponents argued that the wording of the changes was poorly thought out 鈥 an argument that appeared to gain traction in the final days of the campaign.
One political party calling for 鈥渘o鈥 votes is Aont煤, a traditionalist group that split from Sinn Fein over the larger party鈥檚 backing for legal abortion. Aont煤 leader Peadar T贸ib铆n said the government鈥檚 wording is so vague it will lead to legal wrangles and most people 鈥渄o not know what the meaning of a durable relationship is.鈥
The Free Legal Advice Centers, a legal charity, has expressed concern the change to the section on care contains 鈥渉armful stereotypes such as the concept that the provision of care 鈥 is the private responsibility of unpaid family members without any guarantee of state support.鈥
Some disability rights campaigners argue the emphasis on care treats disabled people as a burden, rather than as individuals with rights that should be guaranteed by the state.
In Dublin, nurse Una Ui Dhuinn said she voted no to both changes because 鈥淚 thought it was too rushed.鈥
鈥淚 felt we didn鈥檛 get enough time to think about it and read up on it. So I felt, to be on the safe side, 鈥榥o, no鈥 鈥 no change,鈥 she said.
Caoimhe Doyle, a doctoral student, said she voted yes to changing the definition of family but no to the care amendment because 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think it was explained very well.鈥
鈥淭here鈥檚 a worry there that they鈥檙e removing the burden on the state to take care of families," she said.
Varadkar, who insists the state is not abdicating its care responsibilities, said rejecting the changes 鈥渨ould be a setback for the country.鈥
鈥淚f there鈥檚 a 鈥榥o鈥 vote, on Saturday morning hundreds of thousands of children in Ireland will wake up to hear that Irish society has decided that their family isn鈥檛 a constitutional family, isn鈥檛 an equal family, just because their parents aren鈥檛 married," Varadkar said this week. "If there鈥檚 a 鈥榶es鈥 vote, we鈥檒l be saying as a society that all families are equal.鈥
John O鈥橠oiln, who voted yes to both changes, agreed that rejecting them would be a backwards step, 鈥渂ecause so much will be read into a 鈥榥o鈥 vote.鈥
WHEN WILL THE RESULTS BE KNOWN?
Polling stations are open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday. Counting of the ballots from each of Ireland鈥檚 39 constituencies starts at 9 a.m. Saturday, with results likely to be known Saturday afternoon or evening.
Irish citizens who are 18 or older 鈥 some 3.3 million people -- are eligible to vote.
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Lawless reported from London.
