A coalition of organisations has written to Taoiseach Leo Varadkar seeking “urgent clarification” as to when the wording for the referendum on the women’s place in the home will be published.
Last March, the Government announced a referendum on foot of recommendations from the Citizens’ Assembly on Gender Equality.
The assembly recommended a referendum to remove the Constitutional limits on women; to value and recognise care in the home and the wider community; and to protect all families equally.
The plans for either an omnibus vote on all of the issues, or potentially three referendums, were announced in March in what Mr Varadkar described then as a “tight timeline”. He told the Dáil earlier last month the Government still intends to hold the referendum in November.
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Publication of the wording of the referendums was scheduled for June last. However, the wording has not yet been published.
Five organisations - Treoir, Family Carers Ireland, One Family, the National Women’s Council (NWC) and Siptu - have formed a coalition urgently calling the Government to publish this information.
“Without knowing the exact wording, it will be increasingly difficult to build a civil society response. This is unfair to the families and communities directly impacted and to the Irish people who need time to discuss these core issues,” the open letter to the Taoiseach states.
“We hope the delay does not signal a government backtrack from the recommendations of the Citizens’ Assembly and the Joint Oireachtas Committee; specifically, removing the outmoded reference to ‘women in the home’; the recognition of the importance of care; and a more inclusive definition of family that protects all families.”
The coalition said it is “critical” the Irish public has sufficient time to have a national conversation on these issues.
“We have an opportunity now more than ever to make Ireland a more inclusive and caring place to live.”
[ Letter to the Editor: Wording of referendum on women’s role and the ConstitutionOpens in new window ]
The chief executive of the Electoral Commission, Art O’Leary, has previously said a “proper information campaign” in advance of as many as three referendums on gender equality will take up to 16 weeks, casting doubt over the intended November voting date.
Orla O’Connor, director of the NWC, said unless the wording is published soon, the body would be “concerned” about the proposed timeline for the vote.
“Our Constitution, our foundational document, contains restrictive language on women’s role in society. It is outdated and carries a legacy of the mistreatment of women up to today,” she said.
“It’s important this is amended so that it reflects the value of care and everyone’s role in care right across our society.”
