Greens: Govt 'missed opportunity' to do better with 'sexist and outdated' article in Constitution
The upcoming referendum on women's rights is a missed opportunity, according to the Green Party.
The Cabinet approved plans yesterday to hold a vote this autumn on the Constitutional reference to a woman's place in the home.
They have decided to offer the public the choice to either delete the phrase or retain the wording as it stands.
However, Deputy Green Party Leader Catherine Martin says the Government could have done better.
Ms Martin said: "What I would argue is the missed the opportunity to amend and there was a chance to recognise the intrinsic value and contribution occurring to society and that is what the Constitutional Convention voted for."
A referendum to delete the reference to a woman's place in the home from the Constitution has been welcomed by the National Women's Council.
The Cabinet approved plans for the vote to delete Article 41.2 yesterday and it is due to take place in October.
Government (re-)confirms its plans to hold a referendum removing the Constitutional reference to the role of women in the home - the proposal is to DELETE Article 41.2 (pictured), and NOT replace it with a reference to carers and others in domestic settings pic.twitter.com/o0sTCnAzcO
— Gavan Reilly (@gavreilly) July 5, 2018
Orla O'Connor, Director of NWCI, says the language is sexist and outdated.
Ms O'Connor said: "It's so important that we recognise that, of course, a woman's place is everywhere, it's in the home, it's in paid work, it's in many different places.
"And to have a provision in the Constitution that says a woman's place is in the home really speaks to a very unequal Ireland.
"And it's symbolic of an Ireland that kept women at home and kept women at a particular place which really took away women's rights."
