The recent referendum in Ireland saw voters rejecting two proposed changes to the country’s Constitution, dealing a blow to the government and surprising many analysts. The proposed changes aimed to remove language about women’s duties being in the home and broaden the definition of family beyond marriage.
Despite support from major political parties, the proposals were defeated by a wide majority, with 67.7% of voters rejecting the changes. The results, announced on Saturday, highlighted a failure of the government’s campaign to convince the majority of people to vote ‘Yes.’
The first proposed change sought to provide for a wider concept of family, while the second aimed to replace language in the Constitution that recognized women’s duties in the home. Women’s rights groups, who had long campaigned for the removal of this language, expressed disappointment at the result.
The defeat was seen as a failure of the government to listen to the recommendations of the Citizens’ Assembly on gender equality. Critics of the proposed changes argued that the language was too broad or did not go far enough in protecting caregivers regardless of gender.
Overall, the referendum results were viewed as a complex rejection of the government’s handling of various issues in recent years. The defeat serves as a reminder of the evolving social and political landscape in Ireland, where significant changes have been made in recent decades to roll back socially conservative policies.
