Irish Prime Minister Fails in Referendum on Constitutional Amendments Regarding 'Women and Family'

Leo Varadkar, the Prime Minister of Ireland, acknowledged on Saturday, March 10, that he had failed in the referendum for two constitutional amendments concerning 'the status of women and the basis of family formation.' According to the Associated Press, the Prime Minister, who was attempting to expand the concept of family in the constitution to reflect the realities of modern family life and establish gender equality, stated that voters dealt 'two fundamental blows' to the government. He said, 'It is clear that we made a mistake. The old saying is that success has many fathers, but failure is an orphan. I think when you lose by such a margin, many people made mistakes, and I am certainly one of them.' Opponents argued that the changes to the constitution were poorly worded, and this argument seemed to resonate with many in the days leading up to the referendum. Voters stated that the questions were confusing and expressed concerns that the changes could have unintended consequences. This referendum was seen as a transformation of Ireland from a conservative, predominantly Roman Catholic country to a diverse and socially liberal society. According to the Central Statistics Office of Ireland, the proportion of Catholic citizens has decreased from nearly 95% to 69% over the past six decades, from 1961 to 2022. Social transformation has been reflected in a series of constitutional changes in Ireland over the past eight decades. Irish voters legalized divorce in a referendum in 1995, supported same-sex marriage in 2015, and repealed the ban on abortion in 2018. Voters in this referendum answered two questions. The first addressed a part of the constitution committed to supporting the family as the primary unit of society. Voters were asked to remove the reference to marriage as the basis on which 'the family is founded' and replace it with a clause stating that families can be 'based on marriage or other stable relationships.' If approved, it would have been the 39th amendment to the Irish Constitution. The second question, the proposed 40th amendment, dealt with the status of women and asked voters to approve the removal of the phrase in the constitution stating that the role of women in the home is for the common good, which the government cannot assume, and to remove the phrase that mothers should not be forced to work due to economic necessity if it harms their duties at home, and instead add that the government supports 'the care of family members for one another.' Supporters and opponents of these amendments stated that the government failed to explain why these changes were necessary or to mount a strong campaign to persuade voters. Source: Associated Press