Ireland should hold another referendum on women in the home, UN committee says
referendum
on deleting Article 41.2 on the importance of women's role in the home failed and find alternative wording in order to run another vote on it, according to a United Nations' panel that deals with the issue of discrimination.
In a report published on Monday, the UN's Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) expressed disappointment with the failure of the referendum to pass and suggested the Government should not give up on the issue.
'The committee recommends that the State party conduct an independent evaluation of the referendum, carry out information campaigns on the negative reinforcement by article 41.2 of gender stereotypes about women's roles in the home and undertake inclusive public consultations to find alternative wording with a view to holding another constitutional referendum on amending article 41.2 of the Constitution to remove the stereotypical language on the role of women in the home,' it said.
The article says 'the State recognises that by her life within the home, woman gives to the State a support without which the common good cannot be achieved.
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'The State shall, therefore, endeavour to ensure that mothers shall not be obliged by economic necessity to engage in labour to the neglect of their duties in the home.'
The amendment proposed to replace the clause with a more gender neutral one on care but it was heavily defeated, with more than 70 per cent of those voting opposing the move.
The recommendation is one of a long list from the committee in its latest assessment of Ireland's progress on the issue of discrimination against women.
It bases these on submissions and hearings with Minister of State Colm Brophy, having led a delegation that included officials from several Government departments which appeared before the committee last month.
The committee welcomes the progress made in a range of areas and a number of the pieces of legislation passed by the Oireachtas in recent years. These include legalisation intended to address issues around human trafficking, domestic violence, online harassment and gender pay gaps. However, the committee suggests there are more areas in which significant work needs to be done.
It says what it describes as 'arbitrary barriers' to redress for survivors of historic abuse in Mother and Baby Institutions should be removed. It also says access to legal services for women facing domestic violence or employment cases should be improved and backs reform of the primary education curriculum 'to systematically incorporate gender equality and eliminate gender stereotypes'
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Greater Traveller representation needed in Irish politics, says UN committee
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It said particular supports needed to be provided to marginalised women including those with disabilities and from Roma, Traveller, migrant or rural communities.
It says more needs to be done to address the gender pay gap in employment and to take more single adult families headed by women, out of poverty.
Reacting to the paper on Monday, the Department of Children, Disability and Equality welcomed the recognition expressed of progress on a range of issues since the last such report in 2017. It also recognised the suggestion more needed to be done.
Director of the National Women's Council Orla O'Connor said: 'These recommendations are a clear call to action for the Irish Government. They highlight the urgent need for systemic change to tackle the deep rooted and intersecting inequalities faced by women and girls- particularly in relation to childcare, women's health, political representation, and responses to gender-based violence.'
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