The proposed “Care Amendment,” meanwhile, would have removed a clause noting that 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.”
Ireland’s leading political parties and other influential groups strongly backed the well-funded referendum initiative, while some conservative groups and the country’s Catholic bishops urged a “No” vote on both measures.
“This decision by the Irish electorate sends a powerful message about the importance of preserving foundational values in the face of sweeping societal changes,” Family Solidarity, an Irish conservative advocacy group that opposed the constitutional language changes, said in a statement Saturday.
“This victory is not just a rejection of a specific referendum proposal; it is a declaration by the people of Ireland that the core unit of society — the family based on marriage — must remain protected and cherished. It underscores a collective desire to maintain the integrity of societal values that have long been the bedrock of our nation”
Critics of the amendments argued that the bill, which took place on International Women’s Day, ironically erased terms like “women” and “mother” from the constitution, while also causing confusion about the meaning behind a “durable relationship.”
The “Care Amendment” also would have removed an article of the Irish Constitution that said: “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.”
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