Changing Constitution for gender equality 'will take time'

Labour TD Ivana Bacik said it was 'extraordinary' that Article 41.2, which states 'that by her life within the home, woman gives to the State a support without which the common good cannot be achieved', remains part of the Constitution. File picture: Sasko Lazarov / RollingNews.ie

The Constitution is not reflective of Ireland today, however, changing it to ensure gender equality "will take time", the Children's Minister has said.

Earlier this year, the Citizens' Assembly recommended that references to a woman's place being in the home should be deleted from the Constitution.

The 99 members of the assembly on gender equality also voted for radical reform in other areas, including the introduction of gender quotas in all elections and across public and private bodies.

Roderic O'Gorman told the Dáil the recommendations would require significant amendments to the Constitution and would require "careful consideration for their legal and policy implications".

He said the previous Government had tried to draft alternative language, but did not identify wording which could be used as a replacement clause to reflect the importance of care work in society.

Across the House, I think we can agree that there is language in the Constitution which does not reflect the country Ireland is today.

"My officials are working with the Department of An Taoiseach to find a way forward," Mr O'Gorman told the Dáil.

Labour TD Ivana Bacik said it was "extraordinary" that Article 41.2, which states "that by her life within the home, woman gives to the State a support without which the common good cannot be achieved", remains part of the Constitution.

'Absurd and discriminatory'

She described the reference as "absurd and discriminatory towards women" and said it is a "perpetuation of gender stereotypes".

However, she said it was also discriminatory against men as it doesn't recognise their paternal role.

Junior Minister Josepha Madigan told the Dáil the recommendations to change the Constitution would be "symbolically important" as "there still remains a number of outdated and legally meaningless provisions within its pages".

Sinn Féin's Kathleen Funchion pointed to three of the 45 recommendations made by the Citizens Assembly which specifically call for Constitutional change in the area of childcare.

Stressing the need for a publicly funded childcare scheme, she said a survey she conducted last year showed this as being an issue stopping parents from returning to work.

"The one issue parents had, predominantly women, was that they were simply locked out of work – sometimes it was accessing childcare because there wasn't a space available and sometimes it was the cost and sometimes it was both factors," Ms Function said.

Party colleague Violet-Anne Wynne said women still faced difficulties in being fully valued and recognised across society and said her own path into politics has been described as going from "the dole to the Dáil".

Ms Wynne, who is a mother of young children, said the lack of maternity leave for elected representatives remains a "barrier to full and meaningful participation in politics".