The Executive Council of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions at its meeting this morning noted the recent publication of the wording for the March 8th referendum to delete article 41.2 of the constitution and to replace it with a new article 42B recognising family care.
Congress General Secretary, Owen Reidy, welcomed the aim of the proposed amendment to remove the sexist and dated language in relation to women’s role within the home.
However, he added:
“The failure to follow the advice of both the Citizen’s Assembly on Gender Equality and the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Gender Equality to include both care within the home and wider community is a lost opportunity for the value of care in all its forms, the vast majority of which is provided by women, to be reflected in our constitution.”.”
The Executive Council agreed that Congress and affiliate unions would consider their position on the referendum and revisit the discussion in the new year.
