Role of women under the constitution: Ireland votes against change on International Women’s Day Biden: “I want to see a ceasefire” +++ Hamas said to be willing to negotiate

More than two-thirds of those eligible to vote voted against the proposed changes, the count showed on Saturday evening. Prime Minister Leo Varadkar had already conceded defeat in the afternoon: “It was our responsibility to convince a majority of people to vote yes, and we clearly failed in that.”

In the Republic of Ireland, on International Women’s Day on Friday, two constitutional amendments could be decided by a double vote. The predominantly Catholic country has taken a similar approach in the past, introducing full marriage equality for gay couples.

On the one hand, it was now possible to arrive at a definition of family that would explicitly include unmarried couples. 67.7 percent (1.02 million) voted against, and the turnout was about 44.4 percent. An article recognizing the family “as the natural, primary and fundamental unit of society” should have been supplemented by the addition of “Family – whether based on marriage or other permanent relationship”.

On the other hand, the wording that mentions, for example, women’s “domestic duties” should be changed. The passage should have been replaced by a gender-neutral formulation in which the importance of care work should also be anchored. 73.9 percent voted against (1.1 million votes).

The passage now goes on to state that the state recognizes that “woman, through her life at home, is a support to the state, without which the common good cannot be achieved.” The state must ensure that mothers are not forced to work out of economic necessity ‘while neglecting their household duties’. (sda/dpa)