We use Google Analytics to see which pages are read and how the site is used, so we know what to improve. This only runs if you accept. See our privacy notice for details.

Seanad
‹ Order of Business

Women's place in the home referendum

Summary

Senator Murnane O'Connor argues the referendum reflects outdated attitudes to women, motherhood and work and wants a fuller debate on women’s roles.

I want to talk about the referendum to be held in October, which is known as "woman's place is in the home" referendum. It is high time we talked about how little we value women, how we do not honour the incredible and important role of motherhood and how we constantly place barriers to women leaving the home. Home is supposedly the place a woman belongs. Let us talk about freeing women from all perceptions of who they are and have her outdoors instead of her indoors, as the joke goes. The Constitution states the woman should not have to leave the home and neglect her duties because of economics, yet we do not pay women for the work that Article 41 says is so important.

Comment on this