Irish Voters Overwhelmingly Reject Constitutional Change on Family and Women

The proposals would have removed the so-called ‘woman in the home’ clause and widened the definition of family in the Irish Constitution.

People from the human rights and advocacy group The Countess celebrated at Dublin Castle as the result is announced in the first of the twin referenda to change the Constitution on family and care, in Dublin on March 9, 2024. Damien Storan/PA

The Irish government has suffered resounding defeats in two referenda aimed at changing the Irish Constitution to widen the definition of family and to change a provision about women’s role within the family.

Turnout for the referenda, held on Friday, was 44.36 percent, a significant drop from the abortion referendum in 2018 which saw a turnout of 64 percent.