Alright so this week's referendum in Ireland is kind of Devious. We're being told we're voting for feminism when we're actually absolving the state of a duty of care. This is the care referendum, not the family one. My stance is Yes for families, No for care. Right now our constitution states that "The State shall, therefore, endeavour to ensure that mothers shall not be obliged by economic necessity to engage in labour to the neglect of their duties in the home.”
The proposed amendment states "The State recognises that the provision of care, by members of a family to one another by reason of the bonds that exist among them, gives to Society a support without which the common good cannot be achieved, and shall strive to support such provision.” So under the new amendment, the state is under no obligation to ensure a caregiver has the economic freedom and security to choose whether or not to work, and in fact shifts the burden of care entirely onto families. The State is under no obligation to provide "care" to infants, or, as advocacy groups have pointed out, disabled people, instead shifting that burden entirely to families, whom the state is no longer under any obligation to ensure have the economic freedom and security to become fulltime caregivers. Honestly, its kind of Devious pairing this with the amendment extending the definition of families, the care amendment has sort of been buried by the uncontroversial extension of protections to unconventional family units not centered on marriage. Everything is pointing to "vote yes for families" and what little I've seen of the care amendment is couching it as the simple removal of sexist language. On March 8th no less!
So, any Irish people voting on Friday, Vote no on the care amendment!
