Irish residents vote on amendments to 'sexist' and 'outdated' constitutional passages

Irish residents will today vote on whether to amend two passages in an 87-year-old constitution that critics have labelled as outdated and sexist.

The poll, which coincides with International Women's Day, relates to removing references to women's domestic duties and broadening the definition of the family.

Results are expected to be announced over the weekend, but what exactly are people being asked to vote on?

What are the votes about?

The first vote deals with a part of the constitution that pledges to protect the family as the primary unit of society.

Voters are being asked to remove a reference to marriage as the basis "on which the family is founded" and replace it with a clause that says families can be founded "on marriage or on other durable relationships".

The second change, meanwhile, would remove a reference to women's role in the home as a key support to the state, and delete a statement that "mothers shall not be obliged by economic necessity to engage in labor to the neglect of their duties in the home".

Instead, it would be replaced with a clause saying the state will strive to support "the provision of care by members of a family to one another".

How long is voting open for?

Voting opens across Ireland on Friday, March 8 from 7am to 10pm.

Why are the votes happening now?

Ireland's constitution dates from 1937, when the country became a republic.

Ireland has changed enormously since then, transforming from a conservative, overwhelmingly Roman Catholic country in which divorce and abortion were illegal, to an increasingly diverse and socially liberal society.

Have you heard our podcast Talking Politics? Every week Tom, Robert and Anushka dig into the biggest issues dominating the political agenda…

The proportion of residents who are Catholic fell from 94.9% in 1961 to 69% in 2022, according to the Central Statistics Office.

The social transformation has been reflected in a series of constitutional changes. Irish voters legalised divorce in a 1995 referendum, backed same-sex marriage in a 2015 vote and repealed a ban on abortions in 2018.

Irish Premier Leo Varadkar announced a year ago, on International Women's Day 2023, that the government would hold a referendum to enshrine gender equality and remove discriminatory language from the constitution.

Do the changes have widespread support?

Opinion polls suggest support for the "yes" side on both votes, but many voters remain undecided, and turnout may be low.

The current debate is much less charged than the arguments over abortion and gay marriage.

Ireland's main political parties all support the changes, including centrist government coalition partners Fianna Fail and Fine Gael and the biggest opposition party, Sinn Fein.

When will the result be announced?

Counting of the ballots from each of Ireland's 39 constituencies starts at 9am on Saturday morning, with results likely to be known later that afternoon or evening.

Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know…