Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the opportunity to contribute to the debate on the second report of the Constitutional Convention on the role of women in the home, a matter of great importance to me and the vast majority of women throughout the country.

I welcome the recommendations of the Constitutional Convention. I propose in my contribution to focus on the proposed amendment of Article 41.2^o on the role of women in the home to include a gender neutral reference. Article 41.2.1^o states: "In particular, the State recognises that by her life within the home, woman gives to the State a support without which the common good cannot be achieved." Article 41.2.2^o states: "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 specific reference in Article 41.2.2^o to the role of women in the home and to mothers' duties in the home has given rise to great criticism and opposition throughout the country. As a mother who has worked within and outside the home, I, too, am critical of it. I have the utmost respect for women who work full-time in the home. Similarly, I have the utmost respect for women who work full-time outside the home. I do not, however, respect the manner in which this Article pigeonholes women into one particular role, one that is dependant on A.N. Other. Gender roles have changed greatly in contemporary Ireland.

Article 41.2.2^o enforces a sexist or stereotypical view of women. It does not give recognition to modern 21st century families or recognise that caring in the home is increasingly shared by mothers, fathers, grandparents and others. As aptly stated by Sheryl Sandberg, a leading advocate for the promotion of more women in the workplace, most people assume that women are responsible for households and child care. Most couples, not all, operate this way. This fundamental assumption holds women back. I would like to read into the record some significant statistics which illustrate how many women are engaging in labour outside the home. Currently, 47% or 975,000, people in employment are female, more than half of whom have children. Women who engage in labour outside the home should not be defined as neglecting their duties in the home. It is very unfair and unjust to place such a societal stigma on working women. Furthermore, Article 41.2.2^o greatly reflects the influence of the Catholic social teaching of 1937. The contemporary Ireland of 2013 has changed utterly since then. An amended Article 41.2.2^o should be reflective of an inclusive society, regardless of religion or gender.

This brings me to the recommendation that any change to Article 41.2.2^o should be gender neutral and should refer to carers in the home and beyond it. I strongly welcome this recommendation. Care is a public good. It supports the maintenance of a cohesive society and the production of a healthy well-functioning citizenry and workers. As Joan Tronto reminds us, care is not a parochial concern of women, a type of secondary moral question or the work of the least well off in society rather it is a central concern of human life. Although research indicates that 61% of carers are women and that 86% of child care is provided by women, we should not be that narrow-minded as to allow our Constitution, a document that will guide generations to come, to exclusively define care as a female role.

While the convention narrowly voted against a constitutional provision enhancing the participation of women in public life and politics, I strongly support its call to the Government to do more to enhance participation. Ireland currently ranks 25th among the 27 EU countries in terms of female representation. Currently, only 26 of our 166 elected representatives are female. On a global scale, Ireland ranks 89th in terms of female political representation, which is lower than Iraq and Afghanistan. Why, when women make up 50% of the population, should we allow decisions, some of which pertain directly and only to women, to be made by a group that is 84% male?

I welcome the gender quotas introduced by the Government which require the candidate selection process to field at least 30% female candidates in elections. This is a good start. I encourage all women to take on the role in politics that rightly belongs to them. Politics is no longer a man's game. I welcome the Minister's response to the report and look forward to progressing its recommendations.

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