Emer Higgins (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

In less than three months from now, the people of Ireland will go to vote in polls on the 40th amendment to our Constitution. This is a very significant moment because it reflects another crucial step towards advancing women's rights across Ireland. The proposed amendment seeks to eliminate archaic and stereotypical language referring to women in the home. It proposes a modern alternative that acknowledges the significance of the care and support provided among family members mirroring the progression of our societal values. It has been said many times before, but we must always be reminded, that amending the Constitution is, without a shadow of a doubt, a hugely significant undertaking. It is one that symbolises the fundamental rights and principles of Irish citizens and one that we can never take for granted.

As an advocate for women's rights and equality, the timing of the referendum on International Women's Day is both really fitting and profoundly symbolic. Standing here today as a woman, I am fully aware of the significance of the upcoming referendum and also of the significance of the role that so many women who stood in this Chamber before have played. These are visionary women who have shaped the course of women's rights throughout Irish history and created a series of firsts. These are inspiring figures such as Mary Robinson, our first female president, Mary Harney, our first female Tánaiste, and Frances Fitzgerald, the first woman to represent two Dublin constituencies and then Dublin in Europe. Women like this helped to lay the foundations of our journey towards gender equality. They are just a few of the countless remarkable women who have forged paths for future generations, not just in this House but through NGOs, in the legal sphere and right across Ireland. They dedicated themselves to securing improved rights for women right across the nation. They spoke out against injustices and advocated for the needs of Irish women both inside and outside of the home.

Their efforts led to positive changes in the lives of women across Ireland, including significant reforms. By that I am talking about changes such as the lifting of the marriage bar, which happened 50 years ago in 1973. Now we need to do something we should have been talking about 50 years ago too, which is to take this significant and symbolic step forward by removing language which perpetuates outdated gender stereotypes. If the referendum is successful, and I hope it is, these proposed amendments will help to further distance us from a values system which allows gender discrimination and, instead, move us closer to greater equality for all women.

While this upcoming referendum represents significant progress towards achieving gender equality, it is crucial also to recognise how long it has taken to get here. That begs the question how much longer we have to wait for more reforms. Delays like this, in fact, are reflective of a broader issue that is observed throughout history, which is the time it takes to bring about gender equality and to create long lasting cultural change.

When we talk about milestones like the marriage bar and the legislation for contraception in the seventies, it took almost two generations from these crucial moments to achieve significant milestones like the repeal of the eighth amendment and the establishment of abortion rights for women in Ireland. That kind of drawn-out chronology reinforces the very crucial need to improve our ability to bring about transformative change quickly and at the pace that society actually demands. While we have witnessed substantial progress in gender equality, and today Irish women enjoy far more rights than their mothers, grandmothers or their great-grandmothers ever did, but disparities persist.

Across Europe, women are still overrepresented in lower paying jobs, are underrepresented in decision-making positions and are disproportionately affected by gender-based violence. In 2021, I introduced the Irish Corporate Governance (Gender Balance) Bill. This proposed legislation is designed to promote gender equality and parity in corporate leadership by ensuring that women are adequately represented on company boards, and to advance their presence at the highest levels of business. I very much hope that the Minister present and the Minister For Enterprise,Trade and Employment will work together on this legislation because it can be transformative for women in Ireland and in business.

As we approach this particular referendum, we need to remember that this amendment is not just a response to societal change, but is a logical step towards aligning our Constitution with the lived realities of our people. It acknowledges the diversity of modern Irish families and ensures that our laws reflect that reality. I thank the Minister and all of his team in the Department for taking this important and symbolic step towards achieving greater gender equality for Irish citizens. It is very much time to turn the page on outdated stereotypes and to embrace a future where every Irish citizen is seen, heard and valued, and that this actually happens in our Constitution. It is an opportunity to help shape an Ireland that is actually and truly reflective of us all for today and for generations to come. We have talked about this referendum for many years, if not decades, and it is time now to just get it done.

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