Civil society organisations urge ‘Yes, Yes’ vote

With the referendums just days away, a Sunday Independent poll indicated a significant fall in the number of people who intend to vote ‘Yes’ and a large increase in those who are either not sure or will not vote. In response, several civil organisation have come out urging a ‘Yes, Yes’ vote, including the National Women’s Council, Treoir, One Family and Family Carers Ireland.
“As Mary McAleese said this week when she came out in support of ‘Yes, Yes’ – the ‘referendums on March 8 are part of a journey not a destination’. And we need to take this step if we want the journey to continue,” said Orla O’Connor, Director of the National Women’s Council.
“We have seen how the referendums have generated important debates on family and care that are really welcome,” Ms O’Connor added. “If we vote ‘Yes’, this will create the framework for these discussions to continue. A ‘Yes, Yes’ vote will provide the political platform for us as civil society organisations to put pressure on the Government to deliver the practical supports and services that we know are so desperately needed for families, for disabled people, for older people, for carers, and for women.
“Voting ‘Yes, Yes’ is our chance to say very clearly as a country that there is no place for sexism in our Constitution and that we believe a woman’s place is wherever she wants it to be. It is our chance to value and recognise the important contribution of men to family care.
“By voting ‘Yes, Yes’ we say we value and recognise all children and families equally by extending the definition of the family and brining lone parents, kinship carers and other unmarried families, like the one of John O’Meara, into the protection of our Constitution.”
Meanwhile, Damien Peelo, CEO of Treoir – a national information service for unmarried parents – said: “We are inviting people to think about all the people in their lives that a ‘Yes, Yes’ vote will make a difference to. Our neighbours who may be a lone parent family or unmarried family. Our mothers who may have had to leave paid employment due to the marriage bar and are now struggling on an inadequate income in old age. Or our friends who are caring for our older parents while also trying to work outside the home and pay the equivalent of a second mortgage for childcare.”
Mr Peelo continued: “As voters reflect on the potential for positive change that a ‘Yes, Yes’ can deliver, this week is also a clear invitation to all the political parties who have come out and supported a ‘Yes, Yes’ vote to outline what they will do to support families and care when these referendums are passed.
“A ‘Yes’ vote in both referendums will be a significant and important step away from a dark past in Ireland. And they are an important, albeit small step towards a better future. We know there is still a rocky road ahead of us on our journey to equality. But for the lone parents, for the kinship families, the unmarried families, the carers and those who need supports, for the mothers and fathers and everyone affected by these referendums in our lives, we are asking people to take this step and vote ‘Yes, Yes’ on March 8.”