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The Citizens’ Assembly has recommended the removal of the so-called women in the home clause from the Constitution.
The Assembly on Gender Equality recommended that Article 41.2 of the Constitution should be deleted and replaced with gender-neutral text.
The proposal was part of 45 guidelines announced by the 99-member group today.
These include recommendations on the Constitution, politics and leadership, caregiving and childcare, domestic, sexual and gender-based violence, pay and the workplace and social protection.
The National Women’s Council (NWC) hailed the measures put forward by the Assembly as a breakthrough for women’s equality and called on the Government to prioritise their implementation without delay .
Citizens Assembly recommends women in home clause be removed from constitution
The National Women’s Council welcomed the recommendation that the ‘sexist’ clause be removed. By Céimin Burke Saturday 24 Apr 2021, 12:14 PM 3 hours ago 7,681 Views 45 Comments
Image: Shutterstock/StunningArt
Image: Shutterstock/StunningArt
THE CITIZENS’ ASSEMBLY has recommended that the so-called “women’s place in the home clause” be removed from the Irish constitution.
The deletion and replacement of Article 41.2 of the Constitution is one of a raft of recommendations on gender equality announced by the 99 person assembly today.
The National Women’s Council welcomed the recommendation to replace the “sexist and outdated” clause.
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The National Women s Council is calling for the submission of character references in sexual assault trials to be abolished.
Currently, they can be handed into court ahead of sentencing.
It comes as the Minister for Justice is meeting victims of sexual violence to discuss their experiences in the criminal justice system.
Helen McEntee is reviewing the system ahead of a new Sexual Offences Bill which is due to be published by the end of the year.
Orla O Connor, Director of the National Women s Council, believes character references are hugely damaging to the victim.
She told
Newstalk Breakfast with Susan Keogh that they have no place in sentencing hearings for sexual offences.
National Women s Council: Character References In Sexual Assault Trials Should Be Abolished It comes as the Justice Minister is meeting victims of sexual violence to discuss their experiences in the criminal justice system.
The National Women s Council is calling for the submission of character references in sexual assault trials to be abolished.
Currently, they can be handed into court ahead of sentencing.
It s ahead of a new Sexual Offences Bill, which is due to be published by the end of the year.
Orla O Connor, director of the National Women s Council, says character references are hugely damaging to the victim: This is after a victim or a survivor has gone through the whole process of reporting, of waiting for charges, of waiting for a trial, of enduring a trial. And so at the end of that enormously difficult and traumatic process, to have to hear from a so called respectable people from your community to come forward to speak of this person s good charact