Irish Prime Minister Concedes Defeat in Constitutional Vote on Family and Women's Roles

The Irish referendum on redefining family and women's roles in the constitution has been unsuccessful. The proposed changes, which had the support of the government, aimed to widen the definition of a family and clarify the duties of women in society by making amendments to Article 41 in the Irish constitution. However, as of 1200 GMT, counting showed a trend towards a "No" vote on both questions. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar had pitched the referendum as an opportunity to delete "very old-fashioned, very sexist language about women." Opponents argued that the amendments were poorly worded. Despite the government's efforts to promote gender equality, it appears that the Irish public has rejected these proposed changes.