It is "completely dishonest" to suggest women's role in the home has changed so much that we need to update the Constitution, according to a Sunday Times columnist.

Brenda Power has said she will be voting 'No' in the referendums next March - insisting a woman's role in the home in Ireland hasn't changed in decades.

Two referendums are being held on March 8th next year.

The first would amend Article 41 to “provide for a wider concept of Family” in the Constitution.

The second would delete Article 41.2 to remove the reference to the role of women in the home and insert a new Article 42B to recognise family care.

Ms Power told Newstalk Breakfast she sees no point in removing the clause.

"It is completely dishonest in its suggestion that women's lives have changed so dramatically since 1937 in terms of the work that they do in the home, that we no longer need acknowledgment and recognition in the Constitution," she said.

Ms Power said the woman's place in the home clause is ‘utterly meaningless in terms of being an enforceable provision of the Constitution'.

She pointed to one case where a woman's attempt to use the clause during a judicial separation was dismissed by the courts.

"About 20 years ago, it was subsequently Chief Justice Susan Denham [who] said this was only ever an acknowledgement of the singular and important role that women play in the home, it never held a woman back.

"If you look at those most recent figures from the ESRI women are still doing the bulk of domestic housework - 20 hours compared to an average of seven a week by men."

She said changing the Constitution will not change Irish society - and said we need to work towards changing "the reality" to ensure domestic work is more evenly divided.

'Meaningless'

Ms Power said what needs to change is society.

The fact is, women are also the ones taking the more poorly paid jobs. Why? Because they have to get home to complete their duties in the home," she said.

"So, until that reality changes there is absolutely no point in changing the Constitution to insert... an absolutely meaningless word salad".

She claimed the change will "confuse the definitions of family, the definitions of care, the definitions of home forever."

A ballot paper is seen marked during a referendum vote count at the RDS in Dublin in May 2018. Image: RollingNews.ie / Alamy Stock Photo

Ms Power said she also has concerns over making official wording more gender neutral.

"The other concern that is going to come to the fore much more as this debate goes on is this indecent haste to remove the word 'woman' from official documents," she said.

"I think most women are wondering why the word woman is suddenly so offensive," she added.

Ms Power said the proposed changes to the Constitution will not give anyone more rights than they already have.

Main image: A woman does housework and irons clothes at home, 11-1-23. Image: Ilona Titova / Alamy