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The Constitution
Article 41.2 http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/en/constitution/
The State shall, therefore, endeavour to ensure that mothers shall not be obliged by economic necessity to engage in labour to the neglect of their duties in the home. -
Period: to
Things Women Still Couldn't Do in 1970
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Removal of the Marriage Bar
Female civil servants and other public servants (primary teachers from 1958 were excluded from the so-called “marriage bar”) had to resign from their jobs when they got married, on the grounds that they were occupying a job that should go to a man. Banks operated a similar policy.
The marriage bar in the public service was removed in July 1973, on foot of the report of the first Commission on the Status of Women. -
Social Welfare Act
The 1944 legislation that introduced the payment of children’s allowances (now called child benefit) specified that they be paid to the father. The father could, if he chose, mandate his wife to collect the money, but she had no right to it. Responding to the report of the Commission on the Status of Women, the 1974 Social Welfare Act entitled mothers to collect the allowance. -
Juries Act
Under the 1927 Juries Act, members of juries had to be property owners and, in effect, male. Mairín de Burca and Mary Anderson challenged the Act and won their case in the Supreme Court in 1976. The old Act was repealed and citizens over 18 who are on the electoral register are eligible for juries. -
Family Home Protection Act
Under Irish law, a married woman had no right to a share in her family home, even if she was the breadwinner. Her husband could sell the home without her consent. Under the Family Home Protection Act of 1976, neither spouse can sell the family home without the written consent of the other. -
Family Law Act
In 1970, a women who was hospitalised after a beating by her husband faced a choice of either returning home to her abuser or becoming homeless. Abusive spouses could not be ordered to stay away from the family home, leaving many women little choice but to seek refuge elsewhere. In 1976 the Family Law Act, Ireland's first legislation on domestic violence, enabled one spouse to seek a barring order against the other where the welfare of a spouse or a child was at risk. -
Employment Equality Legislation
In 1970, almost all women were paid less than male colleagues doing the same job. In March 1970, the average hourly pay for women was five shillings, while that for men was over nine. In areas covered by a statutory minimum wage, the female rate was two-thirds that of men. Legislation on equal pay was introduced in 1974 and employment equality legislation followed in 1977, both as a result of European directives. -
Recognition of Foreign Divorces Bill
Under Irish law, a married woman was deemed to have the same “domicile” as her husband. This meant that if her husband left her and moved to Australia, her legal domicile was deemed to be Australia. Women, who could not get a divorce in Ireland, could find themselves divorced in countries where their husbands were domiciled. Acting on a report from the Law Reform Commission, Nuala Fennell drove forward the Domicile and Recognition of Foreign Divorces Bill in 1985. -
Equal Status Act
In 1970, some pubs refused to allow women to enter at all, some allowed women only if accompanied by a man and very many refused to serve women pints of beer. Women who were accidentally served a pint would be instructed to pour it into two half-pint glasses. Women's groups staged protests in the early 1970s. In 2002, the Equal Status Act banned gender discrimination in the provision of goods and services. It defined discrimination as "less favourable treatment".
