Campaigners Form Giant Heart in Call for a YesYes vote on Friday

Published: Tuesday, March 05, 2024

Participants say these referendums are a necessary next step on the road to equality 

Supporters of a YesYes vote have come together in a final call on the electorate to vote YesYes on Friday. They say the votes are another step forward on Ireland’s journey to full equality, and are particularly important for unmarried families, for those who give or receive care, and for women. 

The heart shape features in the YesYes logo. It symbolises the love and care at the heart of these questions, which go to the heart of our values as families, as communities, and as a nation.  

Damien Peelo, CEO of Treoir, said:  

“On Friday, I’ll be voting yes for the close to one million people around the country whose families are non-marital. A YesYes vote will finally recognise those families, a recognition they have always deserved but never yet had. I’ll also be voting yes for my mother, my sisters, my daughter and my son. I want a better country for them.” 

Orla O’Connor, director of the National Women’s Council, said:  

“It’s brilliant to be joined today by the breadth of organisations and individuals who are supporting the YesYes campaign. We are women, we are men, we are carers, we are disabled people, we are trade unionists, we are lone parents, we are cohabiting couples, we are kinship carers, we are LGBTQI, we are parents, we are community workers, we are women’s and children's rights activists, and we are all supporting a strong YesYes vote on Friday.”  

Karen Kiernan, CEO of One Family, said: 

“These referendums affect nearly a million children, parents and couples who are currently not recognised as families in our Constitution. As Irish people, we are proud of our tradition of referendums which paved the way for important progress in terms of equality and rights in recent years.  On Friday the Irish people have another opportunity to vote Yes Yes and demonstrate their commitment to continue our campaign for a more inclusive, a more caring Ireland.” 

Catherine Cox, Head of Communications and Policy at Family Carers Ireland, said:  

“We are inviting people to think about all the people in their lives that a Yes Yes vote will make a difference to. The parents looking after children while also trying to work outside the home and pay the equivalent of a second mortgage for childcare, the relatives looking after each other when they get older or get sick, children looking after their parents and their own children. All of these people need your YesYes vote on Friday.” 

Ends/ 

For comment: Damien Peelo, Orla O’Connor, Karen Kiernan, Catherine Cox 

For more information, please contact Sinéad Nolan, NWC Communications and Social Media Coordinator, sineadn@nwci.ie 

Notes: 

What: Campaigners form heart shape  

When: 11am, Tuesday 5 March  

Where: Communications Workers Union, 575 North Circular Road, Dublin 1 

About NWC  

The National Women’s Council is the leading national representative organisation for women and women’s groups in Ireland, founded in 1973. We have over 190 member groups and a large and growing community of individual supporters. 

The ambition of the National Women’s Council is an Ireland where every woman enjoys true equality and no woman is left behind. This ambition shapes and informs our work, and, with our living values, how we work.  

We are a movement-building organisation rooted in our membership, working on the whole island of Ireland. We are also part of the international movement to protect and advance women’s and girls’ rights. Our purpose is to lead action for the achievement of women’s and girls’ equality through mobilising, influencing, and building solidarity. Find out more on www.nwci.ie