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The Irish people voted narrowly in favour of the right to divorce in a hotly contested referendum on November 26. As predicted, the result was close, with 50.3% in favour and 49.7% against. The referendum was won by 9,114 votes out of a total 1.6 million ballots cast, and overturns a 58 year ban on divorce, legitimated and staunchly defended by the Catholic church. By the standards of many other Western countries, the restrictions on divorce post-referendum are still severe. Couples must be separated for four years before divorce is permitted. A bitter campaign was waged between the pro- and anti-divorce forces in the leadup to the poll. Anti-divorce campaigners used the slogan, "Hello divorce, goodbye daddy", while pro-divorce rights campaigners drew on the example of a recent church scandal to back their cause. In a poster featuring a Reverend who recently resigned after admitting he had a teenage son in Connecticut, the slogan declared, "Let the Bishops look after their own families. Vote yes". The church played a prominent and reactionary role in the campaign. Even the Pope intervened, issuing a statement the day before the poll calling for a "no" vote. It was also reported that priests wandered around polling booths on the day, hoping to minimise the "yes" vote by their intimidating presence. But the church's influence is waning, particularly among young people in Ireland. This has been helped along by recent scandals involving allegations of child abuse and sexual abuse by priests. The vote reflects a broader change in social attitudes in Ireland. For the first time, for example, all major parties, including Sinn Féin, advocated a "yes" vote on the question of divorce. Attitudes on other social issues have also changed. The birth rate has halved since 1974, and in 1992 a referendum result favoured allowing Irish women to travel abroad for abortions. In 1993 homosexuality was removed from the Criminal Code and legal restrictions on access to condoms were removed. Anti-divorce campaigners are vowing to challenge the result in the courts, but they are unlikely to win. The referendum result is a positive development in Ireland's political life. Irish people will no longer have to travel to England to get a divorce, women and men will be allowed to remarry, and new choices and possibilities will open up for women after marriage — including property settlements and more ability to live independently. The Irish people have taken a progressive step along the road to recognising the rights of women, as well as instituting broader human and civil rights in their society. By Kath Gelber