Because equality is better for everyone @womensequalitypress-blog - Tumblr Blog

Posts

Our Leader Sophie Walker speaking with parents yesterday about providing flexible and affordable childcare, which is all discussed in our London manifesto, whilst being filmed for BBC London News

#we #wep #we press #sophie walker #childcare #womens equality #affordable childcare #flexible child care #manifesto

All of our WE London-wide Assembly Candidates as well as Sophie Walker our London Mayoral Candidate.

#womens equality #london mayor #wep #we #we press #city hall

Let's have a pay day party!

Today WE launch a new campaign to highlight the ongoing UK gender pay gap of 20%.

The Women’s Equality Party is celebrating March – the first month of the year women actually get paid – with a new #paydayparty campaign.

The campaign features a short film of a gender pay gap party, held to celebrate the first pay day of 2016 on which women actually get paid for working.

"WE hope our party video makes people laugh – because it is frankly a bit of a joke that the gender pay gap of 20% persists, 45 years after the passing of the Equal Pay Act," said party leader and London Mayoral candidate Sophie Walker.

"WE are calling for the Government to act right now to tackle this ongoing inequality," continued Walker. "Current plans to start introducing gender pay league tables in 2018 are too little, too late."

"WE have a clear plan that requires immediate action from companies to show full transparency on pay, status and hours worked – plus retention before and after parental leave – and to break that data down not only by gender but also ethnicity and disability. It is time to be much bolder."

The Women’s Equality Party has a comprehensive set of plans to tackle all the causes of women’s unequal pay by proposing employer transparency, equal parenting leave, flexible working, stronger anti-discrimination processes and help for carers who wish to work.

"WE are the only party who have made this issue a political priority, and WE will continue to push for urgent Government action. In addition, we are seeking election in London, Wales and Scotland so that our candidates can put our policies into practice."

In the meantime, WE are encouraging women to share their #paydayparty photos and stories on social media. "WE want women across the UK to show us how they’re 'celebrating' pay day this month – with 20% less to party with than their male colleagues."

#WE WEP WEpress womens equality #'gender pay gap #pay gap #womens rights

WE condemn new junior doctor contracts

The Government must rethink the new junior doctors’ contracts, which discriminate against women

The Women’s Equality Party today condemned plans for new junior doctors’ contracts, pointing out that they discriminate against parents and carers.

“These contracts will penalise parents and care-givers, holding them back on lower pay when they return to work instead of helping them back into their careers at the same level,” said Sophie Walker, leader of the Women’s Equality Party and its London Mayoral candidate. “Since most childcare and caregiving is done by women, these contracts are hugely discriminatory.”

The controversial new contracts, which will base pay on the level of responsibility achieved by junior doctors rather than time served, do not support accelerated progression for those returning to work after taking time away for maternity or caring responsibilities, disability or ill-health.

In its equality analysis of the changes, the Department of Health concedes that the new contract ‘disadvantages those who attain greater levels of responsibility at a slower pace’ because of taking time out of their careers.

“This has a double impact for women,” Walker said. “Their lifetime earnings will be significantly reduced because of the time they take out of work for parenting and care-giving. It will also mean female medics are less likely to take on lower-paid research work – meaning they will be held back from reaching the highest levels of academic and clinical medicine.”

She added that the decision underlined the need for the Women’s Equality Party and the work it was doing to end the gender pay gap.

“It is time that women's lives were given equal weight and taken seriously by our politicians,” she continued. “The talents of the many brilliant women working in the NHS right now are not to be squandered. If we want to make the NHS work for everyone, we have to pay all of its staff equally so that our healthcare system can flourish – along with its patients.”

WE launch our Scottish manifesto

On the 2nd of April the Women’s Equality Party reveals its manifesto for Scotland, ahead of the elections in May.

Party leader Sophie Walker took to the streets of Edinburgh alongside the Women’s Equality Party’s Scottish candidates as part of a ‘faceless women calvacade’, marking the absence of female statues on Scotland’s streets.

“I walked with candidates Lee Chalmers and Anne Beetham between six key sites in Edinburgh, unveiling our manifesto policies at each location,” explains Walker.

“Currently, statues of animals outnumber those of women in the Scottish capital, and WE are here to say it’s time to stop sidelining women. Our manifesto for Scotland shows that we’re aiming to be real agents for change. It’s a robust and ambitious plan to tackle concerns that women have told us they want to see raised in Holyrood.”

The procession of anonymous women from history has been devised to draw attention to issues affecting Scottish women past and present, from domestic violence and abuse to the undervalued caregiving work done by women across the country.

“For too long women have been underrepresented in public life,” says Lee Chalmers, regional list candidate for Lothian said. “I’m running for Holyrood to address that imbalance. It is only by making sure that women are at the table that we can make gender equality a reality. In the media, government, local authorities and boards, women’s voices lead to better decisions for Scotland.”

Anne Beetham, regional list candidate for Glasgow, adds: “WE want Scotland to lead the way in achieving gender equality – I’ll be fighting for that by working at the highest level to tackle issues that exclude and hold back women in our society. Putting this right will benefit everyone.”

The Women’s Equality Party Scotland manifesto covers seven key policy goals:

WE will fight to establish equal pay and end the gender pay gap. WE will tackle the causes of the pay gap, including unpaid caregiving, across all types of work to ensure that all women are paid fairly for the work they undertake.

WE will strive to create an equal footing for parents and caregivers, regardless of gender. WE will work towards a Scotland where everyone can share opportunity and responsibility in the workplace and at home.

WE will strive for an end to violence against women and girls, once and for all. Only through eradicating the scourge of gender violence can WE achieve true equality for women in Scotland.

WE will campaign for equal representation in politics, business, industry and throughout working life. Women’s presence is needed in these spheres to ensure a better Scotland for everyone.

WE will work hard to ensure that women’s representation in the media is positive, constructive and empowering. WE will press for women’s portrayal in the media to be addressed and work constructively towards a fair, gender balanced media landscape in Scotland.

WE will promote an education system that creates opportunities for all children regardless of gender. We will work across parties and agencies in Scotland to promote an understanding of why gender equality matters.

WE will push for women's voices to be at the heart of all government decisions and budgets, to ensure that they don't disadvantage women. WE will work to ensure gender balanced leadership from the highest levels of the Scottish Government to our local councils.

#WE WEP WEpress womens equality #gender equality #scotland #manifesto

Abortion is never a crime

WE respond to this week's decision in Northern Ireland to prosecute a woman for abortion

The Women’s Equality Party (WE) today condemned the decision of a Belfast court in sentencing a Northern Irish woman to three months in prison, suspended for a year, after she pleaded guilty to taking abortion pills.

“WE consider any denial of reproductive rights to women to be an act of violence,” said party leader Sophie Walker, “and WE will always oppose any attempt to limit access to contraception, termination or medical support during pregnancy.”

The woman at the centre of the court case bought pills over the internet to induce an abortion. In Northern Ireland abortions are only legal when the life or mental health of the mother is believed to be in danger.

Walker added: “It is utterly wrong that women who choose to end their pregnancies should face prosecution. Abortion should be a choice a woman can make for herself, and should be regulated in the same way as women’s other healthcare needs. WE call for the Victorian-era legislation that criminalises abortion to be scrapped.”

#WE WEP WEpress gender equality #abortion #equal rights #womens equality

Time to act on domestic violence

Domestic violence happens every day, not just in the Archers, and it’s time to act

The widespread commentary about domestic violence in Britain prompted by last night’s episode of BBC Radio 4’s drama The Archers - in which character Helen Titchener stabbed her abusive husband - is an opportunity for the government to follow the lead of the Women’s Equality Party and introduce policies that can stop this scourge.

“Helen Titchener’s experiences sadly reflect the everyday reality for tens of thousands of women in the UK,” said Sophie Walker, leader of the Women’s Equality Party (WE) and its London Mayoral candidate. “WE have put prevention, protection, support and justice for survivors at the heart of our policies and any politicians serious about their jobs should do the same.”

“In London alone WE know that 146,000 incidents of domestic violence were recorded last year in London alone. These are terrifying figures. The Women’s Equality Party will not rest until violence against women and girls has been eliminated.”

The Archers storyline has shone a spotlight on coercive control and domestic violence and abuse, developing over the course of two years. The story came to a climax last night when Helen stabbed her abusive husband.

“Fictional representations of these issues, such as in The Archers, helps bring attention to a problem that is too often ignored,” Walker said. “It is worth noting too that the vast majority of people killed as a result of domestic violence are women murdered by their husbands or partners - a rate of two a week.”

The Women’s Equality Party is pleased to see that £90,000 has been raised for domestic violence charity Refuge as a result of Helen’s story, highlighting the need for proper funding for support services. One of the party’s key policy proposals is to ringfence funding for domestic violence and abuse services, and create a fund – more than £800m by 2018-19 – to support the legal aid budget, restoring half of the cuts made in 2012.

“WE are the only party who are making the eradication of domestic violence and abuse a political priority,” Walker said.

#WE WEP WEpress #womens equality #gender equality #domestic violence #suffragette #end violence

WE launch our London manifesto

WE have launched our manifesto for London at a central London event led by Mayoral candidate Sophie Walker.

“I am so proud to have launched our fantastic manifesto for the capital, alongside the 10 brilliant women who are standing with me for a place on the Greater London Assembly,” said Walker.

“WE have set out plans for making London the first city in the world where men and women are equal. Where there is no gender pay gap, where childcare and housing is affordable, where women and children are safe, and where transport works for all. Londoners have four votes on 5 May, and I want them to give half their votes to equality. I think that’s fair.”

Women’s Equality Party co-founder Catherine Mayer opened the launch event, which also featured a preview of WE's party election broadcast film, which was scripted by Abi Morgan (Suffragette, The Iron Lady, Brick Lane, Shame). This will be shown on 13 April on BBC1 and ITV1.

“We are shaking up the London election contest,” continued Walker. “For too long we’ve been told it’s a two-horse race for mayor, and for too long London’s women have been overlooked and undervalued by City Hall.

“London has the biggest pay gap, the most expensive childcare and the highest rates of sexual violence in the UK. Each of the mayoral candidates will say they care about this, and we’ve heard some encouraging words from them. But these are just words. WE are the only party who will put women’s equality at the very top of the political agenda in London.”

She added: “Equality for women isn’t a women’s issue. When women fulfil their potential, everyone benefits. A vote for the Women’s Equality Party is a vote to make this change happen.”

#genderequality #women #womens equality #empowerment #gender pay gap #gender inequality #london mayor #british politics #WE WEPRESS

Who knew Rupe was a feminist?

Has the final frontier for feminism been crossed? The Garrick Club vote on whether to admit female members to the 200-year-old club may not be for another 10 days but inside its manly great hallway yesterday, history was made.

http://www.standard.co.uk/news/londoners-diary/londoners-diary-tony-says-move-parliament-to-hebden-bridge-10345290.html

#WE #WEpress

The women putting the us back into #WE

Comedian Sandi Toksvig may have started the Women’s Equality Party, but it’s up to Helen Walbey and her like-minded friends to spread the word in Wales. She talks tactics with Tangwen Roberts.

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/womens-equality-party-comes-wales-9489126

#WE #WEpress

Are Gender Quotas the Answer?

Comedienne and founder of the recently-formed Women's Equality Party, Sandi Toksvig said in a recent interview: "How is it that we still have a pay gap? What is it, 45 years since the Equal Pay Act?....On average for part-time work, women are paid 35% less than men. How is that possible?"

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/janvi-patel/are-gender-quotas-the-answer_b_7610248.html

#WE #WEpress

Women's political party holds its first Wales meeting

A political party campaigning for women's rights has held its first Wales branch meeting.The Women's Equality Party, set up by comedian Sandi Toksvig in April, said it has received interest from more than 30,000 people across the UK. Following the meeting on Sunday, Helen Walbey, chair of the Cardiff and Valleys branch, said it is not a "single-issue party".

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-33137576

#WE #WEpress

Outnumbered and inspired

Being a rare man in a room full of inspiring, exciting women shouldn’t be unusual at all. But it is. We live in an extraordinarily polarised world. When I’m at work — where I advise major companies on business strategy and how to drive change — nearly every interaction I have is disproportionately made up of men.

https://medium.com/masculine-feminism/outnumbered-and-inspired-630c86f2f825#.y6fd7s4bg

#WE #WEpress

Why The Women’s Equality Party Is Amazing

After less than 100 days, the Women’s Equality Party already has 30,000 followers and almost 50 local branches across the UK, and that makes perfect sense.

http://www.buzzfeed.com/ceciliarossler/why-the-womens-equality-party-is-amazing-1mglr

#WE #WEpress

Londoner's Diary: Women are on the march with Sandi Toksvig

There’s a political revolution afoot. Russell Brand isn’t involved this time, though. Instead, a formidable force is quietly and calmly gathering momentum, ready to launch not just on the national platform but, if its co-founder has her way, the world stage.

http://www.standard.co.uk/news/londoners-diary/londoners-diary-women-are-on-the-march-with-sandi-toksvig-10310538.html

#WE #WEpress

Women's Equality Party: How I conducted an imaginary orchestra in the name of feminism

Around 400 women (and a few men) gathered for the first Women's Equality Party fundraiser. Claire Cohen went along to hear what Sandi Toksvig had to say about it - and whether she's going to run for Mayor

#WE #WEpress

Trending Blogs

Recently Viewed Blogs

Because equality is better for everyone