This general election offers an opportunity for all political parties to explicitly support equality for women. Women’s lives have changed significantly in the last 50 years but there is still lots of work to do.
Women’s and human rights organisations have joined forces to launch a ‘Manifesto for Women and Girls’ to empower voters to have conversations with political candidates about issues facing women and girls and transformative policies for gender equality.
The ‘Manifesto for Women and Girls’ builds on our collective experience to recommend how the next government can:
- End Violence Against Women and Girls
- Secure Equal Representation
- Promote Equality at Work and Home
- Invest in Public Services that Work for Women
- Lift Women and Children out of poverty.
You can view the Manifesto here.
#GE2019WomenAndGirls
Sam Smethers, Chief Executive of the Fawcett Society said:
“The Fawcett Society is delighted to be part of this strong coalition of women’s organisations. This general election falls between 100 years since women got the right to stand in parliament and 50 years since the landmark Equal Pay Act. Yet, when women go to the polls in December, the pay gap means they will already effectively have stopped being paid for the year. Meanwhile violence against women is increasing, women still undertake the majority of unpaid care and, basic rights to healthcare, safety and housing are out of reach for many migrant women. At a time when women’s voices are being marginalised in politics, this election presents an opportunity for women to raise their voices in unison about the issues that are important to them, we hope that this manifesto will empower voters to have meaningful conversations with their candidates about improving women’s equality.”
The ‘Manifesto for Women and Girls’ is supported by:
- 50:50 Parliament
- Agenda
- Care International UK
- Centre for Women’s Justice
- Equality Now
- Girlguiding
- Glitch
- HerCentre
- Imkaan
- Latin American Women’s Aid
- Latin American Women’s Rights Service
- Maternity Action
- National Alliance of Women’s Organisations
- NIA
- Rape Crisis England and Wales
- Refuge
- Rights of Women
- Safe Lives
- Sisters of Frida
- Southall Black Sisters
- Surviving Economic Abuse
- The Centenary Action Group
- The End Violence Against Women Coalition
- The Fawcett Society
- Welsh Women’s Aid
- White Ribbon
- Women in Prison
- Women’s Budget Group
- Women’s Resource Centre
- Women’s Aid
- Young Women’s Trust