The Women's Equality Party was founded a year ago, fuelled by frustration at listening to the same old arguments but not seeing any change
The Women’s Equality Party (WE) was founded on International Women’s Day 2015 amid the frustration of listening to the same old arguments about gender equality over and over, with not much changing.
One year later WE find ourselves at a tipping point. With over 45,000 members and supporters, WE are fielding candidates for election in the May Scottish Parliament, the Welsh Assembly and the London GLA and Mayoral races.
In Scotland, we have a smart and savvy population who, post-referendum, feel they can change their future through politics and who are no longer willing to wait for the old parties to deliver on gender equality.
A wait that would see our grandchildren bearing children before gender equality is achieved. This is why WE exists. We have six main areas of policy focus.
Young women want to know they will be paid the same as men when entering work and that they can mix a successful career with raising children. They look at Scandinavia and see that it’s possible and don’t understand why it is so hard here. WE don’t understand that either. WE expect equal pay and an equal opportunity to thrive.
Young men want to know they will be able to be good fathers through being able to take time off. They don’t understand why they are often excluded from family life.
Women don’t want to be the ones automatically expected to bear the burden of caring responsibilities. WE are campaigning for equal parenting and caregiving and shared responsibilities at home to give everyone equal opportunities both in family life and in the workplace.
Young women want to open magazines and see images that focus on their strengths and capabilities, not be bombarded with air brushed, fake portrayals of women as objects which sap self-esteem and create unrealistic expectations.
No longer do they want to see sexualized images of women next to articles on sexual violence. Girls want to know action will be taken on social media hate, like revenge porn. WE strive for equal treatment of women by and in the media.
Take your kids to the toy shop and you are presented with an array of pink and blue items chosen to support outdated gender stereotypes.
WE want girls to know they can be astronauts and train drivers as well as fairies and princesses. We want boys to be able to play with dolls without fear of mockery.
We want children to learn from male teachers as well as female. We want children to learn about how to form healthy relationship and be safe online. WE urge an education system that creates opportunities for all children and an understanding of why this matters.
Still, the majority of people making political decisions in the UK are men. Women are half the population and half our legislators should be too. The bulk of CEOs are men, the majority of ‘experts’ called on for comment on TV or radio are men.
We want quotas for parliament and business. WE are tired of waiting.
WE are pushing for equal representation in politics, business, industry and throughout working life.
One in four women will be a victim of domestic assault in her lifetime in this country. 70 per cent of women aged 11-21 experienced sexual harassment in education. Our children don’t want to be harassed on the street, cat called, groped on public transport.
Women fleeing abuse need safe refuge. Prosecutions need to go up, specialist support for BME women needs to increase. WE want to create a country where women and girls can be free from men’s violence. WE seek an end to violence against women.
These are the reasons the Women’s Equality Party exists and the reason men and women we meet on the street in Scotland say:
‘A party focused on gender equality? About time.’
Lee Chalmers is the number one Lothian list candidate for the Women’s Equality Party. Find her on Twitter.
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4 Responses to “A party focused on gender equality? About time.”
Ruthie
I wish there was a candidate in my constituency! I would definitely vote for WEP. Am so happy it is thriving and best of luck.
Ruthie
Best of luck. May the WEP grow and grow. If there was a candidate here, I would vote for them.
Robert Petulengro
I am an old man. Until very recently I thoroughly agreed with all this.
What changed me?
Well to be honest it was the birth of my grandson to my daughter and her partner. Both are reliably left wingers who firmly believe in the equality of the sexes and both agreed to take an equal part in parenting, housework, cookery and so on.They would both read the above and nod in agreement.
So what?
Well, when my grandchild was being born in a very difficult birth, the father who, of course, had to be there all the time, went, i am reliable told, to pieces. Then, when they all got home, the attitude was completely different. The father dandled the child in his knees seeing what he could do. The mother just loved him for what he was: a detached part of her being. The father went on to take risks, to let experimentation take place, to stretch and improve. The mother went on to cuddle, to protect, to enjoy the baby for who he was. The father did not enjoy changing nappies, bathing the baby and so on. But he did it to keep the peace. the mother loved every minute of it.
And the grandparents were different too. At first I thought it was just me. But no, when the father’s parents arrived, the granddad played Sudoku by himself, taking absolutely no interest in the baby beyond what was necessary. The Grannie was all over him.
What came right home to me was the difference between the sexes. Yes, sexes. Not genders. The two sexes are very different indeed. And professional people who are women are therefore very different from men. At the very least they have to take a long career break to look after their babies and children. This impacts on other people a lot. Doctors and patients, teachers and A Level students, Lawyers and desperate people…We have not coped with this.
Simply insisting the Dads get stuck in is not going to do it either in times of family destruction with marriage, divorce, separation and being on a break all part of modern life. I hesitate to use the word natural. I would never have done so ten years ago. Never. But now I wonder.
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Will we have equal numbers of men and women in prison, too?
Or should we have different numbers of men and women in prison, because they behave differently, and equal numbers in parliament, because they behave the same?
I can’t help but think that some people only want “equality” when it benefits the right people.