Welcome to a special election edition of the Fawcett Society e-newsletter

Dear Fawcett supporters

This Sunday Fawcett kicks off our hotly anticipated election campaign What About Women? on the Politics Show followed by the main launch on Monday 8th March. For What About Women? Fawcett has brought together a coalition of over 40 organisations and many thousands of voters. Together we will call on all political parties to answer some key questions on how their policies will impact on women’s equality and to listen to women’s voices in this election.

Ceri Goddard on the BBC

Watch the Politics Show at midday on Sunday where Fawcett’s Ceri Goddard will ask parties for some policy substance not just spin to win women’s votes and 3 women parliamentary candidates will respond to and debate Fawcett’s polling on what women want from the next government.

Official Campaign Launch

Sunday will also see the full campaign webpages go live and you will be able to see all the questions we are asking, actions you can take to help us max our impact, background briefings and information on our partners. As the parties responses come in we will be inviting you to post your comments!

All-female Question Time

Following discussions with Fawcett the BBC are holding the first ever women only BBC Question Time. Watch it on Thurs 11 March at 10.35 on BBC One, or visit their website to be part of the Dewsbury audience. By the way, on the BBC Question Time website, members of the public can suggest a panellist for 2010, but nearly all the suggestions to date are men. Make your voice heard on representation, click here to submit a female speaker you’d like to see on BBC Question Time today.

Be part of the launch

Be part of the What About Women? photo opportunity on Mon 8 March. We need as many supporters as possible to join us at St John’s Gate, London at 3.15pm in your feminist t-shirt for a photo shoot to launch the campaign. Be part of it! Click here for a map to St John’s Gate.

Join the demonstration

And see you at Million Women Rise on Sat 6 March in central London celebrating 100 years Anniversary of International Women's Day and to march against male violence against women.

From now until the General Election, Fawcett will send you a weekly e-bulletin on what’s happening in the news, and how you can get involved in the campaign. Forward this email to friends and family and invite them to sign up to e-news on any page of our website. The more people add their voice to the campaign the stronger the impetus for politicians to take women seriously in the run up to the General Election.

And finally, thank you to all of you who responded to Have Your Say our online survey which has helped us to shape the campaign.

Find out more today, click on www.fawcettsociety.org.uk/whataboutwomen

Thanks for your support,
Fawcett