The What About Women election campaign update - and they’re off! (nearly...)

This week saw the last of the political parties – Plaid Cymru - submit responses to our What About Women campaign questions. An honorary mention to the Greens who were the first party to send in their initial answers. All the parties have now answered our questions. As the election campaign proper gets going it’s more important than ever to keep up the scrutiny of the parties plans (or lack thereof!) on women’s equality so if you haven’t already looked at their answers and commented do give us your thoughts.

Last Sunday’s Independent covered Fawcett’s analysis on the parties’ economy answers where Ceri pointed out that “Gender equality is a prerequisite for a vibrant and sustainable economy. Not to do a gender equality assessment of cutting the deficit is frankly scandalous. None of the parties has committed to that simple measure.”

This becomes of even greater concern when Monday’s live TV Chancellors debate saw all three men commit to “cuts deeper than Thatcher made”. We recognise the need to cut the deficit but the idea that women’s inequality is a price worth paying for growth is one which Fawcett has no truck with. Whatever approach is taken it must consider how it will impact women now and into the future.

In all the furore of who performed better on the night , George, Vince or Alistair, Jack Straw’s interview in the Guardian (Monday 29th) where he trailed a possible Labour manifesto promise to reform the Lords so they would be 100% elected could easily have been overlooked. But we at Fawcett spotted it and quickly brought together a group leading democracy organisations to join us in writing an open letter to Jack Straw to ask how he would take this opportunity to ensure women’s equal representation in the house. We look forward to his answer.

We will of course keep monitoring and working to get women into these pre election media debate but as an example of what we might be up against....

An eagle-eared supporter also brought to our attention to some comments on Radio 4’s Feedback programme about women as political presenters made by the editor of the Today programme – listen here (precise timing at 17mins 47 secs). We will making our views on these comments known to the BBC’s Director, Mark Thompson – do feel free to join us!

Take Action

The election will be called very shortly and we want to be able to talk about the thousands of women signed up to this campaign – if you haven’t already, sign up here.

If you have 5 extra minutes cut and paste the text below and email it 10, 20 or even 30 people you know and ask them to add their voice -

“The What About Women campaign is calling on politicians to take women seriously in drawing up their election policies. The Fawcett Society is coordinating a movement to get women up the political agenda - we want thousands of women to sign up so we can get politicians to give us some proof they are giving us policies, not just platitudes. Join us, and sign up here!”

Thanks for your support,
Fawcett