Theresa May must change the gender balance in the UK - or WE will

Today marks the halfway point of our #100daysofMay campaign, which set the new Prime Minister a gender equality challenge.

“Theresa May can radically change women’s lives in our country by committing to six achievable policies to end discrimination, poverty and violence and help our country flourish and grow,” said Sophie Walker, leader of the Women’s Equality Party (WE). “If she won’t, WE will.”

When Theresa May took office fifty days ago, the Women’s Equality Party (WE) set out six policy changes - affordable childcare; sustainable funding for services working to end violence against women and girls; compulsory SRE; ratifying the Istanbul Convention; ending the detention of asylum seekers; and equal representation of women in Parliament - that would change the lives of women and men across the UK.

“Our 65,000 members and supporters - left and right, blue and red - want our new Prime Minister to commit to these changes so that England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland can become the first countries in the world where all genders are equal,” said Walker. “This would mean better politics, a more vibrant economy, a workforce that draws on the talents of the whole population and a society at ease with itself.”

In the coming 50 days the Women’s Equality Party will continue to push Theresa May to meet these commitments and to put women’s equality at the top of the political agenda. It will publish newly-commissioned work by key supporters that highlights the positive potential of policy change, and the danger of maintaining the status quo.

The first of these pieces, written by Beverley Gilbert from Cohort 4 - a women’s survivor support organisation in the ex-mining areas of North Warwickshire - is published today.

“The next 50 days offer huge opportunities for change, as autumn signals MPs’ return to Westminster and the start of party conference season,” Walker adds. “We will show how much can be achieved by our six commitments - and if Theresa May won’t take action on them, WE will.”