I believe that Women have experience that gives them insights that will help everyone achieve equality. I have never joined a political party before because there has never been a party that spoke of the need to develop equal opportunity so that we can all move forward together. My experiences of how inequality damages individuals, damages communities, damages our country made me want to be part of a movement for change and equality for everyone. When I was 16 (after failing throughout my school life culminating in failing all 7 of my O-Levels) I pushed my Mum to help me find out what was wrong with me. Eventually we got an appointment with an Educational Psychologist. He seemed to listen as I explained how hard it was to write so that people could read my words and how I wanted to write and to study. I then sat next to my mother and listened as an Educational Psychologist ignored me, looked at, and spoke directly to, my mum asking 'can she write enough to fill out a cheque?' 'Oh... yes' replied my mother 'Well then, she won't need to worry about anything; she'll be married soon and her husband will look after her' concluded the man. My desire to answer my mother's worries, to find out what was wrong with me and to have a future was written off. One failed marriage and 18 years later I started to study again, to take my GCSEs, to complete an access course, to complete my Maths and Education Degree; I could have done all of these things through my teenage years and into my early 20s if I had help, if my potential to contribute to anything had been recognised, if I had been valued. I have been teaching for 17 years and I love being part of a profession that contributes to the life of this country, a profession that at its best changes lives and empowers people to fulfil their dreams. I am excited to be part of the Women's Equality Party because at its best it promises to change lives and empower people to fulfil their dreams.