We launch our #100daysofMay campaign, setting a deadline for the new Prime Minister to act on gender equality
Today the Women’s Equality Party launch a new campaign setting out six achievable goals for Theresa May to commit to by the end of her 100th day in office. #100daysofMay will allow the new Prime Minister to show her commitment to gender equality by October 22.
Working with the backing of key women’s organisations, the Women’s Equality Party is calling on Mrs May to commit to:
- Sufficient and sustainable funding for specialist services seeking to end violence against women and girls
- State-funded universal childcare from the end of parental leave at nine months
- Compulsory sex and relationships education in schools
- A timeline for ratifying the Istanbul Convention
- An end to the detention of asylum seekers and an end to the detention of pregnant migrant women at Yarl’s Wood detention centre
- Equal representation of women in Parliament
“Our #100daysofMay campaign calls on Theresa May to make firm commitments on a range of equality issues by 22 October, her 100th day at number 10,” says Sophie Walker, leader of the Women’s Equality Party. “These commitments are not hard to do; they just require the political will to create a fair and just society for women and girls.”
The Women’s Equality Party will be holding the Prime Minister to account on these six commitments with regular updates throughout the 100 days of the campaign.
“As Home Secretary, May introduced laws to criminalise coercive and controlling behaviour, saw through significant progress in tackling FGM and early forced marriage in the UK, and called out police attitudes in dealing with cases of domestic violence and abuse,” says Walker. “Under her watch reporting rates for sexual violence and abuse also increased, and these gains should be celebrated. But there is so much more to do, and we now are calling on May to go further as our new Prime Minister, committing to these six realistic policies that would transform the lives of women across the UK.”
“We welcome moves by the Women’s Equality Party to call for better protection for women who have sought asylum in the UK,” says Natasha Walter, director of Women for Refugee Women. “Detention is traumatic for women who have fled persecution and we hope that the Government, under Theresa May's leadership will now begin to move away from the use of indefinite detention for those seeking asylum, particularly for pregnant women and women who have fled torture, trafficking and sexual violence.”
“We have been encouraged that during Theresa May’s time at the Home Office we saw significant changes to our laws to ensure we comply with the Istanbul Convention on Violence Against Women, including laws on psychological violence, forced marriage and female genital mutilation (FGM),” says Rebecca Bunce of the IC Change campaign, which has worked alongside major women’s organisations since November 2014 to speed the UK Government’s ratification of the Istanbul Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence. “Now we need to finish this work. We need a clear timetable for completion.”
Polly Neate, CEO Women’s Aid, adds: “Having worked with Theresa May during her time as Home Secretary, we know she is committed to ending violence against women. We urge her to seize this opportunity to make a step change in both the protection of women and the prevention of domestic abuse.”
Read full details of the campaign here.
Published July 22, 2016