2018 Conference Programme - Women's Equality

 

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F R I D A Y 
7 T H  S E P T E M B E R

Opening Night

FAIRISLE STAGE

17.30 - 23.00

Conference Opening

Official opening of the 2018 conference

Dr Yvonne Thompson CBE,
WE Steering Committee

 

Campaign Action

A celebration of the success of the home use campaign.

Claudia Craig, WE Activist

 

Open mic session

Share your thoughts, concerns and passions for equality.

 

 

 

 

 

S A T U R D A Y 
8 T H  S E P T E M B E R

Fringe Events

09.00 - 18.30

FAIRISLE STAGE
 

Medically Unexplained Symptoms

Women's exclusion, from research to diagnosis, and how that impacts health care

Erin Mansell,
Women's Equality Party

Hannah Barham-Brown,
GP Trainee and disability advocate

Christine Ekechi,
Consultant Gynaecologist and Early Pregnancy Plus specialist

Athena Lamnisos,
Chief Executive at The Eve Appeal

 

Repeal the Hate

Meet the women leading the reproductive resistance 

Claudia Craig,
WE Activist

Ailbhe Smyth,
Together for Yes

Emma Campbell,
Co-Chair of Alliance for Choice

Rachael Clarke,
Advocacy Manager at British Pregnancy Advisory Service

 

Big Data: Will Technology Fix
Inequality or Deepen It?

The potential of technology to help or hurt women

Catherine Mayer,
Co-Founder of the Women's Equality Party

Audrey Tang,
Digital Minister of Taiwan (via video link)

Kate Devlin,
Writer and Senior Lecturer at Kings College London

Karen Salt,
Director of Research in Race and
Rights at the University of Nottingham

Seyi Akiwowo,
Founder and Director of Glitch!UK

 

Women In the Line of Fire

The links between acts of mass violence and violence against women

Nazir Afzal OBE,
Former Chief Crown Prosecutor

Joan Smith,
Activist and Author

Hannah Peaker,
Women's Equality Party

Sukhwant Dhaliwal,
Founder of Feminist Dissent

 

Leader's Speech to Conference

(to be live streamed
to WE Facebook page)

Introduced by Dr Shola Mos-Shogbamimu

Sophie Walker, Women's Equality Party

 

 No Woman's Land 

How women negotiate conflict in order to achieve progress

Hannah Peaker,
Women's Equality Party

Emine Çolak,
Advocate, barrister-at-law

Natalie Reynolds,
CEO of advantageSPRING

Bronagh Hinds,
Founder at DemocraShe

 

Nil Points: Immigration
Policy Post-Brexit

How female migrants experience and negotiate globalisation

Stephanie Harrison QC,
Garden Court Chambers 

Pragna Patel,
Director of Southall Black Sisters

Aderonke Apata,
Founder of African Rainbow Family

Parvati Raghuram,
Professor at the Open University

 

 

LIGHTHOUSE THEATRE

 

The 93%: Improving
Conviction Rates for Rape

Do we need to radically rethink our criminal justice system?

Olivia Smith,
Senior Lecturer at Anglia Ruskin University

Jenn Selby,
IC Change

Femi Otitoju,
Co-Chair of Women's Aid

Emily Hunt,
Data Specialist and VAWG Commentator

Harriet Wistrich,
Director of Centre for Women's Justice

 

Any Answers

Find out how to answer any question, from the obscure to the infuriating

Sophie Walker,
Leader of the Women's Equality Party

 

Grossly Undervalued
Domestic Product

Why women are still outside the economic sphere and whether we should care

Sandi Toksvig,
Women's Equality Party

 

Cross-Party Panel

Representatives of all parties come together to discuss how to get more women into policies

Amelia Womack,
Deputy Leader of Green Party

Rt Hon Nicky Morgan MP,
Conservative

Rosie Duffield MP,
Labour

Harini Iyengar,
WE Policy Committee

 

 

Vamps, Victims and Feminazis

With trust in the media at an all-time low, is it time to write new narratives?

Catherine Mayer,
WE Co-founder 

Charlie Brinkhurst-Cuff,
Deputy Editor of gal-dem

Athena Stevens,
Playwright and Activist

Rob Berkeley,
Co-editor of BlackOut UK

 

 

Turn Off the Red Light

One woman's account of surviving prostitution and fighting to end it 

Halla Gunnarsdóttir,
Special Adviser to the Prime Minister's Office, Iceland

Mia de Faoite, 
Survivor Activist at End Demand UK/HLFG Ireland

 

 

PORTLAND ROOM

 

This Century is Ours 

One hundred years since the first women got the vote, what next for the feminist movement?

Sam Smethers,
Chief Executive at the Fawcett Society

Sophie Walker,
Leader of Women's Equality Party

Amika George,
Founder of Free Periods

Dr Shola Mos-Shogbamimu,
Women's March London

 

Tales from the Trail

Hear from the women who have represented WE in elections

Mandu Reid, WE Lewisham

Tabitha Morton, WE Liverpool 

Charlotte Mead, WE Sheffield

Alexia Pepper de Caires, WE Hackney

 

Parity Begins at Home

Women cannot have equality in the workplace until they have equality in the home

Halla Gunnarsdóttir,
Special Adviser to the Prime Minister's Office, Iceland

Victoria Showunmi,
Senior Lecturer at Maynooth University

Giselle Cory,
Data Scientist and Public Policy Analyst

Tracey Jensen,
Lecturer at Lancaster University

 

Changes to the Gender Recognition Act

What will legal changes mean for the interaction between gender and sex based rights

Claire McCan,
Barrister at Cloisters Chambers

Catherine Casserley,
Barrister at Cloisters Chambers

 

Towards a Sex Buyers Law

Training on abolition as the only progressive solution to prostitution

Fiona Broadfoot,
Founder & CEO of Build a Girl Project and Survivor 

 

  

   

      

   

   

PENDEEN ROOM

 

Out of Sight, Out of Mind 

The invisibility of women's homelessness and seeing the solutions

Lisa Raftery,
London Development Manager at Homeless Link

Celia Wilson,
Women's Equality Party

Dr Paula Mayock,
Assistant Professor at Trinity College Dublin

Hilary Burkitt,
Head of Research at Shelter

 

Towards a Sex Buyers Law

Training on abolition as the only progressive solution to prostitution

Fiona Broadfoot,
Founder & CEO of Build a Girl Project and Survivor 

 

Any Questions

Put your questions to the candidates that want to represent you on the Steering and Policy Committees

Policy Committee candidates

Steering Committee candidates

Sophie Walker, Women's Equality Party

 

Your Country (Really)
Needs You

Demystifying the political process and supporting more women to stand

Lee Chalmers,
Founder of the Parliament Project

Seyi Akiwowo,
Founder and Director of Glitch!UK

Cath Smith,
Women's Equality Party

     

 

  

 

     

     

LAKESIDE ROOM

 

 

Trading in Women's Rights

How to mitigate the negative impacts of trade on women

Marion Sharples,
The Gender and Development Network
and Women Working Worldwide

Girish Menon,
Chief Executive at ActionAid UK

Erin Mansell,
Women's Equality Party

Dr Adrienne Roberts,
Senior Lecturer at University of Manchester

 

Matriarch Or Man 

On why all men should want to live in a matriarchy

Jordan Stephens,
Musician, writer, performer and campaigner

 

Breaking the Political Deadlock on Social Care

Putting this crisis back on the political agenda

Lydia Hayes,
Read in Law at Cardiff University

Mary-Ann Stephenson,
Director of Women's Budget Group

Athena Stevens,
Women's Equality Party

 

You Brexit, WE Fix It

The impact of different Brexit scenarios on women and a feminist response

Mary-Ann Stephenson,
Director of Women's Budget Group

Cath Smith,
Women's Equality Party

Kimberly McIntosh,
ROTA/Runnymede trust

Dr Susan Milner,
Associate Professor at University of Bath

Rachel Franklin, Chief of Staff at InFacts

 

 

 

 

 

MINI FRINGE

Visit the Fringe within a Fringe. 
These sessions are self-organised by members and external organisations.

 

Celtic Connection 

For delegates from Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland. An opportunity to build networks for future campaigns.

 

BAME Caucus 

For BAME delegates and allies. An opportunity to build connections and organise to campaign for change within the party and beyond.

 

Northern Hub 

For representatives from branches in Northern England, to explore how we can strengthen connections across the region and organise for future campaigns and elections.

 

Make Votes Matter 

This session asks how we can change our voting system to Proportional Representation in years rather than decades and what you can do to help.

 

Pop Up Pride 

This session is all about why WE are proud! 2018’s Pride organising team are here to fill you in, hear your thoughts and find organisers for 2019 Pride events across the country.

 

Business, Politics, Money 

WE Development Committee

This session is for delegates with business skills or connections who could contribute to the party’s fundraising efforts. WE need to find ways to raise considerable funds from business and business people to accelerate the pace of change.

 

The Power of Saying No 

Rebecca Lammers 

This session explores the power of saying no, why patriarchal conditioning has made it so difficult for us to say no, and how to apply basic ‘no’ principles to improve your day-to-day decision-making in life.

 

Glitch!UK 

This workshop will #fixtheglitch and help members campaign, advocate and educate to end online abuse and harassment. Learn how to develop digital resilience.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

S U N D A Y 
9 T H  S E P T E M B E R

Party Business

Motion Debates and Votes

08.30 - 16.00

We recommend you read the motions and amendments before you come to conference to get the most out of the debates. 
Click the titles below to see each motion, amendment and rationale, or download all motions in one document
For the rules that govern proceedings of our party conferences, see the Standing Orders
 
 

Approval of Standing Orders

08.25 - 08.35

Reports to conference

08.35 - 09.05

 

  • Steering Committee report

  • Finance report

  • Appeals Body report

  • Announcement of random selections to Steering Committee


Business motions - internal structures and processes

09.05 - 10.40

 

Special debates at conference (emergency motion)

Sophie Walker, Leader

 

Governance review: Steering Committee (emergency motion)

Chris Paouros, Executive Committee

VOTING OPENS FOR POLICY & STEERING COMMITTEE ROLES
09.30

 

Branch representation in decision making

Emma Ko, Camden branch

Amendment A: Clarifying eligibility for hub coordinator and data manager roles 

David Renton, Edinburgh branch

 

 

 

Governance review:

Chris Paouros, Executive Committee

 

 

Motion for Conference to approve the appointment of five Steering Committee members, and the reappointment of two members of the Appeals Body

Sophie Walker, Steering Committee

Policy development

10.40 - 10.55

 

A feminist foreign policy

Sophie Walker, Leader

 

To create a WE working group on technology and innovation in support of our core objectives and for a truly transformational politics

Athena Stevens, Steering Committee

 

Explicit inclusion of video games in WE Policy on Equality in the Media

Caroline Hunt, Pamela Ritchie

Health and social care

10.55 - 11.20

 

A motion to protect the long-term sustainability of the NHS

Sophie Walker, Leader

 

A policy on health and social care

Athena Stevens, Steering Committee 

Access the proposed Equality in Health policies >>  

 

Encouraging government to give women equal access to sterilisation as a permanent form of contraception

Abi Pattenden, Hove and Portslade branch

Equalities legislation

11.20 - 12.25

 

Making equal pay and equal caregiving a reality in the modern labour market

Eleanor Hemmens, Harini Iyengar, Policy Committee

 

Update the Equality Act to include socio-economic status as a protected characteristic

Sellisha Lockyer

 

Gender Recognition Act 2004

Amy Killen, Chris Paouros

Amendment A: Maintaining the protections of the Equality Act 2010

Magda Devas

Equal Parenting and caregiving

12.25 - 12.50

 

 

 

 

 

Ratification of manifesto policies:

Universal free childcare

Margaret Kerbey, Policy Committee

Nine months shared parental leave on 90% of pay

Dianna Moylan, Policy Committee

 

Writing off historic child support arrears

Joanna Archer, Bath branch

Lunch break and reports to conference

12.50 - 13.35 

 

  • Appeals Body report

  • Announcement of random selections to Steering Committee

     

Brexit and Migration

13.35 - 14.45

 

 

A Women's Equality Party policy on Brexit

Bea Gare, Steering Committee

Amendment A: Deletion of lines 19 – 21 inc.

Jill Lorimer, Richmond branch

Amendment B: To ensure that the proposed People’s Vote...includes the Option to Remain

Sarah Dodgson

 

Ensuring that settled status will take into account women’s, children’s and vulnerable groups’ needs

Guilene Gaspais, Islington branch

 

Protecting migrant domestic workers against abuse and servitude

Guilene Gaspais, Islington branch

Ending Violence Against Women   

14.45 - 15.25

 

Abolish the single payment system of Universal Credit

Emma Hopkins Jones, York branch

 

Delivering nil cap limit on local authorities’ sexual entertainment venues Policies

Charlotte Mead, Sheffield branch

Affordable housing

15.25 - 15.30

 

Housing motion (amended)

Pamela Ritchie, Virginie Bellaton

Equal Education

15.30 - 15.50

 

Provision for Parental-Engagement Programmes in Relationships and Sex Education (RSE)

Leah Jewett, Camden branch

Amendment A: Ensuring that parents perceive involvement in sex and relationship education as an opportunity rather than a chore

Rufus Duits, Steering Committee

 

From STEM to STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts & Design and Maths)

Rebecca Manson Jones, Athena Stevens

VOTING CLOSES FOR POLICY AND STEERING COMMITTEE ROLES

16.30

 
Important information for voting delegates:
 
These timings are estimated depending on debate lengths. If there are motions you want to debate, please make sure you keep track of progress against the programme on the day so you don't miss anything. 
 
Where there are amendments to motions the amendments will be debated and voted in the order shown. To make space on the agenda for as many motions as possible, some of the amendments that were submitted have been accepted by the movers of the original motions. Where this is the case, the motions are shown as amended, with the amendment highlighted, but we have not published the amendment separately. 
 
Amendments to be debated are separate documents with their own rationale. 
 
The Conference Chair will also move to put some of the motions straight to a vote, again to make as much time for as many motions on the agenda as possible. 
 
A reference copy of every motion and amendment tabled is available to download, with the motion and amendment text.  
 
There will be some printed copies of the motions available for reference, but not one for every delegate. They will also be projected as they are debated and voted. If you want to make sure you have your own copy, please download to a device you can use at Conference or print a copy to bring with you. 
 

Can't find what you're looking for? Check out our delegate FAQs >>

  
        
  

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