I want to be out in the world changing it for the better through positivity. I am WE because equality is a no brainer, it benefits everyone. Girl power is a force for good and a move to the future. I joined this party for every woman who came before me who paved the way to the freedoms I have today and for every person in the future to make sure they have it even better, no matter what religion, what race, what sexual orinentaion or even what gender.

Lift her to her pedestal

She hops and steps with grace

Lift her to her pedestal

My hands set her in place

I know they’re rough, and I’m no lord

I’ve got no handsome face

But God built me to help her, see

In that there’s no disgrace

If I don’t lift her, then I’m stuck

With no-one to adore

You’ll think me silly, saying that,

That’s what good men are for

I set her on her pedestal

Just like They said to do

“She’s made for that”, the Goddess said

“Where she can gaze

At you”

...For my son who who wanted to play with Lego no matter what I offered. For my daughter who didn't like dolls but loved pink. Wishing the Party the tenacity to achieve the success it deserves, and hoping it will always take individual diversity into account alongside equality for the sexes. Cheers to you all, Love Geeger

At work, at home, out socialising, all the time, I see women doing brilliant things, offering incredible opinions, starting and then tending wonderfully constructive relationships, creating organisations and slowly but surely changing the world for the better. Yet everyday I feel incredible frustration when I see my female friends and colleagues being patronised, ignored and overridden. For a forward-thinking, peaceful, prosperous and progressive world, I believe we need women involved, speaking and leading. For some reason that hasn't happened yet but by joining WE, I want to play a part in changing it.

I've been lucky having friends, families, teachers and employers who supported me in my dream to become a mechanical engineer and then a consultant. I was always encouraged to believe that my gender was irrelevant to my career ambitions and personal life choices. Sadly, I see that not everyone has this supportive environment and I want to create a world where opportunity is equally accessible for everyone.

Sexism is everywhere and is not being antagonised, neither in principle nor practice, as other forms of discrimination are. In many schools children are reminded daily about the imperative of mutual respect in racial, cultural and religious terms. However, gender discrimination is not similarly prioritised. Boys dominate in the playground, despite some schools introduce 'Girls football days', which many girls don't join anyway, used as they are to boys ultimately taking over. Children uttering remarks like 'stop crying like a little girl' or boys refusing to sit next to girls, all represent attitudes which go often unchallenged and are often attributed to specific types of cultural upbringing. Sexism in schools does not seem to be recognised as damaging enough. As if it's some kind of low level discrimination, to be dismissed with a shrug. It is instead pervasive and remains mostly unchallenged (often in fear of hurting particular, culturally-shaped, sensibilities). What is the point of fighting for equal pay in the workplace, if girls are taught that inequality starts at school? 'Stop sexism in education' is the campaign I would like to join.

and so that my future sons and daughters will be shocked and staggered at the inequality that exists in our time.

because, as well as being a Socialist who believes in equality for all, I specifically am a feminist who believes in full gender equality

I don't want to fight for anything, I don't want to smash anything, I'm not angry... I don't have any daughters that I want to protect or make a better world for. It's really shouldn't have to be that difficult - inequality just doesn't make sense in an intelligent society.

I remember sitting in my high school history class, and my teacher, Beth Starichino, desperately trying to encourage me to join a Women’s Rights organization. At the time, I was stupid and claimed that women had equal rights, at least in the western world. I’ll never forget the look on her face, when she said, “when you’re older, you’ll think differently.” At the time, I laughed, the way any sixteen year girl that got good grades and had a sense of entitlement would laugh at such a statement, having no clue what discrimination looked like, either as a woman or as a person with a disability. I’m joining the Women’s Equality Party because it’s taken me sixteen years to to admit to myself, to the world, to her, that’s she’s right. It’s taken me sixteen years to admit that there’s something wrong when co-workers call me irrational just because I stand up for my ideas. There is something wrong when the boy I’m dating calls me ‘a proud woman’ and says it like it’s a bad thing. There is something wrong in this world where we can not find a reasonable way to provide new mothers with affordable childcare, where a woman still has to make a decision whether or not to chase her own dreams in the career of her choosing or to be a mom. Where girls at the age of twelve or thirteen would rather be pretty than smart, and where it has been scientifically proven that if a man behaves one way, he is called assertive, but if a woman behaves the same way, she is called a bitch. I joined the Women’s Equality Party in the UK because I want to make history and make sure that for the next generation, when they talk about equal rights between the genders, they can say that this fight is over, and the teacher will agree that they are right.

I’m very proud to be part of WE. People power works. When enough of us work together to challenge the status quo, mountains can be moved, people and organizations persuaded to change, cultures altered and new laws brought in to play. So excited that men and women are standing together to effect long-overdue change.

The glass ceiling makes my blood boil. I've lost jobs due to my sexuality and my gender in the Armed Forces and the Private Sector. Boys will be Boys? Not in my world. No girl or woman should have to deal with what I have seen and been subjected too. The culture of our society needs to change, and I hope that the WEP is a vehicle for that to happen.

Don't see it in society. The few female lecturers at my university aren't considered as good academics as their male colleagues; sexual violence and rape is a problem that disproportionately affects women not only in my context but across the globe; there's huge pressure on women in today's society to look a certain way and wear the right things; if you don't have a career you're a scrounger, but if you don't have kids you're selfish. It's all too much.

Women are not a minority group so let's stop being treated as such. Everyone, whatever their status, should be treated with respect as we all contribute to society. Unfortunately some voices are heard more than others so well done to WE for trying to address this.

30 years ago, during my educational process at university/higher ed, I witnessed how the best of my own female tutors/lecturers were little acknowledged for their contribution within the power structures of their institutions. I saw them being unjustly pensioned off with a pittance (compared to their male colleagues) after a life time of incredible commitment to education; I watched how they struggled to survive, with such limited means, whilst others with so much less commitment were able to enjoy retirement. It is astonishing that the very same has repeated in my own working life so that I am in the position they were in 30 years ago. The sad part of this is that 3 decades later, some fellow women colleagues who are nowadays promoted to key positions have been party to such oppressive and discriminatory conduct. Little has changed in the ideology of the educational institution, even if a lot more women are employed. Worse still, despite the glut of self-publicity about equal opportunities in its institutions, the higher education work place is as sexist and racist as it ever was, in the UK. It is the cultural politics at national level that needs to be changed.

I am in my early 30s and have a had a lifetime of not being able to just be myself. I am a degree qualified and experienced aircraft engineer specialising in aircraft engines, and a fully licenced airline pilot on the Airbus A320 family, which is now my primary career. I have always cared deeply about women's rights and, at long last, a political party has been founded that I can truly and passionately support. My hope is that WEP can raise the general public's consciousness, so each individual considers the equality of women to be a fundamental part of a successful society. Consider pioneers such as Ada Lovelace, imagine that she and her societies sisters had been given a full and equal education and access to all opportunities that men were privileged too, think where our society would be now.

equal responsibilities go hand in hand with equal rights freedoms and opportunities, employers still see women as responsible for children and likely to need time off , both create the child - both should be responsible to share the care for example..

Congratulations for starting a WE party. This is the first time I have become a member of a party. My background is working for 10 years in the private sector and financial institutions and over 22 years in the public sector, mainly housing and homelessness. I would like to see that WE have a clear policy on educating our girls and boys to have respect for each other and be kind and compassionate human beings; children who have respect for the environment and are against any form of violence at home, outside home and internationally. I hope there will be policies on fairer distribution of income and reduction in the gap between the poorest and the richest in our communities.. Best of luck

I was a feminist activist at the LSE in the 70's and have had a career in adult and further education trying to advances women's education and career opportunities. Girls and women are under-represented in technology and enterprise and I believe that together we can tackle this and provide more options for economic independence www.techwomenuk.com @techwomenuk

I am a well qualified (I have four degrees), articulate and self confident woman who is unemployable. I also have three children and apparently you can't have both a family life and a career. I have applied for lots of part time jobs in my local area but even if I get an interview they tend to say that - this is not the job for me, and that I will get bored. Even an adviser at the job centre suggested that I lie on my CV and lose some of my qualifications as they made me unemployable. Why do I have to dumb myself down to get work???

I'm a mum of two and don't want full time work as I want my children to have me around while they're young. Part time work is a joke.....poor pay.... no progressing....hours not suitable.... child care expensive....should I go on? But not only these issues bother me, the portrayal of women in TV/film/childrens programmes/magazines is either ever available, victim, supporter etc.... it's a sad image to grow up with. I could go on but I'd take up half the site.