Next Saturday, 7 September, Progress will be hosting the first Winning with Women conference as part of the Campaign for a Labour Majority.
Today on the website, a range of leading Labour women will be sharing their ideas on key policy areas and challenges to help in our overall discussions on the role that women in the party and electorate will play in winning a Labour majority.
Labour has a proud history in assisting and supporting women standing for public office. I remember the 1997 general election for two main reasons: 1) I was not old enough to vote and was very happy for the additional day off school as I tried to cram in last-minute revision for my GCSE exams, and 2) the record number of 101 Labour women MPs elected. The figure of 101 is drummed in my head as I often talk about this important milestone with the young girls who shadow me in my role as local councillor. Following the 2010 general election 142 women MPs were elected and the majority of female MPs are Labour. Across local government, local and national party structures, women in the party are leading the way in policymaking and breaking down the barriers.
Sadly, women are still underrepresented in politics, business and public life. In an ideal world, a thriving democracy is one in which men and women are evenly represented. Women enjoy more rights and freedoms than ever before, but as a party and movement we must never become complacent in the fight for equality. The coalition government’s austerity measures following the 2010 general election are disproportionately affecting women and the worst of the cuts are yet to come. A cabinet out of touch with ordinary people displayed their total disregard for equality when they failed to carry out an equality impact assessment of the ‘excuse for an emergency budget’ in June 2010. As with most decisions and announcements from this coalition, they only seem to engage and consult after threats of legal challenge.
Labour has to be clear in its offer for women across the country if we are to win a majority in 2015. The women I meet at policy discussions, on the campaign trail and at my advice surgery don’t want handouts and sympathy, but a forum for their ideas and suggestions to be taken seriously. As a party, instead of offering ‘advice’ to the leader, I would like to see Labour discussing how we are going to respond to the fact that an estimated 72 per cent of the cost of changes in taxes, benefits and tax credits as set out in the coalition budget will be paid for by women. Childcare is often cited as a key barrier to employment by a large number of women. We have to offer fully costed proposals to deal with the growing cost of childcare and be bold in pointing to our success in areas including sure start and free childcare places, both introduced under the last Labour government.
Women make up the majority of the estimated six million people in the UK acting as primary carers. I am proud to be one of them, with caring responsibilities for my mother. A further 1.4 million people provide unpaid care. The recent welfare changes have resulted in a number of women facing financial hardship and some have been forced to give up work to care for a sick relative. The ticking time bomb and cost of adult social care is an issue that an incoming Labour government has to address head-on, and, to achieve this, we have to ensure that service users are central to our discussions on policy proposals.
Women voters cannot be a last-minute addition; women make up half of the electorate. In a male-dominated policymaking environment, the Progress Winning with Women conference is another opportunity for leading Labour women to discuss how we are going to continue to ensure that women’s policies and priorities are central to our manifesto commitments.
—————————————————————————————————————
Florence Nosegbe is a councillor in Lambeth and a member of the Progress strategy board. She is chairing next week’s opening plenary session at the Winning With Women conference. Sign up for your ticket here.
—————————————————————————————————————
Sign up to Winning with Women here