As the general election approaches on the 4th July, the recently released party manifestos are under intense scrutiny. But, no matter which political party ends up in Westminster, it is clear they have a lot of work to do to make the UK a safer and happier place for women. Here, we analyse the key feminist points in each manifesto.
Labour
More reporting on gender pay gaps: Labour have pledged to create more transparency and accountability in pay disparities between genders. By doing so, they hope to combat biases in the workplace.
More reporting on ethnicity and disability pay gaps: Aiming to address broader inequalities, Labour’s manifesto also includes reporting on pay gaps related to ethnicity and disability with the hope to promote a more inclusive and fair workplace.
Make flexible working the default: Labour have also pledged to ensure all jobs can accommodate flexible working arrangements. This is particularly important for women, who are often juggling multiple responsibilities at work and home.
Review parental leave: Labour plan to evaluate and improve parental leave policies to provide better support for parents and encourage a more equal sharing of childcare responsibilities.
Close the Black and Asian Maternity Mortality Gap: Women of colour face severe health inequalities, and Labour has pledged to address these. They aim to focus specifically on closing the maternity mortality gap for Black and Asian women.
More training on racism and misogyny for the police: Labour has committed to training police to be well-equipped in handling issues around racism and misogyny sensitively and effectively. They also plan to carry out similar training in educational settings to ensure they remain environments built on respect and equality.
Combat extreme misogynistic abuse online: Labour are also planning to focus on addressing harmful behaviour in digital spaces, to ensure women can participate safely in online communities.
Conservative
Women’s health strategy: The only feminist issue Conservatives have laid out plans for is to continue addressing maternal health and tackling birth trauma.
The Conservative manifesto is notably silent on many other feminist issues such as bridging the gender pay gap or fostering safer spaces for women at work and beyond.
Liberal Democrats
Right to flexible working: The Liberal Democrats are proposing for access to flexible working to become a right. This will ensure families can balance work and childcare more effectively, taking the load off women.
Childcare reforms: The manifesto includes reforms to make childcare more accessible and affordable, which is vital for enabling women to return to work and pursue their careers.
Increased maternal and parental pay: The Lib Dem’s aim to increase pay for maternal and parental leave, alleviating financial pressures on families and encouraging a more equal sharing of childcare responsibilities.
Publishing pay gaps and diversity targets: Similarly to Labour, the Lib Dem’s propose to publish gender, ethnicity, and disability pay gaps in the aim to promote transparency and accountability in addressing workplace inequalities.
Support for social care: Recognising that women often bear the brunt of caregiving, the manifesto includes reforms to provide better support for caregivers and ensure fair pay for social care workers.
Making misogyny a hate crime: A significant proposal is to classify misogyny as a hate crime. This commitment, along with proposals to end violence against women and girls, including expanding refuge and rape crisis centres, is crucial for supporting survivors of domestic abuse and creating a safer society for women.
Voting is taking place on 4th July. Remember to take a photo ID to vote.