#SheVotes24 coalition open letter to all Parties asking how will they improve the lives of women and girls

[IwantToRetire]

New polling from The Fawcett Society and Centenary Action shows that there is all to play for when it comes to securing women’s votes and all parties must work harder to impress at the polls or they risk losing women’s votes.

The polling of 2,004, including 1124 women, is being released to coincide with the launch of #SheVotes24, the largest ever women’s sector coalition, representing more than 120 women’s organisations. Taken together, our organisations have over 10.5 million women and girls as members, supporters and service users. Organisations include Mumsnet, Women’s Aid, Muslim Women’s Network, The WI, Disability Rights UK and more.

This week, we see parties publishing manifestos to convince voters that they belong in our Parliament. Today’s polling shows that almost a quarter of women (23% compared to just 13% of men) are undecided about who will get their vote, showing there is so much potential for huge gains for parties who put women’s needs and priorities front and centre.

Currently, women are 51% of the population, but only made up 35% of MPs in the last Parliament. 1 in 4 women have experienced rape or sexual assault as an adult. In 2023, women earned £574 less than men per month on average. But so far, we’ve heard startlingly little about some of the issues that are most important to women and to the stability of our economy.

The #SheVotes24 coalition launches with an open letter calling on all parties to answer to a series of questions that demonstrate their candidates’ commitment to improving the lives of women and girls in the UK. The letter also calls on the media to ensure the issues raised are given adequate prominence through the campaign.

The #SheVotes24 open letter and list of signatories at https://www.fawcettsociety.org.uk/shevotes24

(Interesting to see that mumsnet has been included as part of the "women's sector" )

Not posting out of support for the letter but suspect lazy media will use this as an easy way to say what the priorities are for women, and for the Parties who is suits their manifesto will quote it to say they are doing want women want.)

Fawcett soc say a woman is anyone who says they are, which makes everything else they say irrelevant

That's missing the point in terms of influencing political parties.

The relevance is the huge number of groups, many of whom are service providers for women, who have signed this statement. (Let alone mumsnet)

That's why it is troubling.

Because the media and politicians can say the issue of sex based rights is not important according to this list.

It undermines those who have been trying to raise the issue ie Labour can turn round and say these women (who will have more status because they are apparently signing on behalf of groups) have not made any reference about sex based rights.

You and I might think it irrelevant but it is a statement that will be used not just by TRAs but the be kind contingent to dismess GC arguements as irrelevant obsession of a tiny minority.

Who do you think politicians and journalists are going to reference? Annonymous posters on FWR or this list of groups?

1. Jemima Olchawski, CEO, The Fawcett Society
2. Professor Helen Pankhurst CBE, Convener, Centenary Action
3. Sarah Ronan, Director, Early Education and Childcare Coalition
4. Mia Hasenson-Gross, Executive Director, René Cassin
5. Bee Rowlatt, Chair, Wollstonecraft Society
6. BuyToBenefit
7. Jennifer Nadel, Co-Director, Compassion in Politics
8. Laura Sercombe, CEO GFS (Girls Friendly Society)
9. Margaret Owen, President, Widows for Peace through Democracy (WPD)
10. Kate Metcalf, Co-Director, Wen (Women's Environmental Network)
11. Sophie Marple, Director, Mothers Climate Action Network
12. Annette Lawson, Ambassador, NAWO
13. Professor Anna Birch , Artistic Director, Fragments & Monuments performance and film company
14. Cat Sutherland, Secretary, Graduate Women Scotland (GWS)
15. Eva Tabbasam, Director, Gender Action for Peace and Security (GAPS)
16. Ghadah Alnasseri, Co-Executive Director, Imkaan
17. Dr Mary-Ann Stephenson, Director, Women's Budget Group
18. Joanne Jopling, CEO, Young Womens Outreach Project
19. Corinne Devine, CEO, Women's Health in South Tyneside (WHiST)
20. Su Moore, CEO, The Jo Cox Foundation
21. Samantha Jones, DCEO, Rape Crisis Tyneside & Northumberland
22. Business and Professional Women UK
23. Widows Rights International Trustees
24. Neelam Rose, Advocacy Officer, Muslim Women’s Network UK
25. Joanne Armstrong, Member Support, Marketing and Communications Officer, Represent Women
26. Elaine Slater, Chief Executive Officer, Tyneside Women's Health
27. Cullagh Warnock, member, One Million Women and Girls campaign
28. Rose Caldwell, CEO, Plan International UK
29. Lyanne Nicholl, CEO, 50:50 Parliament
30. Andrea Simon, Director, End Violence Against Women Coalition
31. Dinah Musindarwezo, Womankind Worldwide, Director of Policy and Communications
32. Melissa Keveren, Founder, Girls Who Talk Politics
33. Rhoda Morrow, Mental Health Development Worker
34. Vanessa Vallely OBE, WeAreTheCity
35. Claire Reindorp, CEO, Young Women's Trust
36. Andrea Vukovic, Deputy Director, Women for Refugee Women
37. Professor Miranda Horvath, University of Suffolk
38. Violence Against Women and Girls Research Network
39. Vivienne Hayes, CEO, Women's Resource Centre
40. Mollin Delve, CEO, PHOEBE
41. Khedijah Mohammed-Nur, Co-Founder, Network of Eritrean Women-UK
42. Vandna Gohil, CEO, Nottingham Women's Centre
43. Professor Aisha K. GILL, Professor of Criminology
44. Dr Marsha Scott, CEO, Scottish Women's Aid
45. Sam Smethers, Interim CEO, Surviving Economic Abuse
46. Alison Boydell, Co-founder Jurors Understanding Rape is Essential Standard (JURIES)
47. Gabriela de Oliveira, Head of Policy, Research and Campaigns, Glitch
48. Priya Sahni-Nicholas & Jo Wittams, Co-Executive Directors, The Equality Trust
49. Sahdaish Pall - CEO - Sikh Women's Aid
50. Susie McDonald, CEO, Tender Education and Arts
51. Justine Roberts, CEO, Mumsnet
52. Emily Chalke and Minke van Til, Co-Directors, Ella's
53. Rasheda Malcolm, CEO, The WILDE Foundation
54. Dianne Greyson, Founder #EthnicityPayGap Campaign
55. Surwat Sohail, CEO, Roshni Birmingham
56. Tabitha Morton, CEO, UN Women UK
57. Helen McEachern, CEO, CARE International UK
58. Diana Nammi, CEO, IKWRO - Women's Rights Organisation
59. Victoria Vasey, Director, Women's Equality Network Wales
60. Jilly Rogers, President, National Council of Women GB
61. Joeli Brearley, CEO, Pregnant Then Screwed
62. Sam Clifford, CEO, Jewish Women's AId
63. Akeela Ahmed MBE, Founder, She Speaks We Hear
64. Rachel Grocott, CEO, Bloody Good Period
65. Sarbjit Ganger, Asian Women's Resource Centre
66. Ellen Miller, CEO, SafeLives
67. Natalie Collins, CEO, Own My Life
68. Louise McCudden, UK Head of External Affairs, MSI Reproductive Choices
69. Jasmine Mohammad, Director, Safety4Sisters
70. Ros McNeil, Assistant General Secretary, National Education Union
71. Elaine Crory, Women's Sector Lobbyist, Women's Resource & Development Agency
72. Bekah Legg, CEO, Restored
73. Estelle du Boulay, Director, Rights of Women
74. Dr Ranee Thakar, President, Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists
75. Melissa Green, Chief Executive, The Women's Institute
76. Samsunear Ali, Acting Chief Executive, Bawso
77. Angie Airlie, CEO, Stay Safe East
78. Lynne Griffiths, Founder and CEO, AG Communications Ltd
79. Frank Mullane MBE, CEO, Advocacy After Fatal Domestic Abuse (AAFDA)
80. Tracy Doig, Head of Advocacy and Campaigns, The Circle
81. James Robertson, Director of Campaigns, Sortition Foundation
82. Stacy Smith CEO Her Centre
83. Selma Taha, Executive Director, Southall Black Sisters
84. Girlguiding
85. Catherine Murphy, Executive Director, Engender
86. Yasmin Rehman, CEO, Juno Women's Aid
87. Farah Nazeer, CEO, Women’s Aid
88. Laura Marks CBE, co-Chair, Alliance of Jewish Women
89. Police Spies Out Of Lives
90. Dr Alexandra Meakin, Lecturer in British Politics, University of Leeds
91. Susan Banducci, Professor, University of Exeter
92. Jennie Walker Kernow Soroptimists (SI Kernow) Team Leader
93. Joy Doal, CEO, Anawim
94. Aisha Ali-Khan, Campaigner
95. Fazilet Hadi, Head of Policy, Disability Rights UK
96. Kirsty Kitchen, Head of Policy, Birth Companions
97. Gail Heath, CEO, Pankhurst Trust (incorporating Manchester Women's Aid)
98. Paul Carbury, Chief Executive,Smallwood Trust
99. Timi Okuwa, CEO, Black Equity Organisation
100. Melissa Keveren, Founder, Girls Who Talk Politics
101. Alice Coren, CEO, Remade Wigan
102. Hollie Venn, CEO, Sheffield Women's Aid
103. Anna Ritchie Allan, Executive Director, Close the Gap
104. Indy Cross, Chief Executive, Agenda Alliance
105. Nadia Ali - Stockport Women and Girls Network Lead
106. Jessica Brannan, CEO, POW Nottingham
107. Samantha Fisher, CEO, Trafford Domestic Abuse Services
108. Bev Jullien, CEO, Mothers' Union
109. Bianca Pitt, Co-founder Slow Grown Farm
110. Anna Whitehouse, founder Mother Pukka
111. The Women's Centre Cornwall
112. Dr. Jess Fagin (University of Exeter)
113. Hannah Stevens, CEO, Elect Her
114. Gabriela Quevedo - Advocacy, Community and Learning Director - Latin American Women's Aid (LAWA)
115. Lisa Dando. Director, Brighton Women's Centre
116. Novlet Holness, CEO, Nottinghamshire Sexual Violence Support Services
117. Revd Dr Carrie Ford, Director, Genderwise.Net
118. Laura Bates, Founder, The Everyday Sexism Project.
119. Dr Sarabajaya Kumar, Founder, The Disabled Women in Politics Network
120. Aoife Clements, Founder, 50:50NI
121. Prof. Rosie Campbell, Director, Global Institute for Women's Leadership

'We, the undersigned, demand that women and girls are put at the heart of the General Election. We represent over 120 organisations and taken together, our organisations have over 10.5 million women and girls as members, supporters and service users. We are the largest ever coalition of organisations representing the interests of women and girls, coming together to raise our voices. But more importantly, we represent over half of the population who can often feel their voices are not heard, their quality of life not prioritised, and their experiences dismissed.'

Oh, the fucking irony. The ones who claim to represent us are not fucking listening and are using our complaints that they're not fucking listening to illustrate the point that nobody listens to women.

Well said Arabella!

...and some of those signatories are very much not TWAW

Yes, but it's done under teh auspices of the Fawcett Society, whom many women/feminists feel have really fucked women over.

Oh, the fucking irony. The ones who claim to represent us are not fucking listening and are using our complaints that they're not fucking listening to illustrate the point that nobody listens to women.

Spot on.

Although on a sadder not, its bad enough when men who claim to be able to represent women appropriate our complaints, but when other women do, not to the advantage of the women making the complaints, but to boost the right to be taken as THE representation, it just adds to the feeling that women's actually voices are being silenced.

And only acted on when convenient to further the interest of the person / group appearing to listen.

...and some of those signatories are very much not TWAW

Can you say which? Genuine question.