The FWN is greatly concerned that the voices of women were heard so little in the lead up to the EU referendum. This must be urgently turned around – especially now that Prime Minister Theresa May has expressed her willingness to trigger Article 50 in February next year and in doing so will kick start the negotiations to exit the European Union.
Women have already been hardest hit by austerity and we’re concerned that women’s rights might be undermined in the forthcoming Brexit negotiations and thereafter.
We’re therefore asking the British government to protect women’s hard won rights and to commit to step in and support crucial programmes affected by the possible loss of European funding.
The Fabian Women’s Rights Charter, which you can sign here, calls the Government to pledge to meet these 5 commitments:
1. Safeguard workplace rights including equal pay, annual leave, maternity and pregnancy rights and the rights of part-time workers; and take firm action against gender discrimination and harassment in the workplace;
2. Meet funding requirements for the work programmes currently reliant on the European Social Fund which support women moving into work;
3. Safeguard human and reproductive rights of all women, including protecting funding for programmes addressing violence against women and girls the likes of the EU Daphne programme; safeguarding the rights of survivors of VAWG and sexual violence rights in domestic legislation and ensuring women can access the same legal remedies as they do under EU law;
4. Continue to push for wider representation of women in top positions across all industries within the public and private sector, and step in to support female entrepreneurship and start-ups, particularly in innovation and tech;
5. Commit to tackle the rise of hate crime and protect the rights of refugee women and ensure that the health and maternity needs of women who are imprisoned or detained are properly attended to.
SIGN THIS CHARTER and thus join us in urging the Government to protect women’s rights in a post-Brexit world.
*Please note that this Charter does not represent the collective view of the Fabian Society, which does not take organisational positions on policy questions.
Signatories
Members of the FWN committee, in a personal capacity
Angela Rayner MP
Angela Smith MP
Anna Turley MP
Anneliese Dodds MEP
Cat Smith MP
Clare Moody MEP
Dame Glenis Willmott MEP
Fiona Twycross AM
Heidi Alexander MP
Holly Lynch MP
Jess Phillips MP, Chair of Women’s PLP
Jo Stevens MP
Joan Ryan MP
Johanna Baxter
Julie Ward MEP
Kate Green MP
Kerry McCarthy MP
Lilian Greenwood MP
Linda Hobson, Unison
Liv Bailey, Chair of Labour Women’s Network
Liz Kendall MP
Luciana Berger MP
Margaret Greenwood MP
Mary Honeyball MEP
Melanie Onn MP
Neena Gill MEP
Nicky Gavron AM
Rushanara Ali MP
Ruth Smeeth MP
Sarah Champion MP
Seema Malhotra MP, FWN President
Sharon Hodgson MP
Vicky Foxcroft MP
What can you do to help?
Express your support by signing and sharing our Fabian Women’s Rights Charter and by tweeting using #FWNCharter and @fabianwomen. SIGN HERE.
Download a copy of the Charter here together with a Facebook/Twitter infographic and share on your social media.