Thinking about equality

Recently I attended an online conference for the Women’s Equality party (WEP). This is a political party set up about 10 years ago by Sandi Toksvig and Catherine Mayer. They described themselves as ‘Two women fed up with the status quo, tired of feeling frustrated and not seeing anything change’. And this party promised to focus on issues pertinent to women that mainstream parties generally ignore. Sign me up!

And they did. I became a member and followed WEP campaigns: things like reducing the gender pay gap and supporting women to run for political roles. In my last role I took on co-leadership of an Employee Resource Group called Women & Allies. The name speaks to some of the complexity faced by what used to be called women’s networks. Namely, how do they relate to men? Most groups agree that women talking about how women are struggling is of value and comfort to the individuals involved, but it rarely changes things. Finding allies and including everyone in these discussions is a route to change.

I recently volunteered to set up a local branch of WEP. As part of this year’s big lifestyle shifts, I moved closer to where I grew up in the Midlands, which prompted lots of reflection. Wouldn’t young teenage me have loved a local branch of a political party to help women? Wouldn’t this be a great way of meeting like-minded people and helping to make a difference? A more equal world is surely what I want for my son and for everyone.

But then it transpired that the founders of WEP and central team were recommending that the organisation closed down. This made little sense to me at first - a women-led party recommending its own erasure?! The online conference had lots of talks explaining different people’s perspectives on this issue. I couldn’t listen to it all, but what I heard seemed to say that the party didn’t have enough money. Membership fees are the main source of funds and it sounded like those had been spent and were forecast to reduce. It just couldn’t afford to stay open. Staff and volunteers also spoke of burnout and abuse that they no longer wanted to face. Most still believed in the cause, but felt that the existing party should finish.

There was a counter proposal led by local branch leaders, including Kay Wesley who is an elected mayor in Congleton. I supported this proposal, which was to continue WEP with a local branch led model. Essentially lots of smaller organisations created by those who live in different areas, and less focus on a central HQ. The motion to close the party needed a majority of 75% and it received 78% of a vote in a Zoom call. I’m not sure all members would have been aware this was taking place - you need to have been reading emails and available to join a lengthy call on a Sunday! But there it was - the democratic vote deciding that the party was to close.

I went to bed that night feeling slightly sick. Politics needs parties and organisations that focus on women, a traditionally over-looked and underrepresented group in decision making. An hour later I was in my bathroom being violently ill. What on earth was happening now? Food poisoning? I had cooked a meal of sausage, beans and mash for tea, perhaps ill-advisedly!

A frantic call to the NHS diagnosed me with norovirus, a particularly hideous vomiting and diarrhoea virus apparently circulating this Winter. I would not wish this experience on anyone - it’s very nasty and no treatment seems available. You’ve just got to wait it out for 24 hours then stay away from others for a further 48. I realised that my baby son must have picked this virus up from nursery. This is happening constantly as he’s in his first term. It seems that as a working parent, you pay for a child to go to nursery but they frequently become unwell and bring viruses home. It puts the caregiver (disproportionately women) in the position I was then in - very unwell myself, needing to look after my baby, but also wanting and needing to work. Who looks after your baby when your usual childcare won’t accept them? Who looks after you? Precisely the kind of issue that needs to be on the government’s agenda. How many parents are stuck with viruses right now? How many other vulnerable people are affected? How do we navigate it all?

Family support luckily stepped in for me, allowing me to recover and get back to health. Former members of the WEP have launched a new organisation called The Equality Party. They want to see equal representation across politics, industry, public and working life. There is hope on the horizon! I want to thank everyone putting the time and energy into improving the situation of others. We need you! It’s exciting that the founders of this new organisation are based locally to me and I might meet them one day. I’m still thinking about equality and there is more work to do here.