Today Caroline Lucas, Green MP for Brighton Pavilion, spoke at a demonstration in Westminster which saw hundereds of women and men descend on Parliament to demand equal rights for women.
Caroline Lucas, Green MP for Brighton Pavilion, joined the 21st century suffragettes
saying “We are not going away until we make sure gender inequality is history
(Image: Caroline Allen)
The mass Feminist Lobby of Parliament was organised by gender equality group UK Feminista in reaction to “a growing tide of attacks on women’s rights”, such as the disproportionate impact of Government cuts of women’s equality and moves to restrict access to abortion. The Green Party Women’s Group and members of the Fawcett Society (of which Green Party leader Natalie Bennett is a Trustee) joined hundreds of activists from around the country to meet face to face with their MPs to call for urgent action on women’s equality.
Lobbyists demanded a range of actions by their MPs to tackle violence against women, improve the representation of women across society, promote equality in the economy, work and family and ensure justice and rights for women.
Leading the march was Dr. Helen Pankhurst, who today retraced the footsteps of her great-grandmother, the suffragette leader Emmeline Pankhurst, who led a lobby of Parliament 106 years ago. The lobby also featured a display by the “Olympic suffragettes” who performed in Danny Boyle’s 2012 Olympics opening ceremony.
Dr Helen Pankhurst said: “In the century since the Suffragettes lobbied parliament much has changed for women, yet age-old inequalities persist and new forms arise. Lobbying parliament today is as urgent and vital as it has ever been.” Women are still outnumbered four to one in parliament, and the full-time pay gap is 15%. According to UK Feminista, up to three million women and girls in the UK experience rape, domestic violence, stalking or other violence each year and the costs of childcare in the UK are amongst the highest in the world.
Speaking at the rally, Green MP Caroline Lucas said: “We are not going away until we make sure gender inequality is history.”