Saturday, March 26, 2016

Women's Views on News

Women's Views on News

Women’s manifesto for NI Assembly candidates

Posted: 25 Mar 2016 09:43 AM PDT

Northern Ireland, Assembly elections 2016, the women's policy group, women's manifestoThese are not solely 'issues for women'; they are fundamental to a fair and socially just society.

The Women's Policy Group’s Manifesto for politicians taking part in the Assembly elections in Northern Ireland on 5 May 2016 has been launched.

In it, women call on Northern Ireland’s politicians to demonstrate they have listened to women when they draw up their election manifestos.

This Women’s Manifesto sets out measures on a number of important gender equality issues that, with political will, can be taken forward over the next Assembly term: women's employment and the gender pay gap; women, poverty and austerity; women and childcare; violence against women; women and reproductive health; women, education and training; women in politics, public life and decision making; how women and girls are (mis)represented in the media; the discriminations faced by women with disabilities; and the challenges Black, minority, ethnic women, women seeking asylum, and women refugees have to face.

Parties need to commit in their manifestos to introducing widespread reforms in the post-election Programme for Government that will address inequality in a number of key areas:

to put an end to violence against women at home and in the community;

to eradicate the gender pay gap which still exists despite the Equal Pay Act of 1970;

to provide the accessible, affordable childcare needed to offer opportunity when austerity bites women; and

to decriminalise abortion in line with international human rights standards so that health professionals can provide care for women without threat of prosecution.

The Manifesto also addresses inequalities in political representation and public life, asking, for example that the political parties ensure that at least one woman is selected for every constituency and for measures to ensure gender balance in public appointments.

The Manifesto also calls for Northern Ireland to match the best international standards: for the UN Convention on the Elimination against Women (CEDAW) to be made part of domestic legislation, and for UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on women, peace and security to be used by the NI parties and the Executive to monitor their progress on addressing the impact of the conflict on women and recognising and investing in the positive role that women play in conflict management.

And it demands equal rights for all minority groups including lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and transgender; women with disabilities, older women, black and minority ethnic women, refugees and those seeking asylum.

Women in Northern Ireland continue to disproportionately undertake the role of unpaid primary carer with households, and the interruption of women's careers for unpaid care work significantly undermines women's career progression.

The availability of and access to sexual and reproductive healthcare services are crucial to women's health and well-being. This is currently being ignored.

And the extent to which women feel prepared and able to participate in education and training depends on a number of factors including childcare, transport and cost – issued which have not been a priotiry at Stormont.

The government also needs to recognise and implement the United Nations Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Ann Hope, from the Women's Policy Group, said: 'Women are severely disadvantaged under Northern Ireland's economic system.

"We are twice as likely to be dependent on social security as men so we are calling for strategies that really tackle social exclusion and poverty.

"We want a childcare strategy that facilitates women's full participation in the labour market."

The Women's Policy Group is comprised of a wide range of women's organisations, individuals and trade unions working for a society where women and girls can fully realise their rights.

And Ellen Finlay, Women's Sector Lobbyist at the Women's Resource and Development Agency (WRDA), said: "These cannot be regarded solely as 'issues for women'; they are fundamental to how we see ourselves as a fair and socially just society on the one hand, and an ambitious society engaging and deploying all talent to drive the economy forward on the other."

"At the same time, we know from elsewhere that tackling the gross under-representation of women in politics and public life will unlock the talent needed to identify the critical issues and how they can best be solved."

To read the Women’s Manifesto click here.

The Women’s Manifesto was initially launched on 9 March 2016. There will be a further launch on 5 April in Fermanagh: see the picture above for details. Political representatives from each party have been invited to address the floor.