- Conference
- 2013 National Women's Conference
- Date
- 17 October 2012
- Decision
- Carried
This conference is aghast at the negative and relentless attacks on women perpetrated by this Tory led coalition government.
Women face attacks on their employment, their terms and conditions, increasingly unaffordable costs of childcare, cuts to working families tax credits, housing, welfare provision, and sure start to name but a few. In addition, the National Women’s Commission, the body that engaged with government on women’s issues was closed down as it was deemed unnecessary.
And now, just to reinforce that women are really not a priority for this government, the Minister for Women role in government has been sidelined to the Department of Culture Media and Sport.
Women’s rights have never been easily won. Most, if not all have been as a consequence of years of struggle. Over the last hundred or so years, women have won the right to vote and have made progress on many other workplace equality issues. However, this Tory led government are a sharp reminder that women’s equality can all too quickly be eroded and rolled back.
This conference instructs the National Women’s Committee to:
1) Contact the Minister for Women and seek commitments to further women’s equality and uphold and protect the gains that have been made
2) Campaign to expose and publicise these shameful Tory led attacks on women
3) Work collaboratively with other relevant women’s organisations to politicise and organise women to challenge these attacks