If you’re female and a member of the Labour Party, then you are automatically a member of the women’s forum!

Why do we need a women’s forum?

Women are still vastly underrepresented in both local and national politics. Currently only 32% of MP’s in the Commons are women. Campaigns such as #MeToo and The Gender Pay Gap remind us of the inequalities which still exist in Britain today. Although the Labour Party nationally leads with 45% women MPs and 42% of councillors, women are still underrepresented in many other areas of local government.

Aims of the women’s forum:

• To encourage the participation of women in all local events
• To provide women with the inspiration and support to participate in both local and national campaigns and events
• To forge links with women in the local community
• To overcome barriers to participation
• To ensure that women’s voices are heard on the local Executive Committee.

How?

We understand that women are often juggling work and child care or caring roles and as such, cannot always attend meetings, so we are open to suggestions for how and where to meet. We hold informal social events at which we can talk about politics or anything we feel like over a coffee or a drink. In the future we aim to run some women only workshops and training events to enable women to feel more comfortable and confident to get involved in all aspects of campaigning.