What the Labour party manifesto is saying they will do for women

In the lead up to the general election on December 12th, we will be detailing what each of the main political parties are promising to do for women. First up, the Labour party.

Of-course every promise made by a political party is important and can have an impact on the lives of women everyone so we're not going to detail everything - that's what the manifestos and tv debates are for. Our aim is simple - to identify those promises which call for action to be taken specifically for women so you know where each political party stands when it comes to the women's rights and problems women face.

We're also not endorsing any particular party. We just want to make sure that you have the tools to make an informed decision. Because it's important. Because it's your future.

So to begin with, taken from the manifesto, here is what Labour is promising to do for women:

Work

When it comes to work, they are promising to "take action to ensure that BAME and women business owners have access to government contracts and spending, close the gender pay gap by 2030 and deliver gender pay equality by making the state responsible for enforcing equal pay legislation for the first time."

They plan to do this by creating a "new Workers’ Protection Agency working with HMRC will ensure that employers take equal pay seriously and take positive action to close the gender pay gap."

Labour say they plan to "transform the workplace and require all large employers to have flexible working, including a menopause policy, and consider changes to sickness and absence practices." They say "targeted bursaries will be available to women, BAME people," and others "to encourage them to take up climate apprenticeships – the STEM of the future."

Maternity

Also in the workplace, the Labour manifest says the party wants to "revolutionise parents’ rights by increasing paid maternity leave from nine to 12 months, doubling paternity leave to four weeks and extending pregnancy protection. We will ban the dismissal of pregnant women without prior approval of the inspectorate."

LGBT+

Labour say they want to "eliminate remaining areas of discrimination in law, ensuring that LGBT+ people can live in safety and dignity and put LGBT+ equality at the heart of government, ensuring public services are LGBT+ inclusive and delivering on the national LGBT Action Plan." They also want to "provide sufficient funding for schools to deliver mandatory LGBT+ inclusive relationships and sex education."

Labour also say that they are committed to "respond fast and firmly wherever LGBT+ people face violence or persecution internationally and appoint a dedicated global ambassador to the Foreign Office on LGBT+ issues." They also want to "tackle the homelessness and rough sleeping crisis in the UK, ensuring that all strategies and services are tailored to understand needs unique to LGBT+ homeless people, particularly young people." Who, they say, "make up a disproportionate number of our currently homeless people."

Representation

According to their manifesto, Labour will "create a new Department for Women and Equalities, with a full-time Secretary of State, responsible for ensuring all our policies and laws are equality-impact assessed in order to deliver a fairer society for women and all under-represented groups." They also want to "establish a modernised National Women’s Commission as an independent advisory body to contribute to a Labour government."

They also want to "increase women’s representation across parliament by building on the Equality Act" and "enact Section 106 so that all political parties publish diversity data about electoral candidates."

Safety

Labour say they want to "create a safer society for women and prioritise domestic abuse as a health issue. They also want to "introduce 10 days of paid leave for survivors of domestic abuse, and ensure women’s refuges receive the long-term sustainable funding they need." The party promises that "misogyny and violence against women and girls will become hate crimes."

Labour say they "will protect women in abusive relationships by splitting payments and paying the child element to the primary carer. We will make it easier for people to manage their living costs by introducing fortnightly payments and paying the housing element directly to landlords."

They also promise to "set new standards for tackling domestic and sexual abuse and violence, and appoint a Commissioner for Violence against Women and Girls." After establishing "an independent review into shamefully low rape prosecution rates", they want to "establish a National Refuge Fund, ensure financial stability for rape crisis centres and reintroduce a Domestic Abuse Bill."

Health

When it comes to women's health, Labour say they want to "fully fund sexual health services and roll out PrEP" - a drug taken by HIV-negative people before and after sex that reduces the risk of getting medication. Alongside this they want to "increase mandated health visits, ensure new mothers can have access to breastfeeding support and introduce mental health assessments in a maternal health check six weeks after birth."

They also vow to "take actions to significantly reduce infant deaths and ensure families who lose a baby receive appropriate bereavement support as well as protections at work."

Justice

Labour say they are committed to helping the women who have been hit by the pension scandal. They say they "will work with these women to design a system of recompense for the losses and insecurity they have suffered" and "will ensure that such an injustice can never happen again by legislating to prevent accrued rights to the state pension from being changed."

When it comes to handling women coming forward to report crime, Labour say they "will improve the safety of the family court system for domestic violence victims and prohibit their cross-examination by their abuser. We will introduce protections for victims of so-called revenge porn."

Labour say they will "will introduce a no-fault divorce procedure. We will uphold women’s reproductive rights and decriminalise abortions." They also want to "invest in proven alternatives to custody, including women’s centres, expand problem-solving courts and plug the funding gap in the female offender strategy."

Finally, the party wants to "implement a gender transformative approach across all our international work, including tripling funding for grassroots women’s organisations and establishing an independent ombudsman to tackle abuse in the development sector."

Source: https://labour.org.uk/manifesto/