Action on women's equality

Email below received from the Fawcett Society. Just sent my responses, saying yes to: tackling the gender pay gap; increasing support services for victims of rape; addressing the low level of rapes that end in a conviction; working to assess the impact of any cuts on women's income and public services.

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Subject: Will you pledge to support action on women’s inequality in Bristol East and the wider UK?

Dear Mr Vowles,

I am writing on behalf of Fawcett Society members in Bristol East and across the UK to ask, if you are elected as an MP on May 6th, will you support action on women’s inequality in Bristol East and the wider UK?

In the South West Region region the pay gap between men and women is still a scandalous 18.8% and only 4.6% of reported rapes lead to a conviction. There is also mounting concern that action to tackle the UK’s deficit, in particular public service’s cuts, may well disproportionably disadvantage women if more consideration is not taken into how tax and spending policies may impact men and women differently.

In this context we are keen to hear whether if elected as MP for Bristol East you would:

Support local and national action to tackle the gender pay gap?

Yes

Increase support services for women victims of rape as well as address the low level of rapes that end in a conviction?

Yes

Work with Fawcett and others to ensure that both local and national deficit cutting proposals are assessed in terms of how they would impact on women – both regarding access to public services and women’s income’s?

Yes

We would be grateful if you could please respond by reply to the questions above as soon as possible and no later than 12 noon on Wednesday 28th April when the responses of all the Prospective Parliamentary Candidate’s in Bristol East will be published both on our web and in local and national media for the information of voters.

Links to answers given by your party nationally can be accessed here:

http://www.fawcettsociety.org.uk/index.asp?PageID=1068

Since 1860, when our founder Millicent Fawcett led the campaign for the women’s vote, Fawcett has a proud record of working with parliamentarians to continue to progress equality between men and women.

If elected as the next MP for Bristol East we hope very much to be able to rely on your support.

With best wishes,

Ceri Goddard
CEO
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Yes