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22/04/2005
Liberal Democrat pledge to end ‘ongoing discrimination’ against women
The Liberal Democrats have unveiled plans to end “ongoing discrimination” against women with a series of election pledges aimed at female voters.
Announcing the proposals, Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy said that the party was setting out their plans to “tackle inequality and promote fairness in our society”. He said: “Women have made great progress over the past decades. But many of the old injustices and inequalities remain.”
The party’s ‘female-friendly’ policies include: plans for a Citizen’s Pension, based on residency not National Insurance contributions; a guaranteed maternity income of £170 per week for new working mothers; and a comprehensive Equality Act to tackle discrimination at work effectively.
Sandra Gidley, Liberal Democrat spokesperson for women’s issues, said that the current pension “discriminates” against women, whose contribution history can be incomplete due to raising children or being a carer. She said that, on average, women get £40 per week less than retired men. Ms Gidley said: “For the first time, women will be guaranteed a pension in their own right.”
Liberal Democrats Home Affairs spokesperson Baroness Kishwer Falkner also said that the party was “committed” to give mothers the choice to spend more time with their children when they were born, without making them feel “financially pressurised” to return to work.
The Liberal Democrats also claim that their pledge to scrap tuition and top-up fees would benefit female students, who earn less than their male counterparts on average. Liberal Democrats London spokesperson Sarah Teather said: “Unequal pay makes student debt harder on women, with female graduates earning on average 15% less than their male counterparts at the age of 24. Young women would particularly benefit from our policies to scrap top-up and tuition fees, making university affordable for everyone.”
(KMcA/GB)
Announcing the proposals, Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy said that the party was setting out their plans to “tackle inequality and promote fairness in our society”. He said: “Women have made great progress over the past decades. But many of the old injustices and inequalities remain.”
The party’s ‘female-friendly’ policies include: plans for a Citizen’s Pension, based on residency not National Insurance contributions; a guaranteed maternity income of £170 per week for new working mothers; and a comprehensive Equality Act to tackle discrimination at work effectively.
Sandra Gidley, Liberal Democrat spokesperson for women’s issues, said that the current pension “discriminates” against women, whose contribution history can be incomplete due to raising children or being a carer. She said that, on average, women get £40 per week less than retired men. Ms Gidley said: “For the first time, women will be guaranteed a pension in their own right.”
Liberal Democrats Home Affairs spokesperson Baroness Kishwer Falkner also said that the party was “committed” to give mothers the choice to spend more time with their children when they were born, without making them feel “financially pressurised” to return to work.
The Liberal Democrats also claim that their pledge to scrap tuition and top-up fees would benefit female students, who earn less than their male counterparts on average. Liberal Democrats London spokesperson Sarah Teather said: “Unequal pay makes student debt harder on women, with female graduates earning on average 15% less than their male counterparts at the age of 24. Young women would particularly benefit from our policies to scrap top-up and tuition fees, making university affordable for everyone.”
(KMcA/GB)
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More MPs enter Lib Dem leadership race
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More MPs enter Lib Dem leadership race
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