Lynne Featherstone

Yesterday Harriet Harman invited me and women from all over the country in key positions to 11 Downing Street for a session on 'Women and the Recession'. My table, led by Tessa Jowell, were just fantastic – and we examined and tested and trailed ideas on what and how to help women as the recession bears down on their lives. So many good and wise voices contributing to the body of knowledge on what might be the differential impact on women; what support and information might they need and where and what the future would look like.

Tomorrow to mark International Women’s Day we have a debate on women and the recession in the House – and I will lead for the Lib Dems.

Problem is – that all the need, angst and wringing of hands which Harriet wants to be heard by the G20 (and full marks to her for that) will be as nothing if all the measures in the Equalities Bill are watered down as I fear they may be. Battle will commence in April finally – when I hope and hear that the Bill for which there has been no White Paper or Green Paper and is shrouded in secrecy (except from the media) will come forth.

Comments

1. Anonymous says:

   5 March 2009 at 5:32 pm

   Would this be those same "women and the recession" who have lost far less jobs during the recession then men have?

   Would this be the same women who start receiving their state pension FIVE YEARS earlier than any man?

   One final question for you Lynne - as the Lib Dem's "Equalities spokesperson" what will you be doing to make international men's day?
2. AM says:

   5 March 2009 at 9:47 pm

   Is every day not International Men's Day?
3. Anonymous says:

   6 March 2009 at 1:34 am

   No actually if you must know the UK government is so anti-male it refuses to even acknowledge the occasion.
4. Anonymous says:

   6 March 2009 at 4:21 pm

   Sorry I forgot the link:

   http://www.dailymail.co.uk/new.....t-hit.html

   Is it really appropriate Lynne for you to but putting so much effort helping those least affected by the recession whilst ignoring the genuine victims?
5. AM says:

   6 March 2009 at 8:36 pm

   Without succumbing to reductionism how many women MPs are there or government ministers? Where is the source of this anti-male ethos at the heart of the UK government? What are the forms it takes? It is insufficient to generalise from a smattering of individual cases. International Women's Day is simply a cultural expression of some form of positive discrimination. There is no male equivalent because the dice is so heavily loaded in their favour to begin with.
6. Anonymous says:

   6 March 2009 at 11:55 pm

   There is no such thing as "positive discrimination" - just discrimination.
7. AM says:

   8 March 2009 at 12:13 pm

   Never hear of the Civil Rights Movement in the USA or the North of Ireland. No such thing as positive discrimination? Try typing it into google. Wish being father to the thought here? Might as well say there is no such thing as Mars.
8. Anonymous says:

   8 March 2009 at 12:46 pm

   If every day were international men's day we would already have been successful at drawing attentioon to the epidemic of male suicide, lack of funding for severe health issues such as cancer and depression, and we would see something done about the low numbers (and marks) of males in higher education. For these reasons and MANY more there has begun an International Men's Day in order to try and highlight these issues: http://www.internationalmensday.com/

   Be sure of one thing: "every day is international men's day" is code-speak for I-don't-give-a-crap-about-males, and is in fact spoken only by man-hating types.

   Our young boys particularly need saving from these male-hating women, because boys self esteem is rock-bottom and thier cries for help are being drowned out ny feminist "jokes" about how undeserving males are.

   Put International Men's day on your calendar and lets speak out on behalf of our male children. It is celebrated on November 19.

   Peter
9. AM says:

   8 March 2009 at 3:06 pm

   Men are much more favourably disposed towards within UK society than women. Young male suicide has been heavily addressed as has depression. Young women fall victim to suicide also. There is more could be done for certain in getting men to come forward about the depression that often afflicts them. But it hardly requires an International Men’s Day to achieve this. Cancer services under funding affects both sexes. Specifically male cancers may have been more favourably treated in this regard than female ones. If women are now succeeding in academic institutions good for them. Although this should not be at the expense of men.
   Be sure of one thing: "every day is international men's day" is code-speak for I-don't-give-a-crap-about-males, and is in fact spoken only by man-hating types.
   Rubbish – suggests I am a male-hating male! Men and women are all human and deserving of the same human rights. I think male clerics pose a greater threat to ‘our young boys’ than ‘male hating women.’ I have male children and they are doing alright. They don’t need an International Men’s Day. Their esteem might hit rock bottom if they were to assume the highly dubious assumptions posted here.
   Don’t like jokes either? Great world that you would have us all live in. I will certainly put International Men's Day on my calendar in order to avoid it if this is what it amounts to.
10. Anonymous says:

    18 March 2009 at 5:28 am

    Men work far logner hours than women in themost dangerous and dirt jobs and are 19 tiems more likely to be killed in the workplace.

    They are far more likely to be faslely imprisoned, and far more likely to to be unlawfully denied acess to their children.

    Men have far less spent on their healthcare, and die five years earlier than women as a result.

    Men pay more in taxes than women, yet wait five year longer for their state pensions and thus cannot retire.

    Political parties deny men in some towns and cities the opportunity to represent their community in Parliament solely because

    Men suffer almost as much domestic abuse as women, yet the government refuses to provide services to help them and their children and spends all the money on women instead.

    We need an International mens day more than ever, perhaps more than oen the way things are going.