A message from Christine Jardine on International Women's Day

Reflecting on the year’s International Women’s Day theme of “accelerate action”, I am sadly reminded of how much more we still need to achieve.

The World Economic Forum has estimated that at the current rate of progress, it will take until 2158 to reach full gender parity. That’s another 133 years from now - and it’s just not good enough.

Liberal Democrats have long fought for gender equality, and we’ve secured some great successes. From introducing shared parental leave to improving workplace protections from sexual harassment, I’m incredibly proud of what we have achieved so far.

But it’s clear there is more to do - and I’m determined our party continues to lead that charge.

That means pushing our revolutionary parental leave and childcare policies -  helping more mothers return to the workplace should they want to, and fighting against the gender pay gap. Or our plans to end period poverty and ensure that survivors of violence against women and girls are properly supported in the criminal justice system. 

Women deserve an ambitious vision from political parties of how their lives can be improved. So it’s disappointing that the government seems to have missed opportunities to make this a reality. They removed the target for women’s health hubs in the latest NHS mandate, while their Crime & Policing Bill fails to mention domestic abuse once.

The fight for equality continues. Liberal Democrats will keep pushing on these issues and others, to deliver the positive future that all women deserve.

Of course, accelerating action also means supporting the tireless campaigners who are already doing fantastic work. I am especially grateful to the groups within our own party who are pushing for change. Lib Dem Women and the Campaign for Gender for Balance are just some examples, who lead the fight to get more women involved in politics.

We as a party - and a country - have come so far. If we keep working together, we can go even further.

Happy International Women’s Day.