As Britain and the world reel in shock at the outcome of Brexit, TWF considers the gender implications of the referendum results. Depressingly, women were noticeably absent from media debates and other public forums leading up to the vote.
According to The Independent, here are six reasons why women should have voted to Remain:
EU Funding for Gender Equality: Gender equality across European Member States is a key objective of the European Commission. Along with several other sources of EU funding, the European Commission’s Strategic Engagement for Gender Equality: 2016-2019 allocated EU funding of €6.17 billion between 2014-2020 to achieve gender equality targets and objectives which include reducing the gender pay gap and promoting equality between women and men in business decision-making.
Equal treatment and anti-discrimination: Equal treatment is a founding principle of the European Union. Equal pay has been enshrined in the European Treaties since 1957, well before the Equal Pay Act of 1970 came into force in the UK. The EU Equal Treatment Directive made it illegal to discriminate against women in the labour market, education and training and Member States have a duty to pay women the same wages as men for work of equal value.
Maternity and parental leave: EU law guarantees women the right to at least 14 weeks' maternity leave and protection from maternity-related discrimination. Self-employed women in the EU are also entitled to social protection, including maternity leave. The EU also recognises parental leave rights which gives each working parent the right to at least four months' leave after the birth or adoption of a child. At least one of the four months cannot be transferred to the other parent – meaning it will be lost if not taken – incentivising fathers to take leave.
Violence against women: Violence against women is a major problem in the UK as in the rest of Europe. On average, police receive an emergency call relating to domestic abuse every 30 seconds in the UK. To prevent violence against women, the EU introduced a Victim's Directive guaranteeing specialist support and protection from repeat victimisation for women; the Equal Treatment Directive sets rigorous standards for preventing and prohibiting sexual harassment; the European Protection Order and mutual recognition in civil matters mean women are protected from perpetrators when they travel anywhere in the EU; and the Anti-trafficking Directive creates a comprehensive framework for prevention, victim support and police cooperation on trafficking.
Gender parity in decision-making: There are 8 per cent more women MEPs than UK MPs. 37 per cent of MEPs in the European Parliament are women compared with only 29 per cent of MPs in the British Parliament.
Women's economic independence: Several EU initiatives have been set up with the aim of strengthening women's entrepreneurship including funding for specific programmes and measures to encourage women’s take-up of STEM and research. Cohesion funds like the European Social Fund make funding available for projects which get women into the labour market, reduce the gender employment gap, and alleviate poverty.
As the UK grapples with unchartered territory and there is a clear need for strong and principled leadership going forward, it is critical that women have a seat at the table and a greater voice in policy and decision making that will define the future of the UK.
