Women’s Policy Consultation

Liberal Democrats Online Policy Consultation Group

Liberal Democrats are committed to the pursuit of a fair, free and open society. Inequality, discrimination and prejudice lead to an unfair and closed society. We believe that all entrenched forms of privilege and all prejudice and discrimination should be eradicated wherever and in whatever guise they are found. Liberal Democrats therefore seek to ensure that national policy acts to encourage, support, prepare and promote all people to realise their full potential in shaping society.

Liberal Democrats believe that the particular needs of women should be addressed by national policy. Recognising that the burden of caring still predominantly falls to women, Liberal Democrats seek to ensure that policies are in place to enable all women freely to make their own personal choices for their lives. That involves all parents of young children having a meaningful choice between staying at home to care for their children and returning to work supported by appropriate childcare. We also seek to ensure that women have access to and equal treatment in the work place, that women are engaged in public life at all levels, and that specific concerns common to the majority of women, such as health issues, criminal justice issues, and welfare issues are addressed through our policy platform.

Existing Party policy addresses many of these issues but has rarely been brought together in a form that is accessible and communicated to women. The Federal Policy Committee charges the Women Policy Working Group to work across all departmental areas to draw out relevant issues and policies that impact on, or are of specific relevance to women in existing Party policy, to identify any significant policy gaps and to propose innovative solutions. The working group will take into account the overall political direction set out in Make It Happen.

The Working Group will specifically consider how any existing and new policy can be better communicated and presented in order to reach out to women as part of the Party’s platform for the next General Election.

The Working Group is not charged with addressing issues of Party management such as internal selection procedures.

The group will report to the Autumn 2009 Party conference in the form of a policy paper of no more than 10,000 words.

The group will take evidence and consult widely both inside and outside the party, in particular at a Consultative Session to be held at the Spring 2009 Party Conference. The group will have to produce a draft policy paper for FPC consideration in April 2009. A short consultation paper will be produced early in the group’s work to use in web-based consultation.

Specific issues the group will consider include:

Women in the economy

1. Under-representation of women at senior levels in the workplace and public life
2. Parental leave
3. Equality of pay
4. Equal opportunities
5. Work/life balance (employment law)
6. Returning to work, benefits and career advice
7. Personal Debt

Women and the justice system

1. Women’s experience and fear of crime
2. Women’s experience of the criminal justice system
3. Domestic violence
4. Sexual violence (rape and abuse)
5. Civil justice

Women and the taxation/benefits system

1. Pensions
2. Tax and benefits system, particularly relating to the poorest women in our society

Women and the health and social care systems

1. Issues relating to carers
2. Women-specific health and social care issues

Women in society

1. Family issues such as support structures, early years education and parenting
2. Role models of achievement in public life
3. Freedom of sexual orientation and expression
4. Equal opportunities in the wider sphere