URGE YOUR CANDIDATES TO COMMIT TO A ZERO-MISOGYNY ELECTION

WRITE TO YOUR PARLIAMENTARY CANDIDATES

That time has come. Rishi Sunak has called a General Election and after the 4th July, the makeup of parliament will have changed. We will have a host of new MPs taking their position in one of the most prestigious seats of power in our democracy.  

We have been campaigning since our inception to stamp out the scourge of misogyny from politics and every facet of public life, whether in Parliament, the media, or campaigning to make misogyny a hate crime.  

We are calling on all Prospective Parliamentary Candidates to commit to taking a zero-tolerance approach to misogyny and racist misogyny in their campaigning and conduct. And we need your help to do it!  

Politics should be about facts, not misogyny, discrimination or division. This General Election marks an opportunity for political leaders and their Prospective Parliamentary Candidates to set the tone for a more respectful and inclusive politics. One that supports women, not one that diminishes them.  

This year, we are tipped to have the most ever women MPs in UK Parliament, getting us ever closer to gender parity. We know that once elected, they may face many barriers to full and equal participation in Parliament. We want to do everything in our power NOW, to fight back against misogyny before they take up their seats. We want to set a new national tone for women in UK Parliament moving forward. 

Our research shows that: 

Across the world, women Parliamentarians have shared their own experience in receiving misogynistic and racist abuse, via their inbox’s, social media and even through the post. In addition, women Parliamentarians are held up to sexist standards in the media. Articles focus on the way they look, how they dress, and even on occasion, how much knee/ or shoulder they show. 

The culture of political campaigning is often taken to be a “gloves off”, fight to the very end, regardless of the consequences. This culture can be a breeding ground for the basest of behaviours and prejudices to surface in the fight to secure a parliamentary seat by any means necessary. It is in this climate that misogyny, racism and prejudice can thrive.  

2024 is a super election year, with over 64 countries due to hold national elections. It is more important than ever before that voters hold their Prospective Parliamentary Candidates to account. But crucially, candidates themselves must root out the misogyny, racism and prejudices that hold women back from full and equal participation in our democracy.  

We are asking parliamentary candidates to sign the pledge and agree to: 

Take a zero-tolerance approach to misogyny, including racist misogyny and any other forms of hate and discrimination in my campaigning and conduct.