Louise Irvine and Lynne Troughton, candidates for the Women’s Conference Arrangements Committee, look ahead to the weekend
“We are really looking forward to meeting up with women from all over the country at the 2024 National Labour Women’s Conference in Liverpool this Saturday 21st September. Women’s Conference is the Party’s chance to hear from women in communities and workplaces, local Labour parties and trade union branches, and can only strengthen Labour’s policies. This year topics to be considered include: Education and Girls, Violence Against Women and Girls in the Workplace, Women as Working Parents and Carers, Women in the Economy, Women in the Workplace, and Women’s Health.
Candidate statements
“In government, our Labour Cabinet and Ministerial teams are working hard for the change that was promised during the General Election campaign. We want to see women’s views and concerns right at the heart of this, embedded in every policy area.
“Labour’s rulebook commits to an effective National Women’s Committee to leading on political policy work with women. Previously it was held as a 2 day policy-making conference in the spring, at a different time of year from Labour’s Annual Conference. In standing for the WCAC, we would campaign to re-establish this.
“We feel the 2023 and 2024 one day autumn events, offer very limited time for policy discussion, and do not do justice to the political contribution women members are entitled to make.
“Labour has much work to do to fulfil manifesto pledges such as “halving male violence against women and girls”. The recent changes to the Annual Women’s Conference are clearly a barrier to this. 2 days squeezed into 2 hours for debate? This isn’t taking the manifold issues facing women and girls seriously. This has to change.
“We will work towards a closer relationship with the elected National Labour Women’s Committee. This has hardly met since the 2023 Women’s conference, and has had little opportunity to organize campaigns, help build Women’s Branches, or share the policy decisions taken in previous years.
“An effective Women’s Conference would build a strong Labour women’s organisation, supporting women’s officers and branches up and down the country, encouraging women to be active members. Labour women’s views matter, be that on a Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy, on tackling poverty, on the impact of sexism, on caring, on women at work, on childcare policies – it is time to give the Women’s Conference the place it deserves.
“We are supported by the Labour Women’s Declaration, which recognises that women and girls are subject to discrimination on the basis of their sex and encourages women’s right to organise on that basis.
Delegates at the Women’s conference on Saturday will have the opportunity to vote for three CLP WCAC members.
