WINOL week 3: Feminist activists march to Parliament 24/10/12

Yesterday I went up to London to report the demonstration outside the houses of parliament made my people demanding for gender equality.

The protests were lead by Helen Pankhurst the great granddaughter of Emmeline Pankhurst the suffragette leader. She was joined by dozens of  'Olympic suffragettes' including lecturer, Liz Chamberlain, from the University of Winchester.

Some of the campaigners, organised by UK Feminista, lobbied their local MP about the issues surrounding women's rights including the impacts of the cuts made towards women, rights of refugee women, the representation of women in parliament and violence towards women and the rights to childcare.

Women's rights campaigners outside the Houses of Parliament
 Organised by UK Feminista to call for equal rights for men and women.
Photograph: Winol News Online

Written story:

24/10/12. By Faith Thomas, Political Reporter & Karina Sleiman, Investigative Reporter: Feminist demonstrators have today marched to Parliament to urge MP’s take a more active role in women’s rights. 

The protesters were joined by Helen Pankhurst and Lara Pankhurst the great and great-great grandaughers of the Suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst.

Hundreds of representatives from different organisations, including UK Feminista, gathered outside Westminster to lobby their MPs. The organisation works to support those who are campaigning for women’s rights, in particular ending violence against women and girls, promoting equality in the economy, work and family, and strengthening democracy to improve the representation of women across society.

Lara Pankhurst said: “It’s incredibly important that we get the message across to MPs.” She feels particularly strongly about Childcare cuts as these affect women the most.

The demonstrators were joined by the Suffragette performers from the Olympic opening ceremony. Winchester lecturer Liz Chamberlain took part in the Olympic performance and in todays march.

Liz Chamberlain said: “Educating young people about domestic and sexual abuse and really tackling that head on in schools is something that, as someone in education, was a message for me to really think about.”

The Conservative MP, Amber Rudd, told the UK Feminista conference;”I am a feminist, and I welcome raising this on the agenda.”

The Green Party MP for Brighton, Caroline Lucas, said: ” There’s a really strong message to take to the government today that we are not going away until we make sure gender inequality is history.”

With women still being ostracised in the workplace, over 60,000 reported rapes in the UK every year and vastly outnumbered female MP’s in Parliament, women’s equality is a goal that UK Feminista will continue to fight towards until their voices are heard and the government takes action.

I managed Skype call Winol but unfortunitley the footage captured was very blurry and out of sync.