(Samaj Weekly)- Labour’s candidate for West Midlands Metro Mayor, Liam Byrne MP has pledged his support to organisations that provide women the training and opportunities needed to get back into work.
Launching his Women’s Manifesto with Labour’s Shadow Policing Minister, Sarah Jones MP, he set out a sixteen-point plan to end discrimination against women in the region’s workplaces.
Byrne will have a private visit with Sarah Jones to the Dolphin Women’s Centre in Ward End. They will meet with women who were being trained to prepare for their jobs search, one of the initiatives that Byrne wants to see rolled out across the whole of the West Midlands.
Speaking ahead of the visit, Labour’s West Midlands Metro Mayor candidate Liam Byrne said;
“More women are in insecure or low paid work and are under-represented in senior management. Women report greater barriers accessing funding to start or grow a business. They often face sexual harassment, and lower wages at work. This is unacceptable.”
Byrne will also focus on the priorities women have identified such easing the pressure of caring responsibilities, safety, and fixing the gender power balance on public bodies and private businesses.
Byrne also identifies other priorities for women such easing the pressure of caring responsibilities, safety, and fixing the gender power balance on public bodies and private businesses.
Sarah Jones MP said;
“Women have been disproportionately impacted by the coronavirus pandemic and eleven years of austerity. Women are more likely to work in low paid sectors, less likely to work in senior roles, and too often face harassment on the streets and in the workplace.
Much more needs to be done to tackle violence against women and girls, fix the gender pay gap and address discrimination against women.
I’m delighted to be joining Liam for the launch of his Women’s Manifesto, which has a solid plan to end discrimination against women in the region’s workplaces.”
Liam Byrne MP added;
“Ten years of austerity have hit the region’s women hard. The closure of Sure Start provision means that once again women are bearing the brunt of caring responsibilities. As Mayor, I will establish an inquiry to see how we can build a Scandinavian-style full time child care system.
“Domestic abuse has soared during the pandemic, but even before then there were signs that violence against women was on the rise. We will work to make street harassment a crime and prioritise the safety of women in public spaces and on public transport.”
