"Being in politics has taught me that if we don’t have women in the positions of power, the world is a much worse place; and it doesn’t have to be women like Margaret Thatcher, who fought and climbed her way to the top, and essentially became somebody who didn’t promote and didn’t support women. You have to be supportive to other women; you have to be a sister.”

Jenny says: 

“I think sexism still exists. Most women have experienced it on a daily basis through all their lives."

Natalie Bennett, Chair of Green Party Women and London Assembly candidate, today described Nadine Dorries' Sex Education (Required Content) Bill, being debated today, as an astonshing attempt to regress to Victorian times.

It provides that schools should provide abstinence education, only girls (not boys!) aged 13 to 16.

Natalie, attending the protest outside parliament against the proposal*, said: "Astonishingly, the Bill passed its First Reading 67 votes to 61. Although this Bill has little chance of succeeding, it is important that this attempt to impose the moral views of a tiny sliver of British society on the rest of the citizens is resoundingly defeated.

"I call on all MPs to join Green Party leader Caroline Lucas in expressing strong opposition to the bill."

Natalie noted that the mover of the bill, Nadine Dorries, and the MPs who backed her, seemed to believe that making decisions about sexual intercourse was only a matter for girls, not boys. "Will they next be calling for the covering of the legs of pianos, for fear the 'weaker sex' is disturbed by their visibility?

"Further, abstinence education has been shown in the US and elsehere to be harmful, in that it leaves pupils ignorant of the most basic facts about sex, unable to make informed decisions about their own bodies and activities, and no less likely to engage in intercourse."

Natalie added: "The Green Party believes that every child should be entitled to evidence-based, age-appropriate education in sex and relationships,beginning at a sufficiently early age and continuing throughout their education. And that  access to sexual health services should be made available in secondary schools, either on site or integrated with local young people's sexual health services.

"The education system must also acknowledge the existence of  LGBT young people and those unsure about their sexuality, and provide training and support to enable teachers to talk confidentally and sensitively about issues of sexual health and relationships for all young people."

Natalie noted that schools currently were only required to teach the absolute biological basics about sex and reproduction, and risks to sexual health, but that parents could withdraw their children from these lessons. "It is a basic right for all children to understand the workings of their bodies, and to be guided to explore their emotions and feelings, so they can make informed decisions in forming safe, fulfilling and consensual sexual relationships."

* The protest was organised by a coalition of Youth Fight For Jobs, The British Humanist Association, Queers Against The Cuts, Abortion Rights, Slut Means Speak Up, The National Secular Society, Bristol Feminist Network, Left Front Art, Education For Choice, Parents and Carers for SRE, The Socialist Party and Liberal Conspiracy.

 Update: The Bill was withdrawn without a vote being taken.

"We know that women are at greater risk of domestic violence and abuse during times of economic recession.  The Government has responsibility to ensure that vital support services, such as the domestic violence surgery at the Stratford Advice Arcade, are adequately funded, prepared and able to cope with incidents of emotional and physical abuse that can have such a shattering impact on people's lives.  We should all be able to live a life free from violence and abuse."*

Jenny said: "Organisations like this do very valuable work in our city, providing vital support to those most in need. The priority for those in government is to do far more to decrease abuse in all its forms.

"There must but a concerted effort to raise levels of education about these issues and, crucially, to focus on creating opportunities for work, housing and childcare within the capital."

*_Notes to Editors_*__
 1. For further information on domestic violence statistics in London,
    visit: http://www.met.police.uk/csu/domestic_violence.htm
 2. Women's Aid is the national domestic violence charity that helps
    up to 250,000 women and children every year.  For more information
    on public spending and domestic violence services, visit:
    http://www.womensaid.org.uk/domestic-violence-press-information.asp?itemid=2599&itemTitle=Women%92s+Aid%92s+survey+reveals+fear+that+over+half+of+refuge+and+outreach+services+could+face+closure&section=0001000100150001&sectionTitle=Press+releases
    <http://www.womensaid.org.uk/domestic-violence-press-information.asp?itemid=2599&itemTitle=Women%92s+Aid%92s+survey+reveals+fear+that+over+half+of+refuge+and+outreach+services+could+face+closure&section=0001000100150001&sectionTitle=Press+releases>

Lucas will also reflect on the fact that men outnumber women by five to one in parliament and claims that this "undermines the quality of law-making and scrutiny" and that  " a mix of ignorance of the problem and self-interest affect issues such as equal pay, rights for temporary and part-time workers, and funding for rape crisis and domestic violence centres".

Yet, Lucas will say in today's speech, there are some advantaged to being the lone representative of your party in the Commons, where she does "have a lot of freedom to submit my own amendments, some of which have been supported by other parties".

Lucas also argues that with a coalition in government, it becomes even more important to have independent voices in Parliament:

"On so many issues, from setting up Academies to bringing in the private sector to run the NHS, the three main parties all line up on one side. So it falls to the Greens to make the alternative case. That is what we are doing, on climate change, fuel poverty, and a steady state economy, and on Afghanistan, electoral reform, public sector pensions, and many other vital issues".

Change

Lucas is a passionate advocate for parliamentary reform and with spending cuts beginning to bite, she argues that the need for change is becoming more pressing: "Just queuing up to vote, for example, accounts for around £30,000 a week in MPs' total salary costs. In the last Parliament there were over 1200 votes. Since it takes about 15 minutes per vote, that means an MP with an 85 per cent voting record would have spent over 250 hours queuing to vote over the course of the Parliament".

What needs to be protected

Lucas will conclude her speech with her assessment of what should be valued and protected. She lists the first of these as "a skilled and impartial civil service" , although she adds that the principle of impartiality is "under direct attack". Pointing to the practice of individuals moving in and out of the civil service, taking jobs in industry and secondments in other sectors and organisations, Lucas asks: "So to whom do these modern civil servants owe their loyalty? The Crown? Their department? Or to their former or future employers?".

Lucas also feels that the wider public service "is being undermined from above". She questions the support of the main political parties for private sector involvement in the delivery of public services saying: "All three parties believe that the private sector should have a significant role in the delivery of public services, and that competition, financial incentives and the profit motive are the most effective spurs for greater efficiency. I think they're wrong".

Natalie said she was proud of the Green Party policy on sex work.

"It was a policy that was developed after extensive consultation with sex workers and their union, and based on the evidence that the ways in which the sex industry had been criminalised in Britain - with restrictions on brothels, which meant that even two workers could not operate together, and on soliciting, which could force vulnerable street workers into hidden corners - put workers at serious risk of harm."

Natalie noted that in New Zealand, the decriminalisation model in action had been extensively studied by researchers from prominent universities and non-government organisations, with their results published in peer-reviewed journals.

"There's been a lot of talk recently about evidence-based policy-making, well here's one more case where the talk should be converted to action," she said.

"In New Zealand, workers reported that after decriminalisation they knew about their rights, felt more able to say “no” to acts they did not want to perform, and that there had been improvement in protection from violence."

She noted that the Women's Institute and the Royal College of Nurses had come to the same conclusion, based on the evidence, and spoken out in favour of decriminalisation.

"I call on the MPs now working behind us to put aside their prejudices, acknowledge that much of the drive for the 'Swedish model' of criminalisation of sex purchasers is driven by moral and religious concerns, not concern for the welfare of sex workers."

Natalie added: "It is sometimes claimed that the 'public nuisance' of prostitution, particularly street prostitution, demands a police response, yet on a survey on the parliament.uk site, 77% of respondents thought that policing prostitution should be a low priority, and only 5% thought it should be a high priority.*

"I believe the general public, far more than the politicians, understand that sex workers are mothers and fathers, sons and daughters, people from all walks and circumstances of life who should receive the full protection of the law: of the criminal law if they are attacked in the workplace, of labour law if their working conditions are not adequate or safe."
* http://forums.parliament.uk/policing-priorities-poll/index.php?read,1,137

MEPs also called upon the Commission to produce a comprehensive ‘roadmap' against homophobia and discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. The EU Charter of Fundamental Rights guarantees the right to equality for all LGBT people, yet research carried out by the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights concludes that LGBT people in the EU face discrimination and a vulnerability to verbal and physical attacks [1].

Jean Lambert MEP, member of the European Parliament Civil Liberties Committee, said: "EU law assures equal treatment for all people regardless of their sexual orientation in employment and training, yet the LBGT community remains open to discrimination across other areas of life. 

"Whilst some Member States have made significant progress in creating equality before the law, aiming to stamp out discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, others have seen a rise in homophobic sentiments and attacks. This is simply unacceptable.

"All Member States and international organisations have a role to play in developing a climate where this kind of intolerance is rejected outright. I welcome today's resolution but was distressed to see how many Members voted against. This demonstrates the need for action."

Notes to Editors

For further information, please visit: http://fra.europa.eu/fraWebsite/lgbt-rights/lgbt-rights_en.htm

The title was awarded to the Brighton Pavilion MP for proving to be "the most effective woman in the House of Commons who has shown outstanding achievement during the parliamentary year."

Since being elected in the 2010 general election, the MP has also been named "Best All Rounder" in the Total Politics End of Year MP awards - and "Newcomer of the Year" by the Spectator in its 2010 Parliamentarian of the Year awards.

On receiving the accolade from Scottish Widows and Dods, Caroline said: "I am delighted that my work as a Member of Parliament has been recognised in this way. It is an incredible honour to serve the people of Brighton Pavilion, and I will continue to strive to be the strong and principled voice which our city deserves.

"Until we see far more women represented at senior levels in politics and industry, playing a far greater role in decision making at the top, I think awards like these are an important way of highlighting and celebrating female achievement."

In Parliament, Caroline is a Co-Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Fuel Poverty, and Vice Chair of the Public and Commercial Services, Sustainable Housing, Animal Welfare, and CND All Party Parliamentary Groups.

She is also a member of the Parliament's Environmental Audit Committee, and sits on the Energy Bill Committee.

Caroline continues to be an active campaigner on a range of issues and is Vice President of Stop the War Coalition and the RSPCA, a CND National Council Member, a Director of the International Forum on Globalization; a Matron of the Women's Environmental Network; and a Patron of Martlet's hospice in East Sussex.

The practice, which took place mostly between the 1940s and 1980s, forced unmarried birth parents to give up their babies for adoption.

The motion also called for further research into the effects of the policy on birth parents and their children, as well as action and provision of appropriate support for those affected.

Natalie Bennett, chair of Green Party Women, said:

"It's important to acknowledge the mistakes of the past and the huge amount of suffering caused by these practices. We can also use this to reflect on what we're doing today in our treatment of new mothers."

"We know that women affected by this are coming together in the Movement for an Adoption Apology (MAA), and we're pleased to be part of this campaign.

"The Australian Green Party has been active and successful in a similar campaign, and we have drawn on their experience."

The proposed changes are coming about as part of a system to promote shared parenting and increase the flexibility in which people can take up maternity leave.

Government statistics show that nearly 60 per cent of working mothers receive contractual maternity pay above the statutory minimum, and 83 per cent of these get maternity pay for 26 weeks, and the planned changes represented, as the TUC has highlighted, a threat to this. (1)

Green Party London Assembly candidate, Natalie Bennett, who is also chair of Green Party Women, said: "While the Green Party is strongly in favour of measures to increase paternity leave, and the take-up of it, this should not be at the expense of maternity leave.

"London's Green MEP Jean Lambert has been fighting for a Europe-wide minimum of 20 weeks leave, and Britain should be leading on this issue, not trying to slice away at provisions for families. (2)

"This is just one more step by the coalition government that will harm the economic position of women.

"After the 2010 emergency budget under which 72% of the cuts were borne by women, and the 2011 budget that the Institute for Fiscal Studies found would hit single mothers hardest, reducing their income by 8.5% by 2015, this is one more blow to women's lives, and to British family life."

Notes

1) http://www.tuc.org.uk/workplace/tuc-19905-f0.cfm

2) http://www.jeanlambertmep.org.uk/news_detail.php?id=604

Brighton and Hove City Council was ranked the country's best for gender equality - with 44% of Brighton and Hove councillors being women - according to survey results published this week by the Centre for Woman and Democracy (CFWD).

Alex, Brighton and Hove Green Group of councillor's spokesperson on women's rights, said: "It's great that Brighton & Hove City Council is top of the survey rankings for gender equality, as well as being the UK's first Green-led council.

"Women bring a wealth of skills and experience to the table.

"More women need to be involved in local democracy.

"How can councils come to the right decisions that affect the lives for half of the population if women are only 20-30% of the councillors in town halls?"

The CFWD report praised the Green Party nationally, saying 40% of the Green Party's successful candidates in the last local election were women.

The report said nationally Labour, Tories and Liberal Democrats aren't doing enough to make local town halls as representative as they could be.

"In the May local elections, there were 318 wards across the country where none of the "big three parties" stood a single female candidate.

Alex said there is more to be done both at Brighton & Hove Council and in the local Green Party.

"We recognise that locally the Green Party could still do better and the 39.1% share of women in the Green Group of councillors could be greatly improved upon. 

"Obviously at the margins there's an element of unpredictability that plays in who voters elect, so it's really important to ensure women candidates are selected in winnable seats. 

"If you look at our candidates rather than councillors we fielded women in winnable seats but there were usually more men in three member wards.

"With three member wards it's one gender or the other that takes ‘the majority'. 

"We urgently need to look at addressing social factors such as improving childcare provision available to councillors, because that certainly isn't good enough at the moment.  

"I'll be working with colleagues in the Green administration and the wider Green Party to push this forward urgently."

Of 54 Green candidates fielded in the May 2011 Brighton & Hove City Council elections 46% were women.

Notes

1)   http://www.cfwd.org.uk/news/50/61/Women-s-progress-in-local-elections-stagnant

Oxfam is working with local communities to share best practice and find simple solutions to help women adapt to climate change. However, in order to mitigate the worst effects of climate change, Oxfam estimates that we need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 40% below 1990 levels in developed countries. They also estimate that developed countries need to give £100 billion per year to developing countries to mitigate the worst effects of global warming (1).

Penny Kemp, Green Party spokesperson on the environment said: "Even as we're engaged with immediate national issues like the cuts, we must not forget the crucial importance of fighting climate change, which is already affecting millions of people in the South.

"The government needs to do much more if Britain is to pull its weight."

Amongst a comprehensive range of policies promoted by the Greens, Green Party councillors throughout the country have been pushing for free home insulation schemes, which reduce carbon emissions and energy bills and also create sustainable jobs (2).

Notes

(1) Detailed information can be found on Oxfam's website, including under http://www.oxfam.org.uk/resources/issues/climatechange/introduction.html#.

(2) See Yorkshire and Humber Green Party and info on the Kirklees Council website.

Image: Women fish in Nungwi, Zanzibar. (Photo by Flickr User mattk1979/Creative Commons)

Key speakers at the event included prominent women’s rights campaigner Jasvinder Sanghera from Karma Nirvana [1] in the UK and Ahmad Mansour, from Germany, who proposed setting up a UK branch of his charity Heroes [2].

Jean said: “Violence enacted in the name of ‘honour’ can take many forms, be it physical, psychological, sexual or emotional. It is not confined to one religion or one community and affects thousands of people every day.

“This meeting was about encouraging an open and frank discussion on a taboo subject. We heard from some truly inspiring people and must take their lead in raising awareness at both an EU and Member State level, which is why I am calling for a public hearing in the European Parliament.

“The EU can also add value through the sharing of best practice, as demonstrated by some of the organizations represented at this meeting. But funding for resources, education and support remains key, and this falls largely to individual Member States, who must not turn a blind eye to this often silent problem.

“We need to work together to challenge the attitudes that consider such heinous crimes to be acceptable. This is an issue of universal human rights and individual freedom people cannot hide behind culture, belief or practice: culture can change.”

Notes

[1] Jasvinder Sanghera is a survivor of a forced marriage, a best-selling author and the founder of Karma Nirvana, a charity supporting all victims of honour-based abuse and forced wedlock. www.karmanirvana.org.uk

[2] The Heroes project in Berlin is designed to help boys from Muslims families to break with traditional patriarchal behaviour patterns and stand up against honour being used as a means of suppression.

"This would open up jobs in Westminster to women and allow MPs to retain stronger ties with their constituencies, she said.

"I'd like to see the law changed to allow candidates for Parliament to stand as job shares. Nothing would do more to open up politics to women.

"Now I know the Establishment will pour scorn on the idea and say its ideas like that which make us unelectable.

"Fine. Let them. "But I also know that this too is an idea whose time will come.

"We've been told that job-shares are no good for all sorts of professions, from doctors to lawyers, and in every case the men and women in those job shares have proved the doubters wrong.

"It's little different from the time when we were told that women didn't have what it took to be pilots, or a blind person couldn't serve as a magistrate.

"These battles must be fought, and whatever the criticism, I will fight them and I know you will too."

Speaking before her speech on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Caroline said the job-share plans were "actually incredibly sensible."

"How many times have people talked about career politicians, about politicians being out of touch with reality?

"If you had job-sharing MPs what that would allow you do is to keep MPs with a foot in their community, they could keep their caring responsibilities, they could keep voluntary work, they could continue part-time in their profession.

"It would enable far more women to get into politics."

To watch Caroline's Autumn Party 2010 party conference speech visit the national party site at:

http://www.greenparty.org.uk/News/12-09-2010-video-caroline-conference.html

England and Wales has the highest imprisonment rate in Western Europe, which is a massive expense to society. The Green Party is already committed to significantly reducing the prison population, favouring a system of restorative justice, which requires offenders to make reparations for their crimes to the victims.

The panel includes Juliet Lyon, Director of the Prison Reform Trust, Denise Marshall, Group Co-ordinator of Birth Companions, a charity that offers support to pregnant women in UK prisons, and Joy Goal, project manager of the Anawin Project in Birmingham.

In advance of the panel, Juliet Lyon from the Prison Reform Trust said: "There are safe, constructive ways to stop wasting lives and money." She continued: "The numbers of women entering custody could be halved. Instead of prison, vulnerable women need to be offered much-needed mental healthcare, treatment for addictions, safe housing and preparation for employment. This would be combined with sound advice on getting out of debt, breaking free from domestic violence, abuse and prostitution and reliable support to take responsibility for their own lives and their children."

Denise Marshall, in explaining the work of Birth Companions, said: "By reducing stress and isolation, we aim to give women and babies a more positive experience and enable mothers to make a fresh start with their baby." Last year, the charity supported 87 women who were pregnant, giving birth or looking after a baby in HMP Holloway.

The panellists will also be joined by Joy Doal, project manager of The Anawin Project, as well as an Anawin project participant. The charity works with women in and out of prison across Birmingham, who are affected by prostitution, drug addiction and domestic violence.

The panel will take place today at 6pm. Green Party conference continues until the 13th of September at the Birmingham Conservatoire, B3.

Update: The Green Party later at conference passed new policy for inclusion in its Policies for a Sustainable Society. It supports reform in the treatment of women in the prison system in line with the recommendations of the report of Baroness Corston, which has since been backed by the Howard League for Penal Reform, the Prison Reform Trust, the Fawcett Society, and many other groups from civil society.

Jean Lambert, Green MEP for London, will highlight the need for action on so-called honour based violence at the launch of a new training DVD about the issue this Friday*.

The film, titled For Honour and Love, has been produced by the Kurdish and Middle Eastern Women's Organisation in collaboration with 18 And Under and the Nationwide Foundation and explores the shocking aspects of honour based violence, such as the threat of honour killing, forced marriage, female genital mutilation and issues relating to isolation and control.

Jean said: "Honour based violence can take many forms, be it physical, psychological, sexual or emotional and it affects thousands of women every day, women who are forced to suffer in silence through fear of further persecution.

"We need to challenge the attitudes that consider such heinous crimes to be acceptable. People cannot hide behind culture belief or practice: culture can change.

"We all have the right to feel safe and free from abuse and I applaud the KMEWO for having the conviction to speak out about this often taboo subject and produce resources such as For Honour and Love that will encourage women to come forward and seek help."

* The launch of For Honour and Love takes place at Amnesty International UK, The Human Rights Action Centre, New Inn Yard, London on Friday, March 26, 3-6pm.

The Green Party offers its congratulations and support for this event today, which highlights the importance of the role of mothers in families around the world and the unpaid, and too often unrecognised, work that they do.

Too little is done to support and help them - and even ensure their most basic rights, both in the UK and around the world. The Millennium Development Goal furthest from being realised is that of reducing pregnancy-related deaths. In the poorest countries, six out of 10 women who would like to manage their family size with contraception are unable to do so.

Jean Lambert MEP, the Green Party's spokesperson on social affairs and a member of the European Parliament's Intergroup on LGBT Rights, said:

"The urgency of the situation in Uganda has to be acknowledged and acted upon. This was underlined when, two weeks ago David Kato a primary school teacher and a prominent opponent of Uganda's Anti-Homosexuality Bill, was beaten to death with a hammer."

The Anti-Homosexuality Bill would prohibit homosexual relations and punish people alleged to be lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgendered. It could also lead to a prison sentence of up to three years for anyone who fails to report within 24 hours the identities of any such people they know.

A letter from Heidi Hautala, Chair of the European Parliament's Subcommittee on Human Rights, co-signed by Jean Lambert, declared:

"I call on the European External Action Service and Member States in Kampala to provide their unconditional assistance to LGBT human rights defenders, and pressure their Ugandan counterparts to decriminalise homosexuality."

Leading Greens have also expressed concern at the continued deportation of LGBTIQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, intersex, and queer) refugees to Uganda, despite the risks they face upon arrival.

Read the full letter here:

http://www.jeanlambertmep.org.uk/news_detail.php?id=644

The Greens pointed out: 

• British women working full-time on average earn 17% less than men working full-time; for part-time workers the gap is 36% an hour
• Retired women's incomes are on average 40% less than men's
• Fewer than 20% of Westminster MPs are female; less than 11% of board members on major British companies are female
• Women still carry out the majority of unpaid work in the home, and in total on average work considerably more hours than men
• One in four women is subjected to domestic violence in her lifetime, and rape and sexual assault are a societal blight, with significant under-reporting of cases, and only six out of 100 cases that are reported to police resulting in a conviction. Violence against women costs our society £40bn a year, and the psychological and personal costs are enormous

The Green Party's proposals for the general election will include:

• Women (and men) who take time out of paid work for family or caring responsibilities make an essential contribution to our society, and they should not be penalised for this.
• All jobs should be arranged, so every worker maintains a decent work-life balance and has time for family, social and community life. Full-time UK employees work the longest average hours in Europe, 43.5 hours as against 38.2 in France, and 39.9 in Germany. The Green Party wants a 35-hour working week, to help improve people’s work/life balance and help to share out work.
• A non-means-tested citizen’s pension set at 60% of the median national income, currently £170 a week, which would immediately lift pensioners, particularly women, out of poverty.
• Major improvements in maternity services. A full range of birth options must be available to all women, and all women should be entitled to the care of a single midwife throughout their maternity experience and post-natally.
• Breastfeeding rates in the UK are currently well below WHO recommendations, with just 42% of babies being breastfed at 6 weeks, 29% at 4 months and just 22% at 6 months of age. Greens would insist on excellent support for all mothers who choose to breastfeed, and significant penalties to ensure they are not harassed when feeding their children in public, similar to the law already in effect in Scotland.
• Supporting and enhancing Sure Start centres, which help many women and men with parenting. Our proposed citizens' income scheme would replace the current child benefit, but in the meantime Greens argue for a higher rate of child benefit, to more closely reflect the cost of rearing a child.

A Green Party spokeperson said today that: "The Green Party have the policies to make changes happen that will mean a real and positive difference for women everywhere. Greens have long supported boardroom quotas to improve the representation of women, and to address the discriminatory and insulting pay gap that still exists in 2010. Along with improved child care facilities, and access to these, we will recognizing the input of both parents from a child's birth. Today is International Women's Day. 70% of the world's poor are women, and 75% of the civilians killed in war are women and children. Greens recognize that we've got work to do."

You can read the entire report - "Fairness, equity and opportunity: Green Party policies of particular concern to women" - here.

The new policy addresses the well-documented health benefits of breastfeeding for both mothers and babies as well as the environmental ones. Unlike formula feeding, breast feeding requires no water for bottle sterilisation, no packaging or transport.

Sarah Cope explains: “There will always be women who can’t or don’t want to breastfeed. But what we are doing is giving people access to high-quality information about the benefits and challenges of breastfeeding, as well as seeking to normalise it and protect women who breastfeed in public – who still, believe it or not, face opposition on occasion.

“A Green Government would provide for significant fines for any business whose staff tried to stop a woman from breastfeeding on the premises. This law already exists in Scotland, but in the UK all a woman can do is sue under the Sexual Discrimination Act, which most women would be unlikely to do.

"Back in November, my local newspaper, the Ham and High, reported that Elizabeth Simpson was asked to stop breastfeeding her 10 week old daughter Aimee by staff in the Freemasons Arms in Hampstead. Ms. Simpson was told that she could go downstairs or use the toilet.

“This is completely unacceptable and the Green Party's policy seeks to address that. The more women we see breastfeeding their babies in public, the more acceptable it will become, and more women will chose this way to feed their babies.”

Formula manufacturers spent around £20 per baby promoting formula in 2006, with a just 14 pence per baby being spent by the government promoting breastfeeding [1]. Although the World Health Authority recommends that babies are exclusively breastfed for the first 6 months, with breastfeeding continuing for at least the first two years,  UK breastfeeding rates are low and have been for decades: 42% of babies are being breastfed at 6 weeks, 29% at 4 months and just 22% at 6 months of age [2].

Ms. Cope adds: “I gave birth to my daughter Clementine three years ago at the Royal Free Hospital and was determined to breastfeed. However, I was pressurised by midwives to bottle-feed, and told my baby was ‘suffering’ because of my decision to breastfeed her. This despite the fact that posters all over the maternity ward declaring ‘breast is best’.”

Notes

[1] Breastmilk Vs 'Formula' food by Pat Thomas (Article in 'The Ecologist' magazine, 1st April 2006)
[2] Summary of the World Health Authority (WHA) Resolutions. Resolutions of the WHA Relevant to Infant and Young Child Feeding amending the World Health Organisation (WHO) International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes (2009)

The policy provides for one month leave for the month after the birth for both parents, then for a further total of 22 months of leave. This must be split, with at least one parent taking a minimum of six months, otherwise the entitlement is lost. Single parents can take the full length of leave.

All of this is to be paid at 90% of parental salary, up to a reasonable level of salary.

Natalie proposed the motion to conference in her role as chair of the Green Party Women group.

She said: “I'm delighted that the Green Party now has a standout parental leave policy that far out-strips anything offered by the other parties.

“We recognise that parenting is a arduous task, and that in our overstretched society, parents need a helping hand so that, if they

choose, they are able to devote significant stretches of time and attention to the task.

“Other parties are merely offering statutory pay levels for maternity and paternity leave, but we all know that many parents cannot afford to live for long on £120 per week.”

Natalie added: “I'm also pleased that the policy encourages two parents to be involved in the day-to-day care of the young child. The policy is constructed to encourage fathers to be more closely involved in childcare. In Sweden, where there is a similar policy, a quarter of fathers are now taking significant stretches of paternity leave. With the likelihood of both parents taking leave, this should also help to reduce the discrimination against women in the workplace."

Natalie concluded: “The Green Party recognises that this could be costly for small firms, and has allowed for their payments to be met  from taxation. The cost to parents of rearing children – an average of £200,000 to the age of 21* -- is extremely high, and it is only fair that society meet some of the costs.”

* Note: Calculated by the LV friendly society, see http://www.lv.com/media_centre/press_releases/lv-cost-of-a-child-survey-2010