Let women be heard

Women’s voices are being drowned out of the EU referendum debate and must be heard, senior Labour women have said.

The call, made on the same day as the TUC published a report highlighting the gains achieved for women’s employment rights under the EU, was seconded by Unite.

Shadow business secretary Angela Eagle, speaking along with shadow chief secretary to the Treasury Seema Malhotra, former Labour leader Harriet Harman and shadow minister for women Kate Green on Tuesday (May 24), said the EU debate had been hijacked by “Tory blokes.”

She said, “Women’s voices have been drowned out by the unmistakably masculine and noisy playground spat that is taking place between Tory blokes who are fighting a proxy leadership election. Sometimes they appear to be more worried about their own futures than everybody else’s.”

Harman spoke of the gender disparity in the media’s coverage of the EU referendum. Loughborough University media analysis between May 6 and May 18, found only 16 per cent of TV appearances regarding the EU had been made by women and that the 10 most prominent EU campaign voices were all male.

Harman has written to the broadcast media watchdog Ofcom and called on them to ensure women are represented equally during the EU debate and for EU issues affecting women to be given proper coverage.

Harman said, “Half the population of this country are women and our membership of the EU is important to women’s lives. Yet men are, as usual, pushing women out.

“Women are being excluded and the debate narrowed. The broadcasters have a legal duty to keep a balance between those who want remain and those who want to leave. They should have a balance between men and women. This referendum is too important to be left to men.”

Unite EU finance spokesperson and executive council member Agnes Tolmie was also critical of the debate, which she said is ignoring women and being dominated by Tory rivals Boris Johnson and David Cameron – both of whom are resorting to generalised scare tactics.

She said, “Right at the moment it’s all about egos and there’s no female voices. We need more women on TV and more engagement with the issues.”

In an effort to address the balance Tolmie is chairing a women only EU debate held by the Scottish Women’s Convention in Glasgow this Saturday.

Unite has also produced a video speaking to women members about their decision to remain.

“The fact is that it’s unlikely that anyone is 100 per cent enthusiastic about the EU. But at least from the inside we can make a difference through the MEPs we choose to elect,” Tolmie said.

“If we leave then we’re stuffed. The Conservative’s austerity policies have already knocked back women’s rights in this country. Without the EU they will unravel even further.”

The call by Labour’s senior women coincided with the publication of a TUC report that underscored the benefits of EU membership for female workers.

These include legislation for equal pay, as well as paid holidays for part-time women workers and protections against pregnancy discrimination.

Brexit “risks turning the clock back decades on women’s rights”, the TUC said, because it would allow a government with a deregulatory agenda to make sweeping changes to employment law.

“We are not surprised that conservative politicians, who would like to see a bonfire of these rights have failed to mention them in the European referendum debate,” said Unite national officer for equalities Siobhan Endean.

“It’s up to us as women to speak up for our rights at work and encourage other women to vote to remain in Europe – the media would do well to give air time to our experiences and life stories and how Europe affects us.”

See here for more about the EU referendum