Where do I stand? Women's and Men's issues.
I believe in equality for all under the law. By that I mean equality of
opportunity, not equality of outcome. Nobody should be discriminated against
because of their gender (or discriminated against for a whole host of other
reasons, but that's for another post).
Where there is discrimination, we must fight it. It's not enough to stand
by and accept that it exists. Anyone going for the same university place, the
same job, the same promotion, should have the same chance - based upon their
qualifications, experience, ability, the things that matter - gender simply
isn't a factor.
Where the system makes it harder for women, we should explore ways to
make it easier. We can do a better job as a society with childcare provision for
example. It was a UKIP Manifesto pledge in 2015 that all state schools should
have a statutory duty to offer care before and after school, from 8am to 6pm,
for example.
I oppose discrimination in all its forms, including so-called 'positive
discrimination'. There's a clue in the second word: it's discrimination.
Discrimination designed to help one person harms another. It undermines those
who never know whether they gained a position on merit or as a result of such
discrimination.
Equality means that we need to protect those who are most vulnerable in
our society. We need to protect girls and young women who are at risk of FGM
(female genital mutilation). We need to ensure that those vile abusers who cause
such things to happen, often to their own family members, are prosecuted to the
full extent of the law. The lack of successful prosecutions is a stain upon our
society.
It means that society needs to be tougher on rape and the so-called 'rape
culture' which has no place in a 21st-century society. Nobody should have to
fear being attacked for what they choose to wear, minding their own lawful
business, walking down the street.
It means that we need to treat domestic violence more seriously. One in
every 4 women and one in every 6 men will experience domestic violence at some
point in their lives. Let's be clear: more women than men are the victims of
such violence. This is an issue which affects more women than men. Yet men who
suffer such violence should be supported, not laughed at or
ignored.
It means, too, that issues which disproportionately impact upon men also
need to be considered. Fathers losing contact with their children, much higher
suicide rates, etc. That's why I want to see family law reformed so that there's
an initial presumption of shared (50-50) parenting in custody
cases.
There's so much more that we can do to create a fairer and more equal
society, but I'll never support patronising and demeaning quota
systems.
I'll repeat: everything I'm talking about is equality of opportunity, NOT
equality of outcome. Nobody, man or woman, should be coerced by societal
pressures to go to work if they want to - and if their family can afford for
them to - stay at home and look after the kids. The State should stay well and
truly out of family life (obvious exceptions such as abuse apply) and allow
parents to make decisions for themselves.
