Latest news with #HelenPankhurst
Yahoo
13-07-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Granddaughter of leading Suffragette speaks about issues facing women in Bolton
The granddaughter of a leading Suffragette spoke about the issues that women in Bolton face. The Suffragettes fought hard for women's rights in the early 20th century, paving the way for women's right to vote. Over 100 years on from that movement, women are still fighting for parity on a number of issues. GM4Women2028 is at the forefront of that battle, led by none other than Professor Helen Pankhurst, granddaughter of famous Suffragette, Sylvia. The event came to Bolton on Saturday, July 12, being held at Imagination Street at Nortex Mill on Chorley Old Road. Attendees at the event (Image: Newsquest) Running from 10.30am to 4pm, the free event featured discussions, breakout sessions, performances, and networking focused on turning data insights into real-world action. Professor Pankhurst said: "It was set up in 2018, concentrating on the 10 years up to 2028, looking at the reality of women and girls' lives in Greater Manchester. "We network, look at data and push for policy change. We are going around all of the boroughs, and today is Bolton's turn. "We have discussed the reality of women's lives, we had a session about democracy with an MP and two councillors, and we spoke about perspective. "Other issues we have spoken about include domestic violence, safety, women's experiences in prisons, as well as sessions on women's health and on the workplace." Read more: Descendent of Suffragettes to be in Bolton for day of action on women's equality Read more: The family fun events taking place to celebrate the end of the school year She added: "I think all the issues are relevant to Bolton. One example is Fortalice, which has been working with police when making visits to women who have suffered domestic violence. "It is so impressive, and the reality is, someone who has suffered domestic violence who has the police knocking on their door is less likely to feel supported than somebody who has had someone from Fortalice alongside the police. Posing for a picture (Image: Newsquest) "It is leading the country as a case study of how to do this." To learn more about GM4Women, visit their website: MP Kirith Entwistle for Bolton North East attended the event. She said: "It has been hugely inspiring. It is always nice for me to come to these events and find out more about the great community work that is happening on the ground. "It is hugely important, at a time where women's rights are being eroded across the world, with the likes of Trump in power, standing up and representing women is hugely important. The event (Image: Newsquest) "We have still got a long, long way to go to make progress but we still have to keep going." Local homeless charity Backup North West were the sponsors of the event. CEO of Backup, Maura Jackson, said: "It helps the conversation. Instead of saying 'no, we have tried that before', people really want to do something and make a difference. "It is a such a massive range of people here from different businesses and backgrounds. I feel really hopeful."
BBC News
02-07-2025
- General
- BBC News
Welsh group make 264 sashes for female MPs to mark women's vote
A team of Welsh seamstresses have made 264 sashes for every woman MP to mark 97 years since women were given the right to group, based in Newport, call themselves Lucy and the Sashmeisters, and the handcrafted white sashes were given to the current women MPs at Westminster Hall on sashes hope to both commemorate the difficulties faced during the suffragette movement, and the significance of the Equal Franchise Act of 1928, which gave women over the age of 21 the right to vote. Organised by Centenary Action, the project is part of the campaign for the equal number of men and women MPs, as currently there are only 40 percent of women MPs in government. Centenary action was established by Dr Helen Pankhurst, the granddaughter of Sylvia Pankhurst and great-granddaughter of Emmeline Pankhurst - two trailblazing women who founded the suffragettes and campaigned for women's right to to the act being passed, only women over the age of 30 who occupied a house, or were married to someone who did, could vote. The group have been crafting the sashes since March, and women of all age ranges and backgrounds helped out, with the youngest aged 15, and then the oldest aged 87. They are white twill sashes, with one purple ribbon down one side and green on the other side, the iconic colours of the British suffragette movement. Each sash is numbered, depending on where each MP comes in the all time list of women MPs. "There have only ever been 694 women MPs, so for all the women it connects them to the past, to the history of suffrage, it connects them to each other," said Dr Pankhurst. "It's a baton that's also being handed over to the next generation of women MPs, to know their number and find ways to support each other and transform Parliament."There are the most women MPs ever at present, which is a milestone worth recognising, said Dr Pankhurst, but she added "celebration alone isn't enough"."We need real, sustained action to ensure we reach a truly gender-equal Parliament by 2028, when we mark the centenary of equal franchise." Spearhead of the project, seamstress Lucy Harris, said: "I'm really proud to be able to do this for them, they work for us and particularly for women, we have a voice now.""Our earliest sash is for Diane Abbott," Ms Harris told BBC Radio Wales said while there aren't 50 percent women MPs yet, the process of making the sashes highlighted the increase of women going up per decade, which she described as "amazing". Nancy Astor was the first woman to sit as an MP in the House of Commons in 1919 and she sat alongside 706 men. Today, there are 386 men. Ms Harris said she was first put in touch with Dr Pankhurst in 2018, when she made 100 suffragette sashes for the march for women in London on International Women's Day. Just before Christmas last year, she said she got an email from Dr Pankhurst asking if she and those at Re:Make, a community repair and reuse space in Newport, would want to do it again. Labour MP Jessica Morden was heavily involved in the project, and helped deliver the sashes to Westminster. Ms Morden said she was "so proud" to see the sashes, and it was "quite the moment" to witness so many women MPs wearing their sashes together. "It is a testament to how far we've come since the Equal Franchise Act of 1928," she added. She described the event as a "fitting tribute" to all the suffragettes who fought and suffered to ensure that all women could have their say in how the country is run."The number 264 represents around 40 percent of the total Members of Parliament," she added. "This shows there is still much work to do to achieve a truly representative Parliament in which 50 percent of MPs are women."She thanked Centenary Action for bringing the project together and the "utterly brilliant" seamstresses at Re:Make for "working so hard to make all of the sashes from scratch".
Euronews
10-03-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
Why women should be leading climate action, according to the experts
Only eight out of 78 world leaders at the last climate summit were women. How can we fix that? ADVERTISEMENT The climate crisis doesn't affect everyone equally - women and girls bear the brunt of the suffering, largely because they make up the majority of the world's poor. In rural areas, it is women and girls often responsible for securing water, food, and firewood for their families. During drought and floods, women are forced to work harder and walk further. As climate change exacerbates conflicts, inequalities and vulnerabilities, women also face increased risks of gender-based violence. When extreme weather hits, women and children are 14 times more likely to die than men, and an estimated four out of five people displaced by the impacts of climate change are women and girls. 'Put simply: climate change is sexist,' Helen Pankhurst, senior advisor on gender equality at CARE International UK tells Euronews Green. 'It's a feminist issue which threatens the fundamental rights of women and girls.' Despite the labour burden climate changes places on women, they are on the ground 'leading the charge when it comes to grassroots campaigning and inspiring change,' according to Pankhurst. 'They're pulling together their communities and showing leadership in coming up with solutions, demonstrating resilience and delivering hope for a better future,' she says. 'They are also leading in civil society, fighting back against policies which are doing irreparable harm. There is a groundswell of women standing up and saying things must change; they're just not in seats of political power.' Only eight out of 78 world leaders at the last climate summit were women 'It is deeply frustrating that the women and girls whose lives are so disproportionately affected are not being heard on the global stage,' says Pankhurst. 'Climate and gender justice go hand in hand; you can't have one without the other.' Only eight out of 78 world leaders who participated in the most recent COP29 were women. Although delegations at the UN climate conference are consistently increasing in numbers, women's representation has stagnated and even decreased. Bianca Pitt, co-founder of SHE Changes Climate, a campaign to get women equally represented at international climate negotiations and beyond, tells Euronews why it is vital women be included in climate talks and negotiations. 'When women suffer, everyone suffers,' she says. 'It has a knock-on effect.' If women - ideally from economically marginalised backgrounds - aren't included in decision making about climate change, then women's lived experiences and perspectives aren't being heard. 'If we only have a select group of people making decisions, the decisions will be incomplete - they won't have the desired outcome,' she adds. 'The majority of decisions are made by men for men and women. That creates a blind spot because we can only make decisions based on our own lived experience in the peer group we are in.' Women in power leads to stronger climate policies, studies show Pitt said it isn't 'fair' that women aren't included in the most important discussions being had about our planet, but it isn't just about fairness – it's about what is going to produce the best outcomes. When decision-making processes incorporate the perspectives of men and women, solutions are more comprehensive and robust. ADVERTISEMENT One study on gender and climate change found that female representation in national parliaments across 91 countries correlated with more stringent climate change policies and lower carbon emissions. Another Italian study found that women leaders prioritise proper waste management, decreasing the misuse of water, energy and resources. In the private sector, research shows that companies with a bigger share of women on their boards are more likely to improve energy efficiency, reduce firms' overall environmental impact and invest in renewable energy. Women-led firms make more efforts to curb emissions and have better results for environmental, social and governance indicators. ADVERTISEMENT 'Research shows the economies in which women participate are more resilient – they're stronger, more productive, and have better outcomes for everyone,' Pitt says. It's the same for nations and businesses for whom women lead on climate change, she says. When women are involved in making decisions on climate change, policies are more likely to succeed. Why aren't more women leading on climate change? 'We know that women are leading on climate change at a grassroots level and within civil society; we see it at CARE International through our programmes all over the world,' Pankhurst says. 'Women are leading the climate response in their homes and communities, coming up with innovative and sustainable solutions like leading agriculture cooperatives, encouraging their communities to plant drought-resistant crops, and creating early warning systems that save the lives and livelihoods of women who don't have access to traditional media.' ADVERTISEMENT If the evidence so starkly shows the need for women leading on climate change, then why are women still underrepresented as climate change leaders in politics? 'There's definitely a gender bias,' says Pitt. 'It's real and strong.' Perhaps there is a lurking, unconscious gender bias that distrusts women leaders or thinks they don't display the authority or assertiveness of men, as explored by the BBC when Kamala Harris became the first woman vice president of the United States. And according to Pitt, lack of female representation about climate on the national level is in part due to lack of representation. ADVERTISEMENT 'If you don't have women leading, you don't set the example for younger women to take that career,' she says. 'If you don't see women leading these conferences, young girls won't be inspired - they'll think it is just men in grey suits.' How can more women reach climate leadership positions? Public bodies, businesses, and governments are starting to realise the unconscious biases toward women in the climate change sector, but there isn't time to wait around for a slow, organic change, the experts argue. 'Organic growth [of women leading on climate change] is not delivering the results,' Pitt says. '50 per cent of delegations of climate negotiations have to be women as per the UNFCCC Gender Action Plan.' Pitt also urges that women be 'skilled up' to join negotiations, and be given ample amount of speaking time. ADVERTISEMENT 'If a woman chairs something, the remaining women in the room are more likely to speak up,' she says. By 'shining a light' on the women already leading in this space, younger girls will be inspired to follow - they will see it's possible to lead.' Likewise, Pankhurst - who, yes, is the great-granddaughter of British suffragette leader Emmeline Pankhurst - wants to see 'more room made at the table for women and girls to speak into this crisis.' 'We need to fund women-led organisations working in this space; supporting them to thrive and make a real difference at a political level locally, nationally and globally,' she says. ADVERTISEMENT And, this International Women's Day (8 March), there's no time to maintain the status quo. 'We don't have time to waste - climate change is here, now. It's not some far off threat,' she adds. 'We don't have the luxury of time.'
Euronews
08-03-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
‘Sex-for-fish': Rural Zambian women forced into coercive deals as drought and aid cuts bite
By Lauren Crosby Medlicott Only eight out of 78 world leaders at the last climate summit were women. How can we fix that? ADVERTISEMENT The climate crisis doesn't affect everyone equally - women and girls bear the brunt of the suffering, largely because they make up the majority of the world's poor. In rural areas, it is women and girls often responsible for securing water, food, and firewood for their families. During drought and floods, women are forced to work harder and walk further. As climate change exacerbates conflicts, inequalities and vulnerabilities, women also face increased risks of gender-based violence. When extreme weather hits, women and children are 14 times more likely to die than men, and an estimated four out of five people displaced by the impacts of climate change are women and girls. 'Put simply: climate change is sexist,' Helen Pankhurst, senior advisor on gender equality at CARE International UK tells Euronews Green. 'It's a feminist issue which threatens the fundamental rights of women and girls.' Helen Pankhurst speaks at a march and rally in London in 2018 to celebrate International Women's Day and 100 years since the first women in the UK gained the right to vote. Guy Bell Despite the labour burden climate changes places on women, they are on the ground 'leading the charge when it comes to grassroots campaigning and inspiring change,' according to Pankhurst. 'They're pulling together their communities and showing leadership in coming up with solutions, demonstrating resilience and delivering hope for a better future,' she says. 'They are also leading in civil society, fighting back against policies which are doing irreparable harm. There is a groundswell of women standing up and saying things must change; they're just not in seats of political power.' Only eight out of 78 world leaders at the last climate summit were women 'It is deeply frustrating that the women and girls whose lives are so disproportionately affected are not being heard on the global stage,' says Pankhurst. 'Climate and gender justice go hand in hand; you can't have one without the other.' Only eight out of 78 world leaders who participated in the most recent COP29 were women. Although delegations at the UN climate conference are consistently increasing in numbers, women's representation has stagnated and even decreased. Bianca Pitt, co-founder of SHE Changes Climate, a campaign to get women equally represented at international climate negotiations and beyond, tells Euronews why it is vital women be included in climate talks and negotiations. 'When women suffer, everyone suffers,' she says. 'It has a knock-on effect.' Bianca Pitt, co-founder of SHE Changes Climate, a campaign to get women equally represented at international climate negotiations. Bianca Bitt If women - ideally from economically marginalised backgrounds - aren't included in decision making about climate change, then women's lived experiences and perspectives aren't being heard. 'If we only have a select group of people making decisions, the decisions will be incomplete - they won't have the desired outcome,' she adds. 'The majority of decisions are made by men for men and women. That creates a blind spot because we can only make decisions based on our own lived experience in the peer group we are in.' Women in power leads to stronger climate policies, studies show Pitt said it isn't 'fair' that women aren't included in the most important discussions being had about our planet, but it isn't just about fairness – it's about what is going to produce the best outcomes. When decision-making processes incorporate the perspectives of men and women, solutions are more comprehensive and robust. ADVERTISEMENT One study on gender and climate change found that female representation in national parliaments across 91 countries correlated with more stringent climate change policies and lower carbon emissions. Another Italian study found that women leaders prioritise proper waste management, decreasing the misuse of water, energy and resources. In the private sector, research shows that companies with a bigger share of women on their boards are more likely to improve energy efficiency, reduce firms' overall environmental impact and invest in renewable energy. Women-led firms make more efforts to curb emissions and have better results for environmental, social and governance indicators. ADVERTISEMENT 'Research shows the economies in which women participate are more resilient – they're stronger, more productive, and have better outcomes for everyone,' Pitt says. It's the same for nations and businesses for whom women lead on climate change, she says. When women are involved in making decisions on climate change, policies are more likely to succeed. Why aren't more women leading on climate change? 'We know that women are leading on climate change at a grassroots level and within civil society; we see it at CARE International through our programmes all over the world,' Pankhurst says. 'Women are leading the climate response in their homes and communities, coming up with innovative and sustainable solutions like leading agriculture cooperatives, encouraging their communities to plant drought-resistant crops, and creating early warning systems that save the lives and livelihoods of women who don't have access to traditional media.' ADVERTISEMENT If the evidence so starkly shows the need for women leading on climate change, then why are women still underrepresented as climate change leaders in politics? 'There's definitely a gender bias,' says Pitt. 'It's real and strong.' Perhaps there is a lurking, unconscious gender bias that distrusts women leaders or thinks they don't display the authority or assertiveness of men, as explored by the BBC when Kamala Harris became the first woman vice president of the United States. And according to Pitt, lack of female representation about climate on the national level is in part due to lack of representation. ADVERTISEMENT 'If you don't have women leading, you don't set the example for younger women to take that career,' she says. 'If you don't see women leading these conferences, young girls won't be inspired - they'll think it is just men in grey suits.' How can more women reach climate leadership positions? Public bodies, businesses, and governments are starting to realise the unconscious biases toward women in the climate change sector, but there isn't time to wait around for a slow, organic change, the experts argue. 'Organic growth [of women leading on climate change] is not delivering the results,' Pitt says. '50 per cent of delegations of climate negotiations have to be women as per the UNFCCC Gender Action Plan.' Pitt also urges that women be 'skilled up' to join negotiations, and be given ample amount of speaking time. ADVERTISEMENT 'If a woman chairs something, the remaining women in the room are more likely to speak up,' she says. By 'shining a light' on the women already leading in this space, younger girls will be inspired to follow - they will see it's possible to lead.' Likewise, Pankhurst - who, yes, is the great-granddaughter of British suffragette leader Emmeline Pankhurst - wants to see 'more room made at the table for women and girls to speak into this crisis.' 'We need to fund women-led organisations working in this space; supporting them to thrive and make a real difference at a political level locally, nationally and globally,' she says. ADVERTISEMENT And, this International Women's Day (8 March), there's no time to maintain the status quo. 'We don't have time to waste - climate change is here, now. It's not some far off threat,' she adds. 'We don't have the luxury of time.'
Euronews
07-03-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
‘Climate change is sexist': We need more women leading the crisis response, experts say
By Lauren Crosby Medlicott Only eight out of 78 world leaders at the last climate summit were women. How can we fix that? ADVERTISEMENT The climate crisis doesn't affect everyone equally - women and girls bear the brunt of the suffering, largely because they make up the majority of the world's poor. In rural areas, it is women and girls often responsible for securing water, food, and firewood for their families. During drought and floods, women are forced to work harder and walk further. As climate change exacerbates conflicts, inequalities and vulnerabilities, women also face increased risks of gender-based violence. When extreme weather hits, women and children are 14 times more likely to die than men, and an estimated four out of five people displaced by the impacts of climate change are women and girls. 'Put simply: climate change is sexist,' Helen Pankhurst, senior advisor on gender equality at CARE International UK tells Euronews Green. 'It's a feminist issue which threatens the fundamental rights of women and girls.' Helen Pankhurst speaks at a march and rally in London in 2018 to celebrate International Women's Day and 100 years since the first women in the UK gained the right to vote. Guy Bell Despite the labour burden climate changes places on women, they are on the ground 'leading the charge when it comes to grassroots campaigning and inspiring change,' according to Pankhurst. 'They're pulling together their communities and showing leadership in coming up with solutions, demonstrating resilience and delivering hope for a better future,' she says. 'They are also leading in civil society, fighting back against policies which are doing irreparable harm. There is a groundswell of women standing up and saying things must change; they're just not in seats of political power.' Only eight out of 78 world leaders at the last climate summit were women 'It is deeply frustrating that the women and girls whose lives are so disproportionately affected are not being heard on the global stage,' says Pankhurst. 'Climate and gender justice go hand in hand; you can't have one without the other.' Only eight out of 78 world leaders who participated in the most recent COP29 were women. Although delegations at the UN climate conference are consistently increasing in numbers, women's representation has stagnated and even decreased. Bianca Pitt, co-founder of SHE Changes Climate, a campaign to get women equally represented at international climate negotiations and beyond, tells Euronews why it is vital women be included in climate talks and negotiations. 'When women suffer, everyone suffers,' she says. 'It has a knock-on effect.' Bianca Pitt, co-founder of SHE Changes Climate, a campaign to get women equally represented at international climate negotiations. Bianca Bitt If women - ideally from economically marginalised backgrounds - aren't included in decision making about climate change, then women's lived experiences and perspectives aren't being heard. 'If we only have a select group of people making decisions, the decisions will be incomplete - they won't have the desired outcome,' she adds. 'The majority of decisions are made by men for men and women. That creates a blind spot because we can only make decisions based on our own lived experience in the peer group we are in.' Women in power leads to stronger climate policies, studies show Pitt said it isn't 'fair' that women aren't included in the most important discussions being had about our planet, but it isn't just about fairness – it's about what is going to produce the best outcomes. When decision-making processes incorporate the perspectives of men and women, solutions are more comprehensive and robust. ADVERTISEMENT One study on gender and climate change found that female representation in national parliaments across 91 countries correlated with more stringent climate change policies and lower carbon emissions. Another Italian study found that women leaders prioritise proper waste management, decreasing the misuse of water, energy and resources. In the private sector, research shows that companies with a bigger share of women on their boards are more likely to improve energy efficiency, reduce firms' overall environmental impact and invest in renewable energy. Women-led firms make more efforts to curb emissions and have better results for environmental, social and governance indicators. ADVERTISEMENT 'Research shows the economies in which women participate are more resilient – they're stronger, more productive, and have better outcomes for everyone,' Pitt says. It's the same for nations and businesses for whom women lead on climate change, she says. When women are involved in making decisions on climate change, policies are more likely to succeed. Why aren't more women leading on climate change? 'We know that women are leading on climate change at a grassroots level and within civil society; we see it at CARE International through our programmes all over the world,' Pankhurst says. 'Women are leading the climate response in their homes and communities, coming up with innovative and sustainable solutions like leading agriculture cooperatives, encouraging their communities to plant drought-resistant crops, and creating early warning systems that save the lives and livelihoods of women who don't have access to traditional media.' ADVERTISEMENT If the evidence so starkly shows the need for women leading on climate change, then why are women still underrepresented as climate change leaders in politics? 'There's definitely a gender bias,' says Pitt. 'It's real and strong.' Perhaps there is a lurking, unconscious gender bias that distrusts women leaders or thinks they don't display the authority or assertiveness of men, as explored by the BBC when Kamala Harris became the first woman vice president of the United States. And according to Pitt, lack of female representation about climate on the national level is in part due to lack of representation. ADVERTISEMENT 'If you don't have women leading, you don't set the example for younger women to take that career,' she says. 'If you don't see women leading these conferences, young girls won't be inspired - they'll think it is just men in grey suits.' How can more women reach climate leadership positions? Public bodies, businesses, and governments are starting to realise the unconscious biases toward women in the climate change sector, but there isn't time to wait around for a slow, organic change, the experts argue. 'Organic growth [of women leading on climate change] is not delivering the results,' Pitt says. '50 per cent of delegations of climate negotiations have to be women as per the UNFCCC Gender Action Plan.' Pitt also urges that women be 'skilled up' to join negotiations, and be given ample amount of speaking time. ADVERTISEMENT 'If a woman chairs something, the remaining women in the room are more likely to speak up,' she says. By 'shining a light' on the women already leading in this space, younger girls will be inspired to follow - they will see it's possible to lead.' Likewise, Pankhurst - who, yes, is the great-granddaughter of British suffragette leader Emmeline Pankhurst - wants to see 'more room made at the table for women and girls to speak into this crisis.' 'We need to fund women-led organisations working in this space; supporting them to thrive and make a real difference at a political level locally, nationally and globally,' she says. ADVERTISEMENT And, this International Women's Day (8 March), there's no time to maintain the status quo. 'We don't have time to waste - climate change is here, now. It's not some far off threat,' she adds. 'We don't have the luxury of time.'
