100 years of progress but fight for equality still not won says Euro MP

Arlene McCarthy

On the 100th Anniversary of International Women’s Day Euro MP Arlene McCarthy MEP has spoken of the challenges women still face today.

Ms McCarthy said: “Today marks 100 years of International Women’s Day and we should all be proud that the birth of the women’s suffrage movement was in our own region in Manchester.

“In the last 100 years there have been great steps forward for women’s equality from votes for women to paid maternity leave. There are however many challenges that we still face.”

Ms McCarthy continued: “It cannot be right that two women a week are still killed by their partner or former partner and one in three women will experience violence in their lifetime.

“It is certainly not fair or democratic that only 19 per cent of the world’s parliamentary seats are held by women. Women perform 66 per cent of the world's work, produce 50 per cent of the world's food, yet earn only 10 per cent of world's income and own 1 per cent of the world's property.”

Ms McCarthy concluded: “As part of the continued fight for equality many women today will be joining the ‘We are equals’ campaign – a rallying cry to men and women all over the world to join the fight against inequality.”