Stirling Women’s Equality Party candidate Kirstein Rummery explains why she’s standing for election
I RECENTLY announced that I had been selected by the Women’s Equality Party to run for parliament representing my home constituency of Stirling.
The main reason I threw my hat into the ring was to highlight the lack of progress made in supporting social care by all the governing parties – all of whom have either cut funding or instigated rules that have effectively rationed access to care – which has a huge impact on disabled people and their families.
The Women’s Equality Party is the only party that is highlighting the fact that social care cuts impact on women: their ability to provide care, their risk of poverty, the time they spend away from paid work or in part-time work – which further widens the gender pay gap – and the risks to their pensions, as well as their own health and wellbeing. So it makes sense that this is my party of choice.
The main reason I threw my hat into the ring was to highlight the lack of progress made in supporting social care by all the governing parties.
Among my friends and colleagues there is overwhelming support for my campaign: I have over 20 years of experience of researching this issue, and have helped Westminster and the Scottish Government develop self-directed support policies that have improved disabled people’s and carers’ lives.
Those of us who are academics, social workers, parents, carers and disabled people ourselves have been warning of the looming crisis in social care for over 20 years and we are all getting tired of being listened to but not actually heard by the governing political parties.
The Women’s Equality Party is clear that social care is not a drain, but an investment: a position I wholly support. I am, in fact, about to undertake a two-year research project costing out exactly what the predicted return on that investment could be.
But among the general public there is a sense of puzzlement. Why would we need a Women’s Equality Party – aren’t women already equal? Or if they aren’t – aren’t they more equal in Scotland than the rest of the UK? We have, after all, our first openly feminist first minister in Scotland, a gender balanced cabinet in the Scottish Parliament, and four out of six of the main party (co) leaders are women. Haven’t we women got it made?
Well, no, we haven’t. Behind the headline figures, only 35 per cent of MSPs in Scotland (and just under a quarter of recently elected councillors) are women – this proportion is stalling or going backwards despite efforts from some parties and fantastic work done by Women5050, the Parliament Project, Engender and other related organisations.
We certainly have slightly better legal protection and funding for the victims of rape, domestic abuse and sexual abuse, but still one in five of women in Scotland experience sexual violence in their lifetime.
I am one of the one in five. I was sexually assaulted as an undergraduate, and things are now even worse for the undergraduates I teach – the rise of rape culture and internet pornography means our university campuses are less safe than they were for me.
I am standing for parliament because I am tired of waiting for action on this, and terrified that the conditions will be even worse for my own daughter and her friends as they grow up.
The gender pay gap is slightly narrower at 15.6 per cent in Scotland than the UK as a whole, where it is 18.1 per cent. But that is nevertheless a cost to Scottish working women of around £5,300 – or £6.5bn – a year.
This happens because of occupational segregation – essentially ‘women’s jobs’ like care, childcare, cleaning, nursing etc are undervalued, whereas ‘men’s jobs’ are overvalued.
After years of increasing frustration at the lack of progress made on these issues, I have decided to stop waiting for ‘the right time’ and stop waiting for the other parties to step up.
We pay our refuse collectors on average £2 per hour more than we pay our nursery nurses. Why? I certainly don’t value my bins more than my children – but the market – and public sector employers – do.
Not only should care work be more valued, but it isn’t women’s work – it is all of our work. The gender pay gap hits men too: particularly in low income households, they are forced to work longer hours to keep families out of poverty, which impacts on parenting, poverty and contributes to men’s increased risk of physical and mental health problems, particularly in older age.
And as an academic and a working mum, none of the governing parties’ moves and proposals on childcare get anywhere near the core of free childcare that we know is needed to invest in the economy, address gender inequalities and reduce inequality and poverty for children.
Every £1 invested in childcare sees a £2-£5 return, depending on where and how it is invested. Childcare is vital to local economies, and yet the Women’s Equality Party is the only party advocating universal, free, full-time childcare.
After years of increasing frustration at the lack of progress made on these issues, I have decided to stop waiting for ‘the right time’ and stop waiting for the other parties to step up.
Whatever the future of Scotland, it needs a progressive feminist party.
I am standing for parliament because Stirling, and Scotland, needs the Women’s Equality Party now more than ever.
People need the option to vote for a party that believes in the things they care about, and that is trying to move progressive politics beyond inter-party tribalism, Brexit, and indyref.
Whatever the future of Scotland, it needs a progressive feminist party.
Picture courtesy of the Women’s Equality Party
Check out what people are saying about how important CommonSpace is: Pledge your support today.
