The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Pledge to unlock £17bn women’ s ‘powerhouse’
Scottish Labour has insisted its manifesto is “for all women” and promised to introduce misogyny as a hate crime in the next parliament.
Launching their “women’s manifesto”, leader Anas Sarwar and deputy leader Jackie Baillie promised to “close the gap” and unlock a £17 billion “powerhouse” using women’s “under-utilised skills”.
The pledges include the requirement for annual pay reviews – with details of any gender pay gaps – to be published by public sector bodies and private companies with more than 250 employees given government contracts.
A central fund would also be set up to fund historical equal pay claims.
Ms Baillie said the introduction of an Equal Pay Act would “end the scandal of low pay, it will value women’s work equally to men, it will actually lift families out of poverty, and it’s good for the local economy, too”.
Divisions in Scottish politics, involving some former Labour MSPs, surrounding gender recognition reform and the Hate Crime Bill – which does not include misogyny as a category – have emerged.
When asked how gender reform plans guided the manifesto pledges, Mr Sarwar said the proposals were “for all women”.
He said: “I am acutely aware of the everyday prejudice trans people face.
“Trans rights are human rights and we have to address the issues raised by trans men and women across the country.
“Alongside that we have seen the biggest hate crime remains against women.
“That’s why we have got to right the wrong in the Hate Crime Bill to include misogyny in it. That needs to happen urgently.
“I’ve said this before and I will again, in the context of all forms of prejudice. No individual community can confront the prejudice they face if they are left to do it on their own.
“I make the same case when it comes to Islamophobia and racism – we won’t defeat either if we leave it to our Muslim and minority communities alone.
“And we won’t defeat transphobia if we leave it to the trans community alone and we won’t defeat sexism if we leave it to women alone.”
Ms Baillie added: “I am proud Scottish Labour is the party of equality.
“The Equality Act frames our approach to all of these matters.
“Our manifesto will include reform of the Gender Recognition Act, de-medicalising the process, updating the gender reassignment protocol. Trans rights are about human rights.”
When asked why Labour had supported the Scottish Government’s Hate Crime Bill without misogyny being included, Mr Sarwar added he and Labour did not wish to stop the protection the Bill would offer minorities in Scotland.