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Sutton Borough Liberal DemocratsWorking for you all year round
Beddington, Belmont, Carshalton, Cheam, Clockhouse, Nonsuch, St Helier, Stonecot, Sutton, The Wrythe, Wallington and Worcester Park. |
Equality
June 21, 2011 3:04 PM
At the core of Liberal Democrats philosophy is a belief in equality of opportunity. Fighting discrimination in all its forms underpins our policies.
Britain today is a multi-ethnic, multi-faith, diverse society. It is a richer society as a result - culturally, socially and economically. Liberal Democrats embrace and celebrate a diverse Britain.
We will ensure that our laws reflect that diversity, protecting all from violence, discrimination and harassment and allowing everyone the freedom to live their lives.
We also recognise that though they are not a minority, women continue to receive a raw deal, whether its by being paid less than their male colleagues at work or suffering poverty when they retire because of career breaks to raise children or care for relatives.
Women
Women face pressure from all directions these days. Trying to juggle competing demands from work, family and home life, it's easy to feel like you're running as fast as you can just to stand still. The media screams out an endless list of things still to do: get a bikini body in 20 days, plan the perfect children's party, how to look 10 years younger. And despite great strides forward in equality, women still get paid less than men, and generally still end up taking more responsibility for childcare and looking after elderly relatives. This can be hugely rewarding, but combining this with a job can seem almost impossible.
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In Government we're doing what we can, where we can, to make things just a little easier for you. We're asking employers to be vigilant in driving out pay discrimination, to ensure that women get equal pay for equal work. We're modernising the system of maternity and paternity leave to enable parents to make their own choices about who returns to work and when. We're enabling everyone to ask for flexible working to change the rigid work culture, and make it easier to juggle various commitments. And we want to inject some realism into the media's portrayal of women, instead of the suggestion that nothing less than air-brushed perfection will do.