Open Letters
Letter: Campaigning for Women’s Visibility in UK Response to Covid- 19
Date Posted: Tuesday 24th March 2020
“The Coronavirus pandemic is exceptionally difficult for everyone and is having a huge impact on all our lives. So far, women and girls in the UK have been largely invisible from the debate and excluded from decision-making. Now schools and nurseries have closed their doors it will be women who take on most of the unpaid care work, reducing their hours or giving up paid work, turning the clock back on gender equality. Many women are on the frontline, delivering essential services, usually the lowest paid or in insecure work. Many women will be trapped in their homes, self-isolating with an abusive partner. It’s women who are also more likely to care for older or disabled relatives and neighbours. Yet hundreds of billions of pounds of taxpayers’ money is being spent without considering the specific challenges women are facing. Women and girls in all their diversity must be seen, have their voices heard and their needs met.”
Full list of signatories:
- Adina Claire – Acting Co-Chief Executive, Women’s Aid Federation of England
- Adrienne Darragh – Chief Executive, Hibiscus Initiatives
- Angela Everson – CEO, WomenCentre
- Anna Herrmann – Joint Artistic Director, Clean Break
- Anne Mc Vicker – Director, Women’s Resource & Development Agency-WRDA
- Anthea Sully – Chief Executive, White Ribbon UK
- Baljit Banga – Executive Director, Imkaan
- Caroline Criado Perez – award-winning writer and campaigner
- Catherine Fookes – Director, Women’s Equality Network (WEN) Wales
- Cerys Furlong – Chief Executive, Chwarae Teg
- Clare Murphy – Director of External Affairs, British Pregnancy Advisory Service
- Faeeza Vaid MBE – Executive Director, Muslim Women’s Network UK
- Gisela Valle – Director, Latin American Women’s Rights Service
- Hannah Shead – Chief Executive Office, Trevi House
- Harriet Wistrich – Director, Centre for Women’s Justice
- Helen Pankhurst – Convenor, Centenary Action Group
- Hera Hussain – Founder, CHAYN
- Iman Atta – Director, Tell MAMA
- Iman Atta – Director, Faith Matters
- Jane van Zyl – Chief Executive, Working Families
- Jemima Olchawski – Chief Executive, Agenda
- Joeli Brearley, – Founder, Pregnant Then Screwed
- Julie Budge – Founder / CEO, My Sisters’ House C.I.O
- Dr. Kate Paradine – Chief Executive, Women in Prison
- Laura Seebohm – Executive Director, Changing Lives
- Laurie Lee – CEO, CARE International UK
- Lee Chalmers – Founder, Director, The Parliament Project
- Lisa Dando FRSA – Director, Brighton Women’s Centre
- Lisa-Marie Taylor – CEO, FiLiA
- Maggie Parks OBE – Chief Executive, The Women’s Centre Cornwall
- Mandu Reid – Leader, Women’s Equality Party
- Dr. Mary-Ann Stephenson – Director, UK Women’s Budget Group
- Matt Home – Director, Willowdene Rehabilitation
- Natasha Walter and Marchu Girma – Directors, Women for Refugee Women
- Dr. Nicola Sharp-Jeffs – CEO, Surviving Economic Abuse (SEA)
- Niki Scordi – Chief Executive, Advance Charity
- Nikki Guy – Centre Manager, Stockport Women’s Centre
- Pip Eldridge – Interim Director, TIME’S UP UK
- Pragna Patel – Director, Southall Black Sisters
- Professor Sophie Harman – Queen Mary University of London
- Rokaiya Khan – CEO, Together Women
- Rosalind Bragg – Director, Maternity Action UK
- Sam Smethers – Chief Executive, The Fawcett Society
- Sarah Tomlin – Equal Power Coordinator, 50:50 Parliament
- Dr. Shola Mos-Shogbamimu – Lawyer, Political & Women’s Rights Activist
- Sneh Jani-Patel & Olivia Head – Co-Founders, Bread and Roses
- Sophia Benedict – Women’s Services Manager, Southwark and Lewisham Women’s Hubs, Pecan
- Sophie Walker – Chief Executive, Young Women’s Trust
- Stacy Smith – Chief Executive Officer, Her Centre
- Suzanne Jacob – CEO, SafeLives
- Vanessa Pine – Co-Founder, Activate Collective