Real Women: Healthy, happy and confident

6.01.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Thu 27th Aug 2009

Jo Swinson MP

Proposals have been published by the Liberal Democrats to address the challenges and inequalities faced by women. These include pay, flexible working, childcare and the media's portrayal of women. The Lib Dems will debate these at the upcoming conference.

Commented Chelmsford Lib Dem Stephen Robinson, "As the father of a young child, I know that women still bear most of the burdens of child-care and home-making. Things have improved over the years but there is still much to be done."

The paper includes proposals to: make employers check for pay discrimination so that women get the money they deserve, to provide 20 hours per week free childcare, to allow everyone to request flexible working patterns and to inject some realism into the media's portrayal of women, instead of the suggestion that nothing less than perfection will do.

Lib Dem MP Jo Swinson chaired the policy group making these proposals. She said, "Women face pressure from all directions these days. Hit hard by the recession, trying to juggle family commitments with work and home life, it's easy to feel like you're running 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.

"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.

"There's a lot the Government could do to give a helping hand and it would be nice to inject some realism into the media's portrayal of women, instead of the suggestion that nothing less than perfection will do.

"In this paper we set out what the Liberal Democrats would do differently to help real women."

Visit www.realwomen.org.uk for more information.