On Tuesday 11th June 2024 Centenary Action launched our initiative to get out the women’s vote as part of the #SheVotes24 – Putting women at the heart of the election campaign.
We shared snapshot polling, of 500 women across the UK, which suggested that 76% of women are planning to vote, 21% of women think that the political parties only think about women’s issues for tactical gain and 28% of women don’t think that the political parties think about the female vote.
At the same time, we launched ‘The Promise’ for business leaders and entrepreneurs to take a lead by sharing information on how to register to vote, apply for a postal/proxy vote and by enabling employees to vote on Polling Day through working from home or flexibly to get to the polling station.
Helen Pankhurst CBE, convenor of Centenary Action explains: “Apathy, toxicity and negativity is creating a backwards step in gender equality. We want to galvanise women to get out and vote, be at the heart of decision making and create a more equitable playing field. And we want to call business to facilitate this too, which is why we are asking them to sign up to The Promise, to encourage staff to register to vote and make it easier to vote on the day through flexible working.
Women, 51% of the population, need to be seen by politicians of all parties as important stakeholders, because we need to be in the centre and not on the margins of policy making. The fact that the candidates are still predominantly men – estimated to be 69% of candidates at this election – does not help”
Press coverage:
Suffragette great-granddaughter: We want to galvanise women to get out and vote | The Independent
Suffragette great-granddaughter: We want to galvanise women to get out and vote | Evening Standard
Helen Pankhurst interviewed on LBC by Simon Conway on Global Player, starts approx 00:47 Simon Conway (globalplayer.com)
Suffragette great-granddaughter: We want to galvanise women to get out and vote | Dorset Echo
Helen Pankhurst interviewed on Radio 4 Today Programme