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Bristol Wo-manifesto

Agenda for a Better Bristol

Our Wo-Manifesto

Bristol has made a commitment to bring about equality of women and men in local life as outlined in the European Charter signed by the elected mayor, George Ferguson on International Women’s Day 2013. Since then some progress has been made but much more needs to be done.

Evidence tells us that women in general experience disadvantage, and that some women are more disadvantaged than others. Bristol Women’s Voice has identified six key priorities for change and makes a call to action to all who have a stake in the future of our city.

These priorities are underpinned by evidence, research and real-life experiences of women living in the city. Action to address them would significantly improve the lives of all Bristol residents, both women and men. Failure to tackle them would jeopardise social cohesion and seriously limit our cultural and economic potential.

Bristol Women’s Voice calls on the agencies to play their part in achieving women’s equality. We will play our part by working with our members, raising women’s issues and concerns, influencing decision makers and providers of services and holding key agencies to account.

Read our Wo-Manifesto here. 

Our six main priorities are:

Power

To bring about change in public, private and political institutions in the city to ensure gender balanced leadership and to ensure that the city’s key organisations hear, understand and respond to the needs of all women.

Health

To improve the health and well-being of Bristol women of all ages through action and influenced underpinned by research. To raise the profile of women’s health and the importance of taking a gendered approach in all aspects of health promotion and service planning and delivering to secure equal opportunities for women to enjoy food health.

Safety

To make Bristol a city free from any form of violence against women and girls we call for:

  • A greater understanding of gender-based violence.
  • Enhanced specialized and appropriate support services that adequately meet the needs of all women and girls.
  • High quality work on prevention, and education around gender-based violence, gender stereotyping and discrimination.

Education

To ensure that Education fully utilised the potential of girls and women and that the education of all young people, girls, and boys, builds values and behaviours which lead to a more equitable society

Housing

To ensure that the needs of women in relation to housing and in particular women who are homeless or at risk of homelessness are understood and addressed. Bristol faces a housing crisis and it is having a particular impact on women, forcing some into homelessness. Rising rents, insecure tenancies and lack of affordable housing are also forcing families to leave the area where they have their childcare and family support networks. The housing needs of women fleeing domestic violence must be prioritized.

Economy

To enlist the skills, creativity, and experience of women to deliver Bristol’s potential to be a leading European city and to tackle the economic and social exclusion of women on low income in Bristol.