WITH just one week left until the polls close on July 4, party leaders have been urged to commit to furthering the rights of women, including an end to the gender pay gap.

The Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC) – the largest trade union body in Scotland – women’s committee has written to Rishi Sunak, Keir Starmer and John Swinney with a list of demands to commit to as the General Election reaches its “crescendo”.

The letter calls on party leaders to commit to improving childcare, maternity and paternity rights, and to invest further into women’s healthcare.

READ MORE: SNP face internal pressure to back trade unionist General Election pledges

The group set out the following demands:

  • Expand universal free school meals
  • Invest in women’s health services Ensure women have the right to a safe workplace, free from sexual harassment
  • Commit to close the gender pay gap, ensuring an intersectional approach
  • Expand free childcare, ensuring it is fit for purpose, and improve maternity and paternity pay and leave
  • Increase the representation and visibility of young women across society and the political sphere
  • Embed gender budgeting in all national and local government budgets processes to help address inequalities
  • Invest in public services, recognising that cuts in national and local services disproportionately impact women

The committee’s chair, Lorna Glen, said “we cannot accept anything less” from party leaders.

“The voices and concerns of women should not be drowned out as we reach the crescendo of this General Election,” she told The National.

“It’s never been so important to have our voices heard. With proposals from our committee to invest further into women’s health services and expand childcare, maternity and paternity rights, our politicians should leave no stone unturned in seeking to build a fairer, more inclusive nation with women’s voices front and centre of this General Election campaign.”

The STUC’s general secretary, Roz Foyer (below), urged politicians to back the demands set out by the committee.

(Image: free)

Foyer said: “The STUC women’s committee is leading from the front in holding our would-be politicians to account on how they will deliver for women across Scotland.

“That includes how our politicians will push both the UK and Scottish Government to invest further into our public services, entirely cognisant that any cuts to them disproportionately impact women.”

She added: “As the election reaches fever pitch and every candidate knocks on every door to get support, it would be wise for them to reach out to our movement and back the STUC women’s committee in our demands.