Period poverty, access to mental health services and equal pay were among the issues raised by young women on International Women's Day 2019.
On 8 March, in collaboration with the Young Women’s Trust, Ben Lake MP hosted a ‘Real Talk’ workshop aimed at young women aged 16 to 30 years old. Young women from all walks of life came together at the Coliseum Coffee House to voice their concerns and share their hopes for the future with the local MP.
Ben Lake said:
“It was great to hear new ideas for change and to discuss ways in which we can improve the lives of young people in Ceredigion. The experiences of women and girls must be heard, both locally and nationally. After all, it is impossible for policies to be truly effective if they do not reflect the wishes, and address the challenges faced by all in society."
The young women set out three priorities for Ben Lake to campaign for on their behalf at Westminster:
1. Education: ensure that equality issues and mental health awareness training is included on all PGCE courses
2. Increase the national minimum wage for apprentices and roll out National Living Wage for under-25s
3. Period poverty: campaign, raise awareness and look to introduce policies to mitigate the effects of period poverty
Period poverty in particular, was an issue that the young women felt needed tackling as a matter of urgency. A recent report from 'Freedom for Girls' found that period poverty has a direct impact on education, with pupils in the UK missing class every month due to their periods. A RightsInfo investigation discovered thousands of women were relying on food banks to get through their monthly periods.
In an attempt to tackle period poverty, the UK Chancellor confirmed in his Spring Statement that secondary schools in England will start providing menstrual products free of charge to girls from September onwards. Ben Lake MP has encouraged the Welsh Government to follow suit.
Ben Lake said:
"All women, regardless of age, social status or background, should be able to easily access the menstrual products they need.
“Too many girls miss out on vital education each month as a lack of access to menstrual products forces them to miss school. Even those pupils who do not suffer period poverty will benefit from free access to sanitary products, ensuring no child is without protection during what can be a very stressful and vulnerable time.”
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Photo captions: (Credited to Lauren Garside, Year 1 Coleg Ceredigion Media Production student) The ‘Real Talk’ workshop held on International Women’s Day at Ceredigion Museum.