Charlotte Leslie today ( February 14th) visited Westminster for the launch of the new report, entitled Women in the World Today, by the Shadow Minister for Women, Theresa May MP.

The report outlines the Conservatives’ priorities for women in the UK, and highlights the pressing need for a new approach to address the different issues women face.

Launched on the 90th anniversary of women being given the vote, the report demonstrates how Labour’s ‘One Size Fits All’ approach has largely failed to help women, particularly in the areas of domestic violence and the gender pay gap.

Charlotte, the Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for Bristol North West, was one of a number of high profile women invited along to Westminster for the launch..

After her meeting with Theresa May MP, Charlotte said:

“I was really impressed by the quality of research in the report and the positive ideas.

“The report recognises that we have come along way since the days of Emeline Pankhurst, but that there is still so much more to be done. So many mothers I speak to face real traumas in balancing child-care with work. Family life is suffering from inflexible work hours.

“Furthermore, women still suffer most when homeless and in prison. I was particularly pleased that the report makes clear that improving opportunities for women does not mean trampling down men, but creates a better society for everybody.

“The battle of the sexes is over – it is time to work together.”

The report recognises the great progress made over the last 90 years in eradicating inequalities between men and women, but concludes that there is still more work to be done.

It shows that women still suffer from a gender pay gap of around 17 per cent, and are more likely to have smaller pensions and live in poverty.

For every £1 a man receives from a pension, a woman receives only 32p, the report shows.The report highlighted the problems many women face in lack of choice of childcare, and juggling looking after families with holding down a job. For example, 58 per cent of carers are women and a major concern was the lack of support that female carers suffer.

Other issues raised included the plight of female prisoners, who make up over half of all self-harm cases although they are only 6 per cent of the prison population, domestic violence suffered by one in four women in their lifetime, victims of stalking and human trafficking.