The Women's Equality Party (WEP) was a feminist political party in the United Kingdom that existed from 2015 to 2024. The idea was conceived by Catherine Mayer and Sandi Toksvig at the Women of the World Festival, when they concluded that there was a need for a party to campaign for gender equality to the benefit of all. The launch meeting was on 28 March 2015 under the title "The Women's Equality Party needs you. But probably not as much as you need the Women's Equality Party". The party's full policy was launched by its then-leader Sophie Walker at Conway Hall on 20 October 2015. In January 2020, Mandu Reid took over as the party's leader.
The party had one principal authority councillor on Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council, elected in 2024. It also had two seats on Congleton Town Council, where Kay Wesley served as the party's first Town Mayor, and had a seat on Stinsford Parish Council.
It was dissolved on 17 November 2024. Former members went on to form the Equality Party, the All In Party and the Alliance for Women's Equality.
History
On 2 March 2015, author and journalist Catherine Mayer attended a "Women in Politics" event at the Women of the World Festival (at the Southbank Centre in central London). The panel was chaired by Jude Kelly (Artistic Director, Southbank Centre), and the panel consisted of Katie Ghose (CEO, Electoral Reform Society), Margot James (Conservative), Stella Creasy (Labour) and Jo Swinson (Lib Dem). Having watched the panelists agreeing collegially with each other on almost every point, Mayer stood up and said, "What about if I found a Women's Equality Party, tell you what, I'm going to go to the bar afterwards, anyone interested in discussing this come and see me."
On 8 March 2015 (International Women's Day), at the same festival, comedian Sandi Toksvig presented an event entitled "Sandi Toksvig's Mirth Control: Stand Up and Be Counted". Interviewed by Jenni Murray on BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour, Toksvig said: "I had a fantasy cabinet of women, and I didn't care which party they came from, we had Doreen Lawrence as our Home Secretary. Can you imagine anything more wonderful? We had paralympian Tanni Grey-Thompson as our Sports Minister, and I asked them to put forward practical suggestions. The world is in a parlous state, 9.1 million women failed to vote in the last election, we need to attract them, we also need to attract the more than 7 million men who didn't vote. Why are people not engaged in politics, because I don't think that the people standing represent the diversity of this country." Mayer phoned Toksvig, and the two agreed to become co-founders of the party.
The first meeting of the as yet unnamed party was on 28 March 2015. Speakers included: Suzanne Moore, who had previously stood for parliament as an independent candidate; Sophie Walker, who spoke on careers, parenting and ensuring that both parents have opportunities in both; Halla Gunnarsdóttir, who described a women's equality party in Iceland; and Hannah McGrath, who discussed the practicalities of starting a party. The meeting was covered on Woman's Hour and by the press, including Glamour magazine and the London Evening Standard.
A second meeting took place at Conway Hall on 18 April, and included Sandi Toksvig, Mandy Colleran, Nimko Ali, Shabnam Shabazi and Stella Duffy as speakers.
On 30 April, Toksvig announced that she was leaving her position as compère of Radio 4's The News Quiz in order to help set up the new political party, which was now named the Women's Equality Party. Speaking at the Hay Festival in May, Toksvig reported that since she had announced the move on BBC One's The One Show, she had been subjected to a significant level of abuse online.
The Women's Equality Party was registered with the Electoral Commission on 20 July 2015. On 22 July, Reuters journalist Sophie Walker was announced as the party's first leader. Walker went on to stand in Shipley at the 2017 general election, but lost to Conservative Party MP and men's rights activist Philip Davies.
Leadership contest 2018 The party announced its first leadership contest in December 2017. Nominations opened on 5 January 2018, and closed on 24 January. Two candidates were nominated: interim leader Sophie Walker and Magda Devas, who had previously run for the Green Party in the Streatham Wells ward in the Lambeth London Borough Council election of 2010 and that of 2014. The ballot opened on 14 February 2018, and closed on 6 March; Walker was declared the winner on 8 March.
Candidate Votes % Sources Magda Devas 550 9.90 Sophie Walker 5,002 90.10
Walker had been due to serve a five-year term until 2023 but resigned 10 months later, stating "sometimes in order to lead, you have to get out of the way". She was replaced by interim leader Mandu Reid, the party's national spokesperson on equal parenting and caregiving, its candidate in the 2018 Lewisham East by-election, and the CEO of period poverty charity The Cup Effect.
Decision to dissolve party In October 2024, it was reported that the party's founders planned to dissolve the WEP pending the approval of the party's membership in November, citing financial difficulties and changes in the political environment. The party then had about 5,600 members and 24,000 registered supporters. This reportedly followed a failed attempt by the leadership of the WEP and the Green Party of England and Wales to formalise a partnership, with the motion to allow this failing to muster support at the Green Party conference.
At a special conference on 17 November 2024, 78% of members voted to dissolve the party, surpassing the 75% threshold for this vote to pass.
Political aims and views The party's mission statement opened with: "Equality for women isn't a women's issue. When women fulfil their potential, everyone benefits. Equality means better politics, a more vibrant economy, a workforce that draws on the talents of the whole population and a society at ease with itself".
Describing the six aims, Mayer said: "It's a very narrow palette, we're not looking to be a party that can answer questions about what should be done in the Ukraine, or trying to have a platform on the environment or anything else, we are focusing absolutely narrowly on that equality agenda." Party leader Walker agreed: "We won't have policies on other issues. We are going to concentrate, laser-like, on all of the above, to make them happen. And we will welcome people from any other political party that agrees with our values of diversity and inclusivity to work with us." However, Walker promised that the party's working definition of the word "woman", as well as more detail of the party's policies, would be covered in its policy launch, following consultation with party members.
Early indications of what to expect included Walker's call for a gender quota system to select MPs at the following two elections so that equal representation could be achieved in the House of Commons by 2025. Walker also called for six weeks' paid leave, at 90% pay, for both parents after having a baby, as well as an extra 10 months of shared leave at statutory pay. Writing in the Daily Mirror, Toksvig stated that the party further proposed that industrial tribunal costs be reduced from over £1,000 to "£50 for those who can afford it" in order to "empower all women to speak out about sexism at work."
The party launched its full set of policies on 20 October 2015 at Conway Hall.
First party conference The inaugural Women's Equality Party conference took place in Manchester on 25–27 November 2016, with opening speeches by founders Catherine Mayer and Sandi Toksvig on the first day, and Sophie Walker's leader's speech on the second day. Video.
Motions carried at the conference include: a motion to expand the UK's definition of hate crime to include misogyny; a motion to strengthen the legislation for carers who need flexible working arrangements; and a motion to fully decriminalise abortion across the UK (the current Abortion Act excludes Northern Ireland).
Other speakers at the Conference included CEO of the Young Women’s Trust Carole Easton, psychologist Carolyn Kagan, former President of the National Union of Students Shakira Martin, sexual harassment lawyer Dr. Ann Olivarius, and Swedish politician Gudrun Schyman.
Additional party goal A seventh goal of the party was added to the existing six at the party's first conference.
Second party conference The second party conference took place in Kettering in September 2018. Among the motions passed was one supporting the People's Vote campaign calling for a public vote on the final Brexit deal between the United Kingdom and the European Union. Text.
Abortion During its existence the party supported removing abortion from criminal law and supported safe access to abortions.
Position regarding gender self-identification In November 2022, the party voted in support of a motion to back gender self-identification. Of the party members who took part in the vote at the party's conference, 138 voted in favour of gender self-identification, while 29 opposed, and 5 abstained.
The party's name The party's name was "debated and discussed at two public meetings". When Toksvig was asked why the party was named the Women's Equality Party, rather than just the Equality Party, she answered: "Because there is a huge issue, women are certainly not equal.... It's time that women, finally, after all these years, what is it, almost a hundred years since we finally got the vote, it's time we stepped up and took our equal place in society." She also stated the party's motto, "Equality is better for everybody". Mayer also stated, "I'm very happy with the name: all genders are joining us and I hope they continue to. More than half the population is living in inequality and that is genuinely not good for everyone, economically or culturally."
Elections
2015 The party did not field any candidates in the 2015 general election, but planned to do so when the next election was assumed to be in 2020. Walker told BBC Radio Wales' Sunday Supplement programme that the party would be taking a non-partisan approach to elections, stating that "We will be undertaking consultations with our members and deciding which seats to target". Figures from the party suggested that there was a possibility that an existing Member of Parliament (MP) might defect to the party before the party contested an election, citing the example of how the UK Independence Party got its first MPs. although this did not happen. Initially Walker neither ruled in or out the possibility of a WEP candidate in the 2016 London mayoral election: "We'd like to. It's a £20,000 losable deposit, though. If you're Zac Goldsmith that's not such a big deal but if a woman from a normal background wants to speak out for women and do it with the mayorship, automatically she's almost excluded". However, in October 2015, the party announced its intention to field candidates in the 2016 London Assembly election.
2016 Following various fundraisers, the party was able to field candidates in the 2016 London elections (Walker in the Mayoral election, plus candidates for the London Assembly); Scottish Parliament election, Glasgow region (Anne Beetham, Susan Mackay, Ruth Wilkinson, Calum Shepherd, Penelope Haddrill, Carol Young) and Lothian region (Lee Chalmers, Jennifer Royston, Catriona MacDonald and Abigail Herrmann); and the Welsh Assembly election in South Wales Central (Sharon Lovell, Emma Rose, Sarah Rees and Ruth Williams).
Supporters of the WEP's election bid included: Emma Thompson, Lily Allen, Hugh Quarshie, Tanya Moodie, Philippa Perry, Jack Monroe, Jo Brand, Rosie Boycott and Caitlin Moran.
The WEP did not win any seats in the elections: Walker gained 53,055 votes (2.04%) in the first round of voting for London mayor. The party's best result was on the London-wide list where it finished sixth with 91,772 votes (3.5%).