Despite their differences, candidates for Greater Manchester's next Mayor agree on one issue: women are being discouraged from political engagement. At a hustings hosted by gender equality group GM4Women on July 16, the 168th birthday of suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst, three of four panelists were women.
Hustings Highlights and Candidate Pledges
The event, held at Salford University's Peel Building, featured candidates Sian Astley (Reform UK), Geraldine Coggins (Greens), Bev Craig (Labour), and Richard Kilpatrick (Liberal Democrats). Topics ranged from violence against women to increasing female representation in male-dominated sectors.
Bev Craig shared her upbringing on a Belfast council estate, where 'addiction and domestic abuse were far too common' and girls were told to 'lower their expectations.' Sian Astley recounted her struggle as a law graduate in the 1990s, becoming homeless before a Prince's Trust grant enabled her to build a successful business.
Richard Kilpatrick's political start was driven by work with female asylum seekers facing violence, whom he called 'a particularly vulnerable group.' Geraldine Coggins aims to close the gender pay gap and shift cultural attitudes toward unpaid emotional and domestic labour.
Addressing Violence Against Women
Candidates outlined policies to combat violence against women. Astley proposed improving Greater Manchester Police (GMP), ending early release for rape and sexual assault perpetrators, and supporting domestic violence survivors with housing. Coggins would double funding for the violence reduction unit, invest in education, and create support networks for boys. Craig seeks stable funding for women's refuges and preventing housing associations from forcing victims to move, focusing on abusers. Kilpatrick wants to rebuild trust in GMP, reform the judicial system for better female representation among magistrates, and champion vulnerable women asylum seekers.
Approximately 80% of violence against women is committed by someone known to the victim. Astley would commission a report examining perpetrator characteristics in Greater Manchester. Coggins aims to break the cycle of women returning to abusive situations due to economic hardship. Craig demands better services and reporting mechanisms. Kilpatrick emphasizes cross-authority cooperation for safe housing.
Improving Representation and Vocational Opportunities
To attract more women to politics, candidates suggested citizens' assemblies, fighting online toxicity, and leadership programs. Astley noted she was labelled a 'threat' online, which she saw as 'encouraging violence just days after the murder of Ann Widdecombe,' highlighting toxicity across the political spectrum.
On vocational training, Astley wants to place out-of-work women directly into jobs and work experience. Coggins would increase women in male-dominated fields like construction, where only 7% of apprentices are women, by starting early dialogue. Craig emphasizes earlier education and more adult education provision. Kilpatrick would leverage GMCA as a childcare provider and ensure the MBacc works equally for girls and boys.
The hustings demonstrated a collaborative atmosphere, with audience members engaging respectfully. One mother-daughter duo with differing political views agreed: 'If people could see this is what politics can be like, more of us would get involved.'
