Priya Brown is standing as the Women’s Equality Party’s candidate in Eastrop and Grove at this May’s borough council elections.

The party has seven key principles: equality in representation, pay, parenting and caregiving, healthcare, media, education, and – crucially – ending violence against women and girls.

Priya says she will “fight for a Basingstoke which appreciates the pandemic’s lessons”, as well as a feminist-led climate action plan.

“Equality is better for everyone” is the Women’s Equality Party tagline, and I believe that with my whole heart. It’s true in business, where diverse companies earn more.

It’s demonstrably true in politics, where more equal Governments have best fought the pandemic.

And it’s true in our homes, where properly equal parental leave would allow fathers vital bonding time with their children and properly funded childcare would mean parents could make the work choices best suited to them.

Our party’s seven core objectives underpin my vision for Basingstoke: equality in representation, pay, parenting and caregiving, healthcare, media, education, and – crucially – ending violence against women and girls.

Nationally, WE’s strategy on this includes educating men and boys, creating specialist police units for sexual and domestic violence, and guaranteeing that no woman is turned away from safe refuge, including migrant women.

Locally, I will push for Basingstoke Council to achieve White Ribbon accreditation and to establish statutory funding of local rape and domestic abuse services.

I want a Basingstoke which appreciates the pandemic’s lessons, understands that equality is the beating heart of the economy and invests in a care-led recovery.

I will fight for a Basingstoke that implements WE’s feminist-led climate action plan because it’s the best way to save our environment.

Inequality stifles us all.

It narrows choices and opportunities; teaches men and boys to suppress emotion and women and girls to be silent. It enables the violence we see perpetrated against women and girls and fuels the harm our young men and boys do to themselves and each other.

I want to end that harm; to bring investment back to our arts and leisure scene and give our young people a positive, community-based pathway to bright futures.

My vision for Basingstoke is one in which men can have equal time with their families and women are paid equally.

I want a Basingstoke where girls like the local schoolgirl WE teamed up with to campaign for school sports equality, can play football if they want to, and boys can learn dance without self-consciousness.

I want Basingstoke schools to be leaders in exemplary, consent-based relationship and sex education; a huge part of WE’s strategy in ending violence against women and girls.

Equality truly IS better for everyone. Please, show that you agree, and give one of your votes to equality by voting for me in Eastrop and Grove on May 6th.

Priya Brown