Harman attacked for 'women-only' conference event
Friday, 23 September 2011 10:46 AM
By Ian Dunt Follow @IanDunt
A Labour conference event on party policy has been attacked for barring men from attending.
The event, organised by Harriet Harman, deputy Labour leader, and Yvette Cooper, shadow home secretary, will only allow Ed Miliband to attend.
"Where the suffragettes quite rightly called for voting equality with men, the feminist movement has become so radicalised that it excludes men, and just isn't interested in what they have to say," Charlotte Vere, co-founder of Women On, a new women's think tank, said.
The 'What Women Want' event will see female party members offer their suggestions on a range of policy issues, including education and health.
Many in the party object to policy developments being drawn up along gender lines and there is considerable controversy over the decision to actually bar men from the meeting.
The event is likely to pass a demand for there always to be a woman in Labour's leadership – either in the leader or deputy leader position.
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