Gender equality

Gender equality, also known as sex equality, gender egalitarianism, sexual equality or equality of the genders, is the view that both men and women should receive equal treatment and not be discriminated against based on their gender. This is the objective of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which seeks to create equality in law and in social situations, such as in democratic activities and securing equal pay for equal work. The related topic of rights is treated in two separate articles, Men's rights and Women's rights. In practice, the objective of gender equality is for people to acquire, if they so choose, equal treatment throughout a society, not just in politics, the workplace, or any other policy-designated sphere.

History

An early advocate for gender equality was Christine de Pizan, who in her 1405 book The Book of the City of Ladies wrote that the oppression of women is founded on irrational prejudice, pointing out numerous advances in society probably created by women.

Equality Party

Equality Party can refer to the following political organisations:

Musavat

The Müsavat (Equality) Party (Azerbaijani: Müsavat Partiyası) (Arabic (مساواة) "equality, parity") is the oldest existing political party in Azerbaijan. Its history can be divided into three periods: Early (old) Musavat, Musavat-in-exile and New Musavat.

Early (Old) Musavat (1911–1923)

Musavat was founded in 1911 in Baku as a secret organization by Mammed Amin Rasulzade, Mammed Ali Rasulzade (cousin of Mammed Amin Rasulzade), Abbasgulu Kazimzade and Taghi Nagioglu. Its initial name was a Muslim Democratic Musavat Party. The first members were Veli Mikayiloghlu, Seyid Huseyn Sadig, Abdurrahim bey, Yusif Ziya bey and Seyid Musavi bey. Early Musavat members also included future Communist leader of Azerbaijan SSR Nariman Narimanov. This initiative was coming from Mammed Amin Rasulzade, who was then living in exile in Istanbul.

In its early years before the first world war, Musavat was a relatively small, secret underground organization, much like its counterparts throughout the Middle East, working for the prosperity and political unity of the Muslim and Turkic-speaking world. Although Musavat espoused pan-Islamic ideology and its founder was sympathetic to the pan-Turkic movement, the party supported the tsarist regime during the First World War. Russia's social democrats received the foundation of Musavat in what they considered "imperial, orientalist terms, governed by the long-standing ideological categories of Muslim backwardness, treachery and religious fanaticism", as a betrayal of historic proportions.

Social Democratic Party (Faroe Islands)

The Social Democratic Party (Faroese: Javnaðarflokkurin, JF; literally the Equality Party) is a social-democraticpolitical party in the Faroe Islands, led by Aksel V. Johannesen. Its youth organization Sosialistiskt Ungmannafelag was founded in 1965.

History

At the 2004 general election on 20 January 2004, the party won 21.8% of the popular vote and 7 out of 33 seats in the Løgting.

At the 2008 general election on 19 January 2008, the party won 19.3% of the popular vote and 6 out of 32 seats.

In the 2011 election for the Danish Folketing, the party improved its vote to 21.0% of the Faroese vote, and took one of the two Faroese seats in the Folketing previously held by Republic. The politician who was elected and represented the Social Democratic Party in the Folketing is Sjúrður Skaale, who received 1539 personal votes.

At the 2011 general election on 29 October 2011, the party won 17.8% of the popular vote and 6 out of 32 seats

At the 2015 general election on 1 September 2015, the party received 25.1% of the vote, winning a plurality of 8 seats in the Løgting.

Women's Equality Party

The Women's Equality Party is a political party in the United Kingdom that was formed following a public meeting in London's Royal Festival Hall on 28 March 2015, where it was concluded that there was a need for a political party in the United Kingdom to campaign for gender equality to the benefit of all. The meeting was organised via Facebook under the title "The Women's Equality Party needs you. But probably not as much as you need the Women's Equality Party" following a proposal by Catherine Mayer. The party's full policy was launched by party leader, Sophie Walker, at Conway Hall, 20 October 2015.

History

On 2 March 2015, author and journalist Catherine Mayer attended a "Women in Politics" event at the Women of the World Festival (Purcell Room, Southbank Centre). 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."

Women's Equality Party (New York)

The Women's Equality Party is a New York qualified political party active only in that state. It was founded in 2014.

History

Incumbent Governor of New York Andrew Cuomo created the party in July 2014 under New York's electoral fusion laws, which allow votes on any ballot line to count toward a ticket's overall vote count. The party's name came from the Women's Equality Act, a bill that Cuomo was attempting to push through the New York State Legislature but stalled after he and the bill's supporters demanded a clause codifying Roe v. Wade be included even as the Republican-led New York State Senate refused to include the clause (the Senate did pass the rest of the bill, but the rest of the legislature refused to consider the bill without the Roe clause).

From its beginning, the party was met with controversy. Zephyr Teachout, who was challenging Cuomo in a primary election, accused Cuomo of blatant pandering, since Cuomo was not a woman. (Cuomo instead used Kathy Hochul, his female running mate, as the public face of the party.) Its campaign bus bore a striking resemblance to a box of Tampax tampons.