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I’ll do it, but only if you’ll help

Pledge “genderbalance20”

"I will pay £20 a month to the Campaign for Gender Balance development fund but only if 10 other people will do the same."

— Jo Swinson MP, Chair, Campaign for Gender Balance (contact)

Deadline to sign up by: 25^th May 2007
8 people signed up, 2 more were needed

Country: United Kingdom

More details
The Liberal Democrats' Campaign for Gender Balance (formally known as the Gender Balance Task Force) has made great strides in encouraging, supporting and mentoring more women to get themselves approved as Parliamentary Candidates and getting selected in winnable Parliamentary seats. We have set up, and are always seeking to expand, a network of volunteers to help and support women through all stages of the approval and selection process. From filling in the form to become an Approved Candidate, to planning where and when to go for selection, to designing your campaign literature once they have been short-listed, we put women in touch with someone who will lend them their experience and support. I know it was there for me when I needed it most.

As the recently appointed Acting Chair of the Campaign, I'm keen to ensure that we get this important initiative on a firmer financial footing so that we can reach out to more women than ever before. Over the next few months, we will be attempting to raise at least £5,000 in standing order income.

Your money will be spent on running training events and on providing mentoring and support for women as they seek approved candidate status and throughout the process to get selected for a seat.

For more information about the Campaign for Gender Balance, see our website (http://genderbalance.org.uk/).

Thanks a lot!

Comments on this pledge

• There are also pledges for £10 a month (http://www.pledgebank.com/genderbalance10) and £5 a month (http://www.pledgebank.com/genderbalance20) - please give what you can afford!
  
  Many thanks!
  James Graham, 18 months ago. Abusive? Report it!
• Oh please....shouldn't this forum be used for something positive and not to make overtly personal political statements and certainly not to promote personal gain and self agrandisement on behalf of a small minority of people who believe in this clap trap?
  
  Positive discrimination DOES NOT WORK, it provably time and again promotes incompetence, so this will make the current situation worse.
  
  Dear god we have enough totally incompetent politicians and parasites as it is.
  
  We don't need more female politicians because they are female, we need more female politicians only because they are competent!!!
  This of course applies to male politcians as well
  
  You are entirely mssing the point, we do not need a change of "gender balance" in government, we need a totally new way of providing governance for the people, by the people. Fairness, honesty, integrity, honour, determination - etc.
  
  You would be better to set up a campaign to do something that actually
  helps the electorate rather than helping the elected - or those who would be elected.
  
  Remember this - history repeatedly shows us that those who seek power, rarely have the qualities required for them to wield it fairly/even-handedly, effectively - or efficiently.
  Winston, 15 months ago. Abusive? Report it!
• The Campaign for Gender Balance isn't about positive discrimination, it is about training and support.
  
  If you don't support it, you don't have to sign the pledge. But please don't attack others for choosing how they give their own money.
  James Graham, 15 months ago. Abusive? Report it!