Time’s Up: 10 reasons that 2018 has already given women to march this Sunday

In the wake of the ongoing sexual harassment scandals in Hollywood and beyond, women across the world are taking a stand.

This Sunday, thousands of women (and men) will join forces in cities the world over, taking to the streets to march and send the message that 'Time's Up' - the name of a legal defence fund set up to financially support women who have experienced sexual harassment, assault, or abuse in the workplace.

It comes exactly a year after the global women's marches in protest at Donald Trump's inauguration, which saw half a million people descend on Washington DC to defend women's rights, amid concerns that the US President would begin to dismantle them. Many wore hats with pink ears, and celebrity supporters included Emma Watson and Madonna.

The 2018 march in London - which starts opposite Downing Street at 11am on Sunday January, 21 -, seeks to capitalise on the activism kick-started by the #MeToo hashtag that sprung up in the wake of the Harvey Weinstein scandal, and has seen a widespread move to tackle sexual harassment in the workplace.

In a statement, the organisers said: ‘We are coming together to pledge that we are going to make change in big and small ways. We will stand side by side, once again, in solidarity with our sisters, brothers and siblings around the world. Together we are strong and if we all work for a better world then time is really up for oppressors of women.’ 

Not convinced? Here are 10 reasons that the last few months have given every woman and man reason to march...

1. Harvey Weinstein 

When he started out in Hollywood, Weinstein - the media mogul accused of countless acts of sexual harassment against actresses - probably didn’t think he would become a household name because of something called #MeToo.

When the claims began to surface in October 2017, his downfall was rapid. Weinstein was forced to retreat from the comfortable LA power bubble that had protected him from facing the music for over 30 years.

In the wake of the revelations against him, other powerful men in the public eye have been held to account - but doubtless many more are hiding in plain sight. 

2. Abortion is still illegal in Northern Ireland

Women in NI are only legally allowed to  undergo a termination if the pregnancy poses a danger to their life, or mental health. In any other circumstance, it is still deemed 'unlawful' and, in theory, patients and doctors face life imprisonment. In 2018.

The restrictions saw around 4,000 women travel to England in 2016 to have an abortion. In June last year, the UK Government committed to covering the cost of women who were forced to travel from Northern Ireland for the treatment.

The piece of legislation that provides the foundation for Northern Ireland’s abortion laws was passed in 1861…yes, 1861.

3. Period poverty

Despite it happening once a month, every month, to 51% per cent of the British population, periods remain unaffordable to some young women. While the number of those affected is believed to be relatively small, in the world’s fifth largest economy, should it really be happening at all?

Research by the charity Plan International suggests that one in 10 girls and women aged between 14 and 21 in the UK have been at some point affected by period poverty. The average pack of tampons costs around £3 (including that five per cent 'luxury' tampon tax, remember) and the average woman has 450 menstrual cycles in her life. 

Campaigners are calling on the government to provide free sanitary products to those who receive free school meals. While campaigns like #TheHomelessPeriod are trying to tackle period poverty for homeless women, who no official Governmental support for sanitary care, meaning many have to go without.

4) Sexism against female entrepreneurs

In 2016, just nine per cent of all start up funding went to female founders, according to data from Barclays and the Entrepreneurs Network. With male entrepreneurs 86 per cent more likely than their female counterparts to raise venture capital funding in the UK, it’s safe to say there is an issue.

Such a climate even lead two young women entrepreneurs to invent a fake male co-founder to correspond with potential investors. Penelope Gazin and Kate Dwyer, who founded the online art marketplace Witchsy, created an imaginary third co-founder Keith Mann to help get their business off the ground.

"It's frustrating that a significant proportion of funding goes towards male-founded or led businesses," Annabel Denham, programme director at The Entrepreneurs Network, previously toldThe Telegraph. "This is not just an economic discussion, though we know start-ups are vital to the UK economy: we want to see smart, savvy businesswomen getting the same opportunities as their male counterparts."

5) Female film directors - or lack of

When Natalie Portman took to the stage at the Golden Globes to announce the winner of the Best Director category, she highlighted (with commendable levels of sass) that none of the nominations were female. Zero.

Only one woman, Kathryn Bigelow, has ever won the Academy Award for Best Director for her film The Hurt Locker.

6) Poland's abortion rights

Earlier this week, thousands of Polish women took to the streets in around 50 cities across the country to protest against the government’s plan to tighten what are already some of the most restrictive abortion laws in Europe.

The event was called ‘Deja Vu’ - referencing similar protests that ocurred last year. Currently, Poland forbids abortions in all cases except rape and where the woman or baby’s lives are in danger.

7) Women are still shouldering care responsibilities

According to the Fawcett Society, 58 per cent of carers in the UK are women. 

Sometimes, it is down to choice (let’s not forget, the original aim of the feminist movement was defending a woman’s right to make decisions for herself), but research suggests that many women are pressured down this path.

This is often argued as one of the most significant and influential factors in creating the gender pay gap, as women are four times more likely than men to do unpaid care work.

Unpaid care work has an estimated economic value of £77 billion in the UK every year.

8) Austerity is more likely to affect women

According to the Parliamentary Women’s Budget Group (WBG), austerity has a disproportionate effect on women.

This is largely because a higher proportion of women’s incomes are made up of benefits and tax credits – therefore leaving them more vulnerable to austerity measures. Women are more dependent on benefits than men because they are more likely to be on lower incomes and receive benefits on behalf of other people, like their children.

Dubbed ‘lady data, the WBG - lead by Labour MP Stella Creasy - are campaigning for the government to commit to analysing how its plans will impact women before it decides on the final annual budget.

9) FGM is still being inflicted on young girls

In 2016, Plan UK warned that a case of Female Genital Mutilation was reported every 109 minutes in the UK.

Unfortunately, knowledge surrounding FGM is very grey in Britain as doctors, charity workers and government still have no idea how many young girls and women have been affected. A 2014 estimate was around 137,000 women and girls.

Last year, West Midlands Police provoked outrage when it suggested that prosecution was not the answer to ending FGM, advocating 'education' instead.

10) There are only 6 female bosses of FTSE 100 companies

At the very top big business, women are barely present.

With only six women at the helm of FTSE 100 companies in the UK, there is a long way to go before greater representation is achieved. 

However, progress is being made. From 2011-2017, the number of board positions at FTSE 100 companies occupied by women jumped from 12.5 to 28 per cent. By 2022, a target of 33 per cent has been put in place.  Still only a third, though.