It was a pleasure to attend such an inspiring evening at the inaugural Conservative Women’s Organisation (CWO) Women and Girls Empowerment Summit at the University of Kent on Friday.
The empowerment of women and girls has shaped my entire career, so it was a joy to be part of this occasion, brought to life by the vivacious Rebecca Ajibola.
The event was introduced by our excellent CWO National Chair Louise Brice, and was superbly co-chaired by Kimberley Harmar and Emilie West.
I joined a fantastic group of advocates and over 50 delegates, with powerful contributions from Kimberley, the unstoppable Baroness Debbie Stedman‑Scott, Sussex PCC Katie Bourne, Kent PCC Matthew Scott and Canterbury City Councillor Grace Paget.
A principal focus of discussion was about tackling the persistent scourge of violence against women and girls. Every three days a woman is killed by a man in this country, and it has been the same for the last 10 years. Ambitious VAWG strategies are important but they must be backed up by sustainable funding.
The room was full of energy, especially amongst the Kent Young Conservatives, including many from my own Maidstone & Malling Association. Events like this are high octane fuel for campaigns such as #AskHerToStand, and I’m certain we saw some future elected representatives in that room.
Huge congratulations to everyone involved - a brilliant reminder of what happens when we invest in the next generation of women and girls.
