S2 E3. Woman and Change: Politics with Jess Phillips, UK Member of Parliament

Mar 20, 2023

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In this episode I speak with Jess Phillips, UK Member of Parliament for Birmingham Yardley.

Jess is also the Shadow Minister for Domestic Violence and Safeguarding and a fierce defender of women and girls, especially when it comes to men’s violence against women, domestic abuse, sexual and reproductive health, childcare, and maternal and paternal rights. Every year, Jess she reads out the names of UK women killed by men in the year since the last International Women's Day⁠.⁠

She also advocates for a greater participation in politics from ordinary citizens, making the case that, “The greatest trick ever played by the powerful was to convince the population that we couldn’t change things, when the truth is that we can,” in her new book The Life of an MP: Everything You Really Need to Know About Politics.

Some topics we cover include:

Why Jess decided to run for office, and what it’s like to work for the government
The challenges she faces as a woman advocating for women’s rights in a male-dominated space
The huge role women having less power and control than men plays in men’s violence against them
How important politics is in all of our personal lives
Why we need more women in government - and in all places decisions are being made
Power, and why women shouldn’t be afraid to try and get it

Transcription is available here

Changemakers: How women make change happen

This is the first episode of the new Changemakers series which explores how women make change happen from those at the top helping to drive it. Each episode, we look at where we are on this long march to equality, what lies ahead, and how important you are in the fight.

In this 14-episode series, we’ll hear from Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Tawakkol Karman, Girls Who Code founder Reshma Saujani, Olympic gold medalist Lindsey Vonn, and Afghanistan's youngest ever female mayor Zarifa Ghafari, among others. Guest host Asha Dahya speaks with co-founder of the Black Lives Matter Movement Alicia Garza.

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