Women’s Equality Party Dissolves, Shifts Focus to Activism

Women’s Equality Party (WEP) co-founder Catherine Mayer stated that it marks “the end of the party but not the movement,” following a member vote to dissolve the organization. During an interview on BBC’s Woman’s Hour, Mayer explained that the party’s closure was partly attributable to financial difficulties and partly because its strategy “was not working in a polarised world.” Co-founder Sandi Toksvig indicated that they would now endeavor to effect change via activism instead of allocating funds to support electoral candidates. She additionally refuted claims that the party’s dissolution was connected to its position on transgender matters, attributing a decline in membership to women’s difficulties in affording membership fees amidst the cost of living crisis. The party originated in 2015, stemming from discussions between Mayer and Toksvig where they expressed their “impatience with the slowness of change” regarding women’s issues. Mayer noted their aspiration to replicate the success of the UK Independence Party, which had influenced the Conservative Party’s position on the European Union by securing votes in its traditional strongholds during elections. Mayer remarked, “We basically had a couple of beers that turned out to be very expensive.” The party, initially headed by journalist Sophie Walker, advocated for closing the gender pay gap, enhancing childcare affordability, and raising the prosecution rate for domestic violence. In 2016, Walker secured sixth place in the London mayoral elections, obtaining 2% of the vote. Nevertheless, the party did not expand its electoral support, and in the general election earlier this year, it presented four candidates, garnering only 1,275 votes. The party had also faced some criticism concerning its stance on transgender rights. Journalist Suzanne Moore, who participated in the party’s establishment in 2015, stated in a recent Substack article that the party’s leadership had disregarded the opinions of its own members, “70% of whom did not support Self ID.” A self-ID system would permit an individual to alter their legal sex without requiring a medical diagnosis. Presently, adults in the UK can obtain a gender recognition certificate if they fulfill specific conditions, such as a diagnosis of gender dysphoria. In defense of their approach, Mayer asserted that the party had been “very clear” and “supported the right, from the beginning, for people to determine their own gender.” She added, “We also tried very, very hard to make space for all areas of opinion on this.” Toksvig commented, “I couldn’t be more trans-inclusive but I didn’t want to shout at people.” She continued, “I don’t want a polarised debate… what I wanted was a space where we could carry on having the discussion.” When questioned about whether the party’s stance on transgender rights had resulted in a decrease in membership, Mayer responded that they had both lost and gained members, making the overall impact “net neutral if not slightly positive.” Toksvig attributed an overall decline in funding to the cost of living crisis that emerged after the pandemic. Last month, the party’s leadership advised its members to vote for the party’s closure, and over the weekend, 78% of members supported the proposal. Toksvig stated: “If the way that we get attention to the incredible issues – for example women’s health care, affordable childcare – if that’s through activism rather than through trying to stand candidates that we can’t really afford in elections, then this is going to be the way forward.” In 2024, the party secured £9,000 in funding. By contrast, Reform UK raised £4.3m, and the Liberal Democrats accumulated approximately £12m. Mayer commented, “What we have is a movement and what we are now looking at is how we transition that into more reforms and more effective activism.” She reiterated, “It’s the end of the party, but not the movement.” They affirmed their intention to continue supporting the party’s four local councillors across Basingstoke, Cheshire, and Dorset. Toksvig stated, “We will be supporting them,” further remarking, “What we won’t be worried about is keeping the lights on.”