‘So much more to do’ says PM as he backs women’s equality
BORIS JOHNSON has said there remains “so much more to do” to ensure equality between men and women as he addressed a Downing Street reception to mark International Women’s Day.
The Prime Minister said the “automatic assumption” that men are “going to be of a certain position in life” still needed to be challenged, as he told an audience of schoolgirls inside Number 10 how he had learnt that sexism is “complete rubbish” at an early age.
Speaking alongside Olympic gold medallist Dame Kelly Holmes and mathematician Anne-Marie Imafidon during a panel discussion, the PM said: “It’s fantastic to be up on stage here with quite intimidating talent in many ways...
“I’m left miles and miles
The PM at a reception to mark International Women’s Day.
behind and yet historically men have enjoyed this kind of automatic assumption that they are going to be of a certain position in life – and that still needs to be challenged.
“And yes it’s fantastic to celebrate the achievements of women today, but there is so much more to do. And I look around the world, I see a real gulf and we in this country are making huge progress, though there is still a long way to go.
“But there are too many countries where girls just don’t get the treatment, the education, the advancement, the encouragement that they need, and that’s in my view the single biggest issue that the world could address.”
Mr Johnson said he had “any kind of sexism kicked out of me at a very early age” because his sister, Rachel, who is a year younger, was “just as good as I was, if not better, at things like climbing trees, and swimming and reading”.
The PM then took questions from the teenage audience.