There are many aspects to the manifesto such as education, housing and relationships, but for this blog post I am going to focus on two of the sections: LEGAL AID and IT'S DIFFERENT FOR WOMEN AND GIRLS.
The Legal Aid section says...*
I think this definitely shows perfectly everything I am standing for; I believe that children need to be educated and know their own rights and all about fair treatment within the law. Legal assistance needs to be provided more, as does support: more goes on about children than we really see, and we do need the support! And, yes, we DEFINITELY need more support.
I can speak from a kinda experience. My dad and my mum had issues when they were splitting up, and we [My mum] used Legal Aid because she didn't know what else she could do and, for want of a better term, she was skint. And now, I am trying to decide whether to change my surname to my stepdad's, which my mum and siblings have. It's hard, and we need the support and the access; justice is something with a really wide definition and people only see the "oh justice means if they're guilty or not in court" side of it sometimes.
It is a massive assault on justice, the MoJ's plans, as we know; and for young people in prison it is absolutely no different.
And the IT'S DIFFERENT FOR WOMEN AND GIRLS bit says...*
YES! Again. I'm a feminist, and I'm not ashamed of it, and this shows what needs to happen for women in criminal justice and in society in general. On the first point, I can definitely say it's true. Things like this aren't built for girls or women, particularly in pregnancy etc etc. It's VERY different to criminal justice, but I'm going to use a simile of Scouting here. Scouting went unisex in 2007/8 or so, and I love it. We're respected, if teased (I was the first and only girl in my GROUP, and now there is a ratio of 3 of us girls to about 20 of the boys), but little things like some of the activities and the uniform just aren't built for us as, well, young women!
There is definitely a lack of respect and equality for women in our justice systems, and it's horrible. It needs to change.
And so, I wholely agree with these parts and the rest of the manifesto created by UR Boss. You should read it, and I'm sure you will also agree.
Charli
*screenshots directly from the manifesto. It does not belong to me.
