February 2019 saw the 1st ever stand alone Labour Women’s Conference held in Telford.

Women’s Officer Jasmin Parsons and Mill Hill Branch Secretary Carly Elliott were Hendon’s delegates for conference, and below is a summary of their experience.

Carly Elliott:

“This was my first ever participation in Labour Party Conference, and I was incredibly lucky to have the support of our Women’s Officer to guide me through the experience. The overwhelming sense of camaraderie amongst the hundreds of women present was incredibly uplifting, and the ability to network and build friendships came with ease.” 

Several motions were put forward for discussion, with huge engagement from the delegates with comments, feedback, encouragement, with the addition of personal stories. 

One of the key stories for me was in relation to the motion around Abortion Rights in Northern Ireland, and that a 12 year old girl required a police escort to travel to the UK to undergo an abortion after being raped. Women and girls face life imprisonment for having an abortion, and medical professionals face imprisonment for supporting women and girls in obtaining an abortion. This is shocking and we must not forget that NI is part of the UK and should have the same rights as us. 

And in the words of Dawn Butler MP as she introduced Jeremy Corbyn

“Encourage, Empower, Elevate”

Words to live by.