Harman calls on newspaper editors to publish the number of older women working for them

 Harriet Harman MP, Labour’s Deputy Leader and Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, has today written to newspaper editors to ask them to provide her with the number of older women they employ. Ms Harman is asking for these figures as Chair of Labour’s Commission on Older Women. These figures have not previously been published.

 This request follows Ms Harman’s report this May which showed that in broadcasting only 18 per cent of presenters over the age of 50 are women.

 Ms Harman said:

“I’m writing to national newspaper editors to ask them to be open about the number of older women working in UK newspapers.

“We see the world through news and comment in our newspapers so a balanced team which includes older women is needed to report the world as they see it. Equality is not just important in principle - it is important for the quality of newspaper reporting and comment.”

Ms Harman also repeated her call to Maria Miller, Minister for Women and Equalities, to reverse the Government’s decision not to bring into force the dual discrimination clause of the Equality Act 2010. This clause would allow older women to bring claims where they have been discriminated against the combined grounds of on sex and age, where they cannot bring a claim on one ground.