Editor’s Note: In November party members will be voting to elect our next Party President. At Lib Dem Voice we welcome posts from each of the candidates – one to launch their candidature plus a maximum of one per week during the actual campaign.

Misogyny is not just a political issue — it is a deeply personal one. As I stand to be elected Vice President of the Liberal Democrats, I so carry with me the voices of countless women who have been ignored, dismissed, or silenced for too long. I have listened to friends, colleagues, and campaigners tell me stories of harassment, exclusion, and the barriers that still hold women back in modern Britain. Those experiences demand leadership, and they demand action.

The reality for women today is stark. Too many shape their daily lives around the threat of harassment, changing their routines and restricting their freedoms to feel safe. In universities, workplaces, and public spaces, women continue to face discrimination that chips away at their confidence and limits their opportunities. And despite progress, women still face inequality at work, both in terms of pay and recognition.

But misogyny is not only about the most shocking headlines. It is about the culture that normalises women being talked over in meetings, dismissed in politics, and underestimated in leadership. It is about women doing two jobs — one at work and another at home — without acknowledgement. It is about the fact that representation in politics and public life remains far from equal. Progress has been made, but it is nowhere near enough.

This commitment is not abstract for me; it is personal. I have seen the strength of women in my own family and community who carried households, raised children, and led businesses in the face of prejudice. I have seen women candidates in our Party work twice as hard to be taken seriously. And I have seen how resilience is demanded of women in politics in ways men are rarely tested. Too often, the system shrugs its shoulders, leaving women to fight alone.

That is why, as Vice President, I want to make it clear that tackling misogyny is not optional — it is central to who we are as Liberal Democrats.

My pledge is simple:

•      To champion gender equality at every level of our Party. Women must not only be in the room; they must be at the table.
•      To create real pathways into leadership through mentoring, sponsorship, and skills development.
•      To demand cultural change, where misogyny is challenged whether it is casual comments, online abuse, or structural barriers.
•      To embed the values of Liberal Democrat Women in every policy, every campaign, every strategy.
•      To speak out on the real issues: childcare costs, violence against women and girls, the gender pay gap, period poverty, and unpaid care work.

The Panorama investigation aired this week into the Metropolitan Police was another stark reminder of what happens when institutions look the other way. Undercover footage revealed officers making vile misogynistic and racist remarks, joking about violence, and treating hatred as banter. If the very people entrusted to protect our communities behave like that, then trust collapses — especially for women and minorities who already feel unsafe. It is not “a few bad apples”; it is about culture, accountability, and leadership.

Too many times, political parties have claimed to support women while failing to deliver meaningful change. I want our Party to be different — not just to say the right things, but to live them. Because misogyny doesn’t just hurt women; it damages our politics, our economy, and our communities.

As Vice President, I will stand as a barrier to misogyny in all its forms, and as a champion for every woman who deserves to be lifted up, not held back. Together, we can build a movement that shows women across Britain: your fight is our fight, your voice is our voice, and your future is our future.

* Kamran Hussain was a candidate for Vice President in 2025 and is a managing partner/solicitor.