By Isle of Wight Observer
On Tuesday, IW West MP, Richard Quigley, led a debate on government support for women and girls on the Island, highlighting the unique challenges they face and calling for targeted action.
He stressed that inadequate cross-Solent transport entrenches inequalities already faced on the mainland. “The current ferry service makes it harder to access healthcare, secure job opportunities, or escape domestic abuse. Challenges, that already exist for women and girls on the mainland, are infinitely magnified for those penned in by the Solent,” he said.
Mr Quigley also raised the lack of provision for survivors of sexual assault, noting that St Mary’s Hospital does not have a dedicated Sexual Assault Referral Centre. Victims must travel to the mainland, often in the clothes they were attacked in, to access help.
Domestic abuse services were another concern. Crimes rose by 25 per cent between 2018 and 2023, yet the Island has only one refuge with six rooms. Many women have been forced to leave the Island, uprooting homes and support networks to reach safety.
He also raised the issue of poor education outcomes, quoting an IW Observer report in August.
“As the Isle of Wight Observer put it, students on the island are facing an ‘uphill battle’,” he said. “Our local performance has fallen significantly below national outcomes across key benchmarks, placing us at the very bottom of the national rankings.”
IW East MP, Joe Robertson, also contributed, underlining the shared commitment of both MPs to tackling these issues.
In closing, Mr Quigley said: “Women and girls on the Island understand the added challenges of living here, but the burden we are placing on them now is a burden too far. They deserve better, and I will keep fighting to make sure they get it.”
Responding for the government, the Equalities Minister praised Mr Quigley’s commitment to tackling barriers to opportunity, and acknowledged the need to address the specific inequalities faced by women and girls on the Island.