Dear supporters, Well, we might not quite have won in the Court of Appeal two weeks ago, but we definitely took a big step closer to opening civil partnerships to all. The public support was AMAZING! Thank you to everyone who joined us outside court, sent us personal messages and contributed to raising public awareness. This week we can get even closer to victory. Wednesday 8th March is International Women’s Day. As it stands, women in mixed-sex relationships (whether heterosexual or bisexual) still cannot form civil partnerships. The only way they can obtain legal recognition and financial protection is to marry, even if they don’t feel comfortable with marriage. Ben Alden-Falconer’s powerful piece demonstrates exactly that predicament: https://inews.co.uk/opinion/comment/mum-give-principles-law-made-marry/ Ben explains that as his mother was dying, she had to reluctantly give up her principles to marry in order to protect her family. No-one should be faced with such a choice. The alternative is to cohabit without legal and financial safety nets. Cohabitation has a particular impact on women. Women often stop working full time when they have children and they suffer from a gender pay gap. This means that they are often financially vulnerable. If they and their partner separate or their partner dies (one of which is sadly inevitable), they can find themselves in a difficult financial position. We can change this. Ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, Justine Greening, to “Be Bold for Change” this International Women’s Day. Ask her to protect women by allowing all couples to form civil partnerships. We have teamed-up with Postbug so you can send a postcard with your message to Ms. Greening. Please write to her now: https://www.postbug.com/#/writepostcard/164 Thank you all for your ongoing support, Rebecca and Charles PS Also, if you can, please donate: https://www.gofundme.com/ecpcampaigns