Jeremy Corbyn pledges to boost role of women in Labour

All-women shortlists, an annual women's conference and online harrassment consultation among measures set to be announced by Labour leader

Jeremy Corbyn (PA)

Jeremy Corbyn is to set up a Women’s Advisory Board within the Labour Party to ensure that party policy better reflects women from varying backgrounds.

At a party event this evening, Mr Corbyn will confirm his party’s commitment to all women shortlists for prospective parliamentary candidates in order to achieve parity between men and women MPs. He will also pledge to introduce an annual Labour Women’s Conference with policy-making powers.

Mr Corbyn, who was heavily criticised for not including any women in the top jobs in his first shadow cabinet, intends to boost the powers of the Equality and Human Rights Commission to penalise companies that do not publish detailed gender pay data at a company-wide level.

He will also launch a consultation on how to tackle threats and sexual harassment online, a growing problem faced by women in the public eye, and particularly politicians.

Mr Corbyn is expected to say: “We will never be a successful society in which everybody is able to achieve their potential until we have full equality for women. Under my leadership, Labour will take action to remove the barriers in our society to women achieving full equality, we will tackle discrimination, sexism and violence against women and girls, both online and physical.

“We will not transform society overnight, but working together we can take us further along the path to an equal society to rebuild and transform Britain so that no one and no community is left behind.”