The United Kingdom likes to go around the world wagging its little finger about the virtues of female leadership. However women are still second class citizens in the UK where a woman is head of state. Charity should begin at home. Oppressing, suppressing and repressing women is woven in the cultural fabric of Britain. Although the head of state is a woman her voice is silent. 32% of the 650 MPs in 2019 were women, serious under representation. Adding insult to injury those women were bullied while in parliament further drowning their voices.

The Queen is a certainly a lame duck taking orders from men because this is British culture. Women are to be seen not heard. It is said that the Queen has never given an interview. The British speak of it as though it is a badge of honour that somehow silence of a female leader is something to be prized. What twisted evil logic meant to undermine female voices in leadership. In the mind of British men since the Queen is quiet all women must be quiet as well. Women who attempt to have a voice are undermined. Duchess Meghan a woman who had her own global voice prior to royal life has been vilified. The men who control the media write up to 30 negative articles about her in a given day. This abuse is meant to signal to young women to stay out of politics. Those who go into politics hear loud and clear do not have a voice, be see and not heard.

The Queen may be head of state but the British have made it known in no uncertain terms that the Queen’s opinions and voice do not matter. The Queen is a mere figurehead who has done nothing to advocate for women in her 65 plus years on the throne. To this day the Queen has never publicly defended or spoken for female leadership in her capacity as patron of newspapers that engage in the worst kind of bullying against female leaders. The British media has been responsible for female deaths and if the government says women are essential for peace and stability why is the message directed to foreign nations but not practiced in Britain?

History of barbaric British culture of bullying women

• Labour’s shadow home secretary Diane Abbott received almost half of of all abusive tweets that were sent to female MPs in the run up to the last election in 2017. (Amnesty International)

• Culture Secretary Nicky Morgan has been subject to a number of threats, including phone calls from 64-year-old Robert Vidler telling her her “days were numbered”. He was jailed for 18 weeks. (BBC)

• Liberal Democrat – and former Tory – MP Heidi Allen, is also stepping down due to the abuse she has faced. She received death threats when she exercised her democratic right to free thought and was met with death threats related to her stance on Brexit sent from a fake email address by 51-year-old Jarod Kirkman. He was later jailed for 42 weeks. (BBC)

Nobody in any job should have to put up with threats, aggressive emails, being shouted at in the street, sworn at on social media, nor have to install panic alarms at home. Of course public scrutiny is to be expected, but lines are all too often regularly crossed and the effect is utterly dehumanising

MP Heidi Allen

I look around my select committee table… and I look at [Labour MP] Rosie Cooper, who has had actual plots to murder her, [Lib Dem MP] Luciana Berger, who has several people in prison for threats to her and her family, and I have had threats and one person jailed for threats to myself and others.

Lib Dem MP Sarah Wollaston

More than 50 MPs have announced they were standing down in the 12 December 2019 general election ;18 of them female. Very sad statistic because it means women’s voices are not being heard or represented at the highest levels.

Deep rooted Cultural bias against women

Women in the British aristocracy are just as oppressed as women in the remote villages of Afghanistan. Women born into so called noble families cannot inherit property in the same way that their brothers can. Princess Diana was a Lady signalling her social status as a daughter of an Earl. Women’s power in Great Britain is just symbolic. Diana had no property to go with this social status because women cannot inherit property. When she was being chased by the paparazzi and needed privacy Princess Diana was at the mercy of her brother and ex-husband.

Women born into these houses of nobility cannot sit in the House of Lords the way their brothers and fathers can. These women cannot question the status quo out of fear of being shunned and ostracized for advocating for themselves. Instead, they have to marry for power property and status. These are the women who secretly wish they had the courage to advocate for themselves and to become self-made millionaires like the former Meghan Markle.

Women don’t need to find a voice, they have a voice, and they need to feel empowered to use it, and people need to be encouraged to listen.

Duchess Meghan when she was Meghan Markle

In 2019 female parliamentarians from across the political spectrum stood up against press bullying of Duchess Meghan the former Meghan Markle. It was all documented on Meghanpedia which documents the abuse and palace silence meaning consent.

Even more concerning still, we are calling out what can only be described as outdated, colonial undertones to some of these stories. As women Members of Parliament from all backgrounds, we stand with you in saying it cannot be allowed to go unchallenged.

72 British Members of Parliament supporting HRH Duchess of Sussex

Although we find ourselves being women in public life in a very different way to you, we share an understanding of the abuse and intimidation which is now so often used as a means of disparaging women in the public office from getting on with very important work.

72 British Members of Parliament supporting HRH Duchess of Sussex

There is need for more women in political and economic leadership in the UK. The Queen clearly is not that leader but a female leader must arise so that women can have a voice.