Sandi Toksvig: A political party for women's equality
Sandi Toksvig: Ett politiskt parti för kvinnlig jämställdhet
Long revered in the UK for her wit and candor, Sandi Toksvig is now lending her familiar voice to a greater cause -- equality for women. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
is so much bigger than in Europe.
are where everybody has great ideas.
those great ideas come from?
that the average person --
window of opportunity each day
5 procents möjlighet per dag
some sports on television,
varför jag inte blev engagerad.
why I just don't engage with it.
att vara så där rörlig
worth being that flexible
i den där vinkeln?
your heel at that angle?
för jag kommer aldrig kunna göra så.
to relate to that,
to be able to do it, OK?
any good at sport, OK?
då vännerna säger:
when all my friends say,
som jag var när jag var 18."
as I was when I was 18."
som jag var när jag ...
Jag tänker definitivt inte göra det nu.
not going to do it now.
som mig i sport?
with zero athletic ability.
för folk utan atletisk förmåga.
no corruption, no skills.
ingen korruption, ingen talang.
with sport when I watch it on television.
av sport när jag tittar på TV.
handlar om män som springer
is about men running
neatly packaged in Lycra.
female sport on television,
kan förlåtas om hon tycker
might be forgiven for thinking,
är precis det man behöver
is the very lever you need
and onto a sports ground.
och börja sporta.
are breathtaking.
är häpnadsväckande.
på en gammal idé.
i hela historien har funnits,
in the whole of history,
where women have equality with men.
där kvinnor varit jämlika med män.
in the whole of evolution.
to evolve quite so brilliantly.
så fantastiskt själva.
att jag borde göra något åt det.
I should do something about it.
I've got an elderly mom.
till att jag kom hit
I could have 15 minutes to myself,
att jag skulle få 15 minuter för mig själv
jag har redan försökt ändra världen.
at changing the world.
det jag kallar en "startknapp".
what I call an "activation button."
som trycks in när du tänker:
pressed when you think,
an injustice of some kind,
missgynnad på något sätt,
blev det minsta förvånade.
were the least bit surprised.
att jag såg ut som Clint Eastwood.
that I looked like Clint Eastwood.
was pressed when I had my kids --
born to my then-partner.
som jag fick med min dåvarande partner.
I work on television in Britain.
en egen programserie
I was already hosting my own shows
to grow up with a secret.
skulle växa upp med en hemlighet.
in British public life.
som var känd i Storbritannien.
att jag aldrig mer skulle få jobb,
that I would never work again,
att det var värt risken.
absolutely worth the risk.
section of the right-wing press,
en extremt elak falang
the less stable elements of society,
mindre stabila personer i samhället.
that I had to take the kids into hiding,
att det var många nätter
many moments in the still of the night
I carried on working,
to be absolutely fantastic.
och fortsätter vara, helt fantastiska.
he had a friend over to play.
och hade en kompis på besök.
och jag hörde dem prata.
I could hear them chatting.
"Hur är det att ha två mammor?"
"What's it like having two mums?"
så jag lyssnade och min son sade:
so I leant in to hear and my son said,
because if one of them's sick,
to cook for you."
for gay equality was pressed,
för homosexuellas rättigheter,
the person that I love.
med den jag älskade.
that the law was changed,
who I love very much, indeed.
som jag älskar så mycket.
we did it on the stage
på Royal Festival Hall i London.
thousand people.
och sedan fick allmänheten veta:
then I let it be known to the public:
är välkomna att vara med.
please come and join us.
who wanted to come.
rabbier, nunnor, gifta, svarta, vita -
nuns, married people,
of humanity was there.
på scenen och tänkte:
on that stage thinking, "How fantastic.
att mina dagar som aktivist var över.
my activation days were over, OK?
International Women's Day.
på Internationella kvinnodagen.
all-female orchestra,
helt kvinnliga orkester,
or overlooked women composers,
eller förbisedda kvinnliga kompositörer,
från Baltimore.
from Baltimore conducting,
om kvinnors historia.
from the past and pass them on.
från förr och för dem vidare.
enligt Mount Rushmore-modellen;
the Mount Rushmore model.
have been entirely left out of it.
men kvinnorna saknas helt.
about the suffragettes --
om suffragetterna ...
women who fought so hard
in Britain to vote.
get the vote in 1928.
lecture I was giving;
where the job was done.
there was so much left to do.
så mycket kvar att göra.
maktpositioner som män.
in positions of power.
på de 100 största företagen
at the top 100 companies
Hur många leds av kvinnor?
How many women running them?
That's all right, I suppose.
leds av män som heter John.
are run by men called "John."
running FTSE 100 companies --
som leder de 100 största företagen ...
are doing a bang-up job.
ett jättebra jobb.
of the gender pay gap.
i lön mellan könen.
do women earn the same as men.
tjänar kvinnor lika mycket som män.
at the top in the boardroom.
på toppen i styrelserummen.
i Storbritannien antogs 1975.
was passed in 1975.
many, many women
until the end of the year,
till slutet av december -
Forum estimates
get equal pay in ...
kommer få lika lön ...
ändrades det av World Economic Forum.
that's a terrible -- 2133.
grandchildren's lives
in my own business.
kvinnan på brittisk TV
first woman on British television
på bästa sändningstid.
for a brand new ambassador
and gender equality,
kvinnors bemyndigande och jämlikhet,
in positions of power is shockingly low.
är chockerande låg.
och definitivt i brittiska parlamentet.
true in the British Parliament.
som valdes till parlamentet det året
elected to the Parliament that year
i parlamentet.
if they're not at the table --
och är med och stiftar lagar,
helping to make the laws --
perspective is overlooked.
att det kvinnliga perspektivet saknas.
to see a woman in charge.
att se en kvinna som ansvarig.
female Prime Minister;
sin andra kvinnliga premiärminister;
she was challenged:
100 days that you're in office
100 dagarna på din post
lives for women in Britain.
för kvinnor i Storbritannien.
cleaning up the mess the boys made.
som pojkarna ställt till.
issue of inequality.
den irriterande ojämställdheten.
like it matters. Does it?
som om det var viktigt. Är det det?
at the STEM industries, OK?
engineering and mathematics.
ingenjörskonst och matematik.
single aspect of our daily lives.
well-documented glass ceiling
mest väldokumenterade glastaket
den globala uppvärmningen
scientist who fails to progress?
som inte tillåts komma framåt?
ta till "Handling, inte ord."
Catherine Mayer in Britain,
Catherine Mayer,
a brand new political party.
att starta ett nytt politiskt parti.
är helt jämställda är vid valurnorna.
are absolutely equal is at the ballot box.
att starta ett parti.
it was to start a political party.
Män har gjort det i åratal."
men have been doing it for years."
"The Women's Equality Party."
"Kvinnornas Jämställdhetsparti".
I just thought we'd be clear."
att vi skulle vara tydliga."
to be a secret, you know? I just --
skulle vara en hemlighet, liksom.
It's much too feminist!"
Det är alldeles för feministiskt."
I've heard somebody say,
jag hört någon säga:
if there's a "but" in the sentence,
ett "men" i meningen
the hilarious question,
den skrattretande frågan:
made of flammable material.
av extremt eldfängt material.
när de är ute och går.
sina behåar på 60-talet.
has improved since then.
gått fram sedan den tiden.
to do in a broadcast interview,
i en direktsänd intervju,
the emails started coming.
then thousands and thousands,
sedan tusen och åter tusen,
to women in their '90s,
till kvinnor i 90-åråldern,
"Please, can I help?
till ert partihögkvarter?"
at party headquarters?"
vi hade inget parti!
we didn't have a party!
tight group of fabulous friends
av fantastiska vänner
pretty much 24-7 in our pajamas.
dygnet runt i pyjamas.
många hade barn,
many of us had children,
och delade på lasset.
and we shared the work.
on certain fundamental things.
om några viktiga saker.
the only political party in the world
det enda politiska partiet i världen
att inte behöva finnas.
to no longer need to exist.
with no particular political leaning.
utan någon speciell politisk inriktning.
from the right, from the middle,
från höger, från mitten,
was to work with a simple agenda:
att jobba med en enkel agenda:
in every aspect of our lives,
i varje aspekt av våra liv,
the other chores done.
med alla andra göromål.
how politics is conducted.
har vi två stora politiska partier.
two major political parties.
är skamligt och förgiftande.
is shameful and poisonous.
that kind of name-calling --
de skällsorden ...
if just one politician said,
and get the job done."
och få det fixat."
into politics, OK?
fler kvinnor i politiken.
fler kvinnor i politiken
more women into politics
med gratis barntillsyn för kandidaterna,
to offer free childcare to our candidates,
and start campaigning.
och börja kampanja.
of our party across the UK.
i vårt parti över hela landet.
in London, Scotland and Wales
Skottland och Wales
for our candidate for London Mayor.
som borgmästare i London.
saw how many votes we were attracting,
såg hur många röster vi fick så -
to tackle gender equality.
av att ta itu med jämställdhetsfrågan.
change since I was a child.
sedan jag var barn.
sida vid sida med männen.
shoulder to shoulder with men.
och besvikelser -
and disappointment --
to found a political party.
för att starta ett politiskt parti.
this is my five percent, OK?
det här är mina fem procent,
party for equality in a single country.
ett politiskt parti för jämlikhet
in the global political landscape.
i det politiska landskapet.
about the model we have created
it would work in India.
alla kan följa det,
anybody can cook it,
we're giving it away.
så kan ni få det gratis.
millions of women across the world
miljoner kvinnor runt världen
to the traditional battles of politics?
om de nuvarande politiska spelen,
let's get the work done."
se till att lösa problemen!".
förändra världen.
equality is better for everyone.
är bättre för alla.
Let's change the world!
Låt oss ändra på världen.
och det bara väntar på att få bli gjort!
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Sandi Toksvig - Broadcast personality, politician, authorLong revered in the UK for her wit and candor, Sandi Toksvig is now lending her familiar voice to a greater cause -- equality for women.
Why you should listen
Sandi Toksvig OBE is an award-winning writer, broadcaster and performer. She was born in Copenhagen, Denmark but grew up traveling the world with her family as they followed the work of her father, Claus Toksvig, Danish television's most famous foreign correspondent. Toksvig gave her own first television interview when she was six. After graduating with a first class degree from Cambridge University she began her acting career first at Nottingham Playhouse and then the Open Air Theatre in Regent's Park.
Toksvig's first experience of live television was when she hosted and co-wrote the children's Saturday morning show "No 73," which she did for six years. Other TV followed including the improvisation show, "Whose Line is it Anyway?" and six years as team captain on "Call My Bluff." Toksvig is the new host of the BBC's entertainment show QI and is currently recording the eighth season hosting the game show "15-1" for Channel 4. She has also had recent acting cameos in "Call the Midwife" and "Up the Women." Toksvig is well known on BBC Radio 4 for her appearances on "I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue" as well as hosting "Excess Baggage" and the News Quiz.
Toksvig has also produced television. The current Playhouse Presents strand on Sky Arts was conceived by her and she produced and wrote much of the content for the first three years.
Toksvig has written over twenty books including fact and fiction for both children and adults. Her stage play, Bully Boy, was the opening production of London's newest theatre, the St James. The piece also had a successful run in Copenhagen. Her latest novel The End of the Sky, set on the Oregon Trail in 1847, will be published in 2017. It's a sequel to her last novel A Slice of the Moon about the Irish potato famine. Her new comedy play Silver Linings deals with society's attitudes to older women. It will open at the Rose Theatre in February 2017 before going on tour. Toksvig has written a column for Good Housekeeping magazine for twenty years.
In March 2015, along with journalist Catherine Mayer, Toksvig co-founded Britain's newest political party, The Women’s Equality Party (WEP), which in one year of existence now has over 70 branches across the UK. WEP stood candidates in the London, Welsh and Scottish elections of May 2016.
Toksvig has many honorary degrees. She is the President of the Women of the Year Lunch, Chancellor of the University of Portsmouth and in 2014 she was made an Officer of the British Empire by the Queen.
Sandi Toksvig | Speaker | TED.com