WOMEN, united in their trade unions, have the power to challenge the far right’s misogynist rhetoric, the TUC Women’s Conference heard today.

Speaking on the second day of the conference in London, TUC assistant general secretary Kate Bell highlighted the global challenges facing women and emphasised the importance of solidarity.

Ms Bell said that it was a scary time to be a woman, saying: “The far right are actively using misogyny as a gateway into their wider agenda.

“There is one phase from self-acclaimed misogynist Andrew Tate that keeps coming to my mind: ‘Shut up, bitch.’

“Well, we’re in the trade union movement because we refuse to shut up [and] know that our power is strongest when we stand together.

“It’s never been more important for women to be in a union, to stand up and tackle the far right and to win progress at work and in our communities, not just for women but for everyone who’s been let down by years of austerity politics and unchecked inequality.”

Ms Bell highlighted “real, tangible rollbacks” in women’s rights, including the banning of abortion access in some US states and Argentina’s abolition of its ministry for women.

“The current wave of far-right politicians didn’t invent patriarchy and they didn't invent misogyny,” she said, “but we do know that they’re using them as a wider recruitment tool.

“[Research shows that] far-right groups have specifically and strategically used and exploited gendered narratives to capitalise [on their] toxic masculinities under the guides of men’s rights.

“[Standing up is] not just about winning the argument, it’s about using our power to protect our lives and to turn back the tide of economic insecurity that the far right seeks to rise.”

Ms Bell said that far-right figures “may sometimes steal our language, but we know whose the interest they represent. And it’s certainly not the working class.”

“Governments across the world are cracking down on trade unions with some worryingly familiar tactics.

“But we have the tools to fight back. Just look at what women in trade unions are achieving every day.”

Ms Bell said that women across the world were united and urged trade unionists to “use their power to make change for everyone.”

The conference also considered motions on women’s health rights, including abortion, heard emotional testimonies from those who were failed after suffering miscarriages and highlighted the experiences of black women.