Prime Minister David Cameron has pledged to address the issue of marriage certificates excluding the names of the couple’s mums.
 
While in Scotland and Northern Ireland, the names of both parents are recorded, in England and Wales marriage certificates only ask for fathers’ names and details.
 
Speaking at the Relationship Alliance summit, Cameron made the announcement that the system would be updated.
 
“The content of marriage registers in England and Wales has not changed since the beginning of Queen Victoria’s reign,” Cameron explained.
 
“At the moment, they require details of the couples’ fathers, but not their mothers. This clearly doesn’t reflect modern Britain - and it’s high time the system was updated.”
 
“So I have asked the Home Office is to look at how we can address this.”
 
The issue was brought to attention by a petition started by Ailsa Burkimsher Sadler when she realised her marriage certificate had no details about her or her husband’s mothers.
 
Calling for women not to be “written out of history”, Ailsa’s petition has received over 70,000 signatures.
 
Ailsa is delighted at the Prime Minister’s announcement, which coincidentally was made on her 13th wedding anniversary, but will be watching to see that real action is taken.
 
“Obviously I’ll have to keep tabs on the fact that they’re bringing it in.” Ailsa said on hearing the news.
 
“It’s one part of a wider problem with inequality against women and it’s simply ridiculous it took this number of years.
 
“Marriage certificates came about in 1837. It’s now 2014 and we’re talking about getting it changed.”

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