In the run up to the EU referendum on June 23, the Guardian is asking people for their views on whether the UK should leave or remain.

Here we speak to award-winning crime novelist Dreda Say Mitchell from Walthamstow on why leaving the EU is good for women.

"As a woman who lives in Waltham Forest, I’ll be voting Leave on June 23. For me, full democracy is always in the interests of women. It gives them half the power in a political system and means politicians have to take women’s interests into account whether they like it or not.

"And this is my problem with the EU, it’s undemocratic and it erodes democracy in the UK itself. We had a typical example of this earlier this year when MPs decided that the so called ‘tampon tax’ should be scrapped. But that vote was irrelevant. This tax is a matter for the EU to decide on and not British MPs. That’s simply not democracy.

"Women who defend the EU often argue that it has a number of directives and policies that safeguard the interests of women. That’s true, it does. But all the somewhat modest safeguards the EU provides could equally be provided through the ballot box in this country.

"It is for women and men supporting women’s rights in the UK to ensure they only vote for candidates who can assure them they support full equality, whatever their views are on other subjects. These battles are slowly being won in this country. In other parts of the EU that is not the case. We are seeing the rise of political parties that oppose the rights women already have never mind ones they need to win.

"Everyone understands that British democracy is not perfect and it needs change. We certainly need a more balanced parliament that looks like the British people. But I think we are more likely to achieve that when our votes actually matter. The trouble with the EU is, on a whole range of issues, our votes don’t seem to count and that’s why I’m voting to leave."