On October 22nd a small group of women from the UK will be
going to Geneva to address the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of
all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW)[i] to highlight the problems impacting on women’s
equality in the UK and what our Government must be questioned on, and held to
account over, by the UN. This is a unique opportunity for women to raise the
key issues they are facing with the UN and the eyes of the world will be on the
UK and their progress on women.
Women’s rights in the UK have come to a standstill and in fact some are
being reversed. Government policies[ii] and austerity
measures[iii] are
disproportionately impacting on women and the rights that were fought so hard
for are now being reduced:
- The representation of women in the media[iv]
continues to be unequal and damaging, reinforcing gender-based stereotypes and
sexism[v]
- Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE)
which impacts on sexual health and confidence is no longer compulsory[vi]
and schools are not safe for girls[vii]
- Female unemployment is at a 25 year high[viii]
and there has been little movement on the gender pay gap[ix]
- The widespread closure of Sure Start Centres[x]
and the high cost of childcare,[xi]
which is the highest in Europe,[xii]
leads many women not to seek work at all
- Women’s specific health needs are not
addressed and we still see more women than men reporting debilitating mental
health problems,[xiii]
while there are GPs who illegally perform FGM.[xiv]
The localisation of healthcare and changes to the National Health Service also
risks women falling through the gaps in provision and is why a gendered
approach to health is even more important[xv]
- There is also a danger that women’s
reproductive rights will be rolled back with government support[xvi]
- Violence against women and girls (VAWG)
still occurs in the UK at epidemic proportions and austerity measures, which
have led to high unemployment and increased debt, are creating an increase in
violence[xvii]
and impacting on women’s safety as support services are being cut[xviii]
- Government policies around welfare benefits
and other support are disproportionately impacting on the most vulnerable[xix]
and measures such as the Universal Credit[xx]
will see women trapped in violent relationships with no where to turn for
support
- The lack of government support for women’s
NGOs, despite demonstrating value for money,[xxi]
and the decentralisation of power to local authorities who are also facing huge
cuts, means that local services for women are closing[xxii]
at a fast rate leading to a lack of appropriate, accessible services for many
women.
A new report from
the North East Women’s Network[xxiii] gives a stark example of these issues as a
microcosm of women across the UK. It outlines how government policy changes are
disproportionately impacting on women in the North East who are facing
unprecedented challenges.
Ironically this comes at a time when the UK’s record on women’s rights
is about to come under the spotlight internationally. In July 2013 the UK
Government must report to CEDAW on their progress since they were last examined
by the UN Committee in 2008.[xxiv]
It will be interesting to see how the Government will address the
reversal of women’s rights in the UK and the deepening of women’s inequality,
especially when they are supposed to be presenting an example to other
countries through their international work.
The Women’s Resource Centre[xxv]
coordinate a network of organisations across the UK who are producing a shadow
report which will reflect on the Government’s report[xxvi] to CEDAW which
has been submitted. This CEDAW Working Group have already sent a list of key
issues and suggested questions[xxvii] for the Committee
to ask the Government to highlight the extent of discrimination against women
in the UK and will be following up on this at the meeting in Geneva.
These issues will also be raised at the UK Feminista lobby of Parliament[xxviii] on October 24th
where women from across the country will meet with their MPs and ensure that
they understand their international obligations as well as those to their
female constituents.
“The Government must face up to their international obligations under
CEDAW to protect and advance the rights of women in the UK. It is unacceptable
for the UK to be reversing women’s rights and austerity cannot be an excuse -
the legacy of these changes will be felt for generations so we must ensure that
the UN holds them to account and they do not continue to roll back women’s
rights in the UK,” says Vivienne Hayes, Chief
Executive of the Women’s Resource Centre.[xxix]
Notes to Editors[xxx]
[iv] Research by Women in Journalism found that
male journalists wrote 78% of all front-page articles and men accounted for 84%
of those mentioned or quoted in lead pieces http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2012/oct/14/sexist-stereotypes-front-pages-newspapers
[v] UK NGOs responded called on the
Government’s Leveson Inquiry to look at the way the media in Britain reports on
violence against women, including victim-blaming and the perpetuation of myths
about abuse, and how the press objectifies and degrades women http://www.endviolenceagainstwomen.org.uk/preventing-violence-against-women-media-152
[vii]
Research has found
that sexual bullying and harassment is routine in schools and one in three
16-18 year old girls say they have been 'groped' or experienced other unwanted
sexual touching at school, one in three teenage girls has also experienced sexual
violence from their boyfriend http://www.endviolenceagainstwomen.org.uk/schools-safe-4-girls
[viii] In February 2012 of the 2.67 million people
who were unemployed, 1.12 million were women http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2012/feb/20/female-unemployment-crisis-women
[ix] On average women in the UK earn 15% less
than men. The Government have introduced agreements with private industry to
combat this but these are voluntary and ineffective http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/jun/16/gender-pay-gap-audits
[x] 281 centres have been closed since April
2010 and local authorities have also cut their budgets by 11% in 2011 and 21%
in 2012 http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2011/nov/14/sure-start-centre-closures-coalition
[xi] An average part-time nursery place in
London is £126 per child each week http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2012/sep/01/soaring-childcare-costs-work-nothing
[xii] 33% of a British family’s net income goes
towards the cost of childcare compared to the OECD average of 13% http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1305310/UK-families-face-highest-costs-childcare-Average-weekly-nursery-160.html
[xiii] Women are more likely to
have been treated for a mental health problem than men (29% compared with 17%) http://thewomensresource.tumblr.com/post/33299537503/why-we-should-remember-cedaw-on-world-mental-health-day
[xvi] Senior Ministers, including the Health
Secretary and Minister for Women, support a reduction in the abortion time
limit against medical evidence http://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/womens-politics/9591847/Senior-ministers-call-for-cut-in-abortion-limit.html
[xvii] The Government linked an increase in
domestic violence to the recession in 2009 http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2009/mar/04/domestic-violence-discrimination-women-recession
and an EHRC report confirmed this http://www.equalityhumanrights.com/uploaded_files/research/47_the_equality_impacts_of_the_current_recession.pdf
[xviii] Thirty-one percent of the funding to the
domestic violence and sexual abuse sector from local authorities was cut
between 2010/11 to 2011/12, a reduction from £7.8 million to £5.4 million http://www.trustforlondon.org.uk/publications-research/gender/professor-sylvia-walby-reports-on-the-impact-of-cuts-on-violence-against-women-services-2.html
[xix] As the Women’s Budget Group have found in
their analyses of the Budgets since 2010 http://www.wbg.org.uk/RRB_Reports.htm
[xx] The Women’s Budget
Group believes these proposals will concentrate financial resources and power
into the hands of one person which may exacerbate existing gender inequalities http://www.wbg.org.uk/RRB_Reports_13_4155103794.pdf
[xxi] Research by the Women’s Resource Centre
found that on average, over five years, for every £1 invested in women’s
services, between £5 and £11 worth of social value is generated for women,
their families and the Sate http://www.wrc.org.uk/includes/documents/cm_docs/2011/h/hidden_value_wrc_sroi_report_2011_2.pdf
[xxii] Women’s Aid found that 60% of refuge
services had no funding agreed from 1st April 2011 http://www.womensaid.org.uk/domestic-violence-press-information.asp?itemid=2599&itemTitle=Women%92s+Aid%92s+survey+reveals+fear+that+over+half+of+refuge+and+outreach+services+could+face+closure§ion=0001000100150001§ionTitle=Press+releases
and in 2011 the Women’s Resource Centre found that 95% of women’s organisations
surveyed faced a funding crisis (unpublished)
[xxx]
For further information contact Natalie Gyte, Head of Communications natalieg@wrc.org.uk 0207 324 3040 or
Charlotte Gage, Policy Officer charlotte@wrc.org.uk
0044 (0) 7841508231 and follow @womnsresource and http://thewomensresource.tumblr.com/
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