Women’s equality in the UK – A health check

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as well as for our communities and society. DV costs £5.8bn a year 11 and the cost of sexual
offences in a year is estimated to be £8.46bn, with each reported rape costing an estimated
£96,000. 12 VAWG also seriously depresses women’s ability to contribute to society and the
economy. The World Health Organisation found that preventing violence is both cost beneficial
and cost effective 13 however, the UK Government has not done enough to address this.
Changes to welfare benefits also risk increasing women’s financial dependency on men, making
it harder for women to leave violent relationships. Universal Credit will be paid as a single
payment to one partner in a couple and concern has been expressed that this will increase
women’s financial dependency on their male partners 14 and it is likely to increase incidents of
DV. (See Article 13)
Increased conditionality of benefits may also impact women who are unable to seek work
because of trauma or ongoing mental health problems as a result of abuse. In focus groups run
by the (now closed) Women’s National Commission (See Appendix: 3) for the Department of
Health, some women complained that GPs who worked as medical examiners for Jobcentre
Plus had no understanding of rape and sexual violence and how this might prevent women
from working. Women reported having their benefits cut because Jobcentre Plus staff failed
to recognise the ongoing problems they were suffering as a result of the violence they had
experienced. 15 In addition, cuts to Housing Benefit may make it harder for women to move out
of an area to get away from their attacker. The importance of financial advocacy has also been
raised, including benefit and debt management. Women with children said this support was
crucial in order for them to protect and provide for their children. 16 This is the case particularly
for Black, minority ethnic and refugee (BMER) survivors of VAWG that find it difficult to navigate
the system as a result of language and cultural barriers. However, it is precisely these services
which are being reduced. (See Appendix: 5)
Progressive developments that seek to safeguard and address gender issues and voluntary
sector provision, such as the Compact, 17 have been ignored, under-used or misused within
local service development strategies and even removed altogether, as in the case of the
Gender Equality Duty. Furthermore, the language used around VAWG is also becoming genderneutral
which continues to undermine the value of women-only provision. 18 The current
emphasis should remain in recognition of the power dynamic involved in most VAWG – which is
perpetrated by men against women. The use of the more generic term ‘gender based violence’
detracts from recognising this power dynamic 19 and should not be used in communications
about VAWG.
11. Hirsch, A. (2008) ‘Domestic violence ‘costs £5.8bn’’, The Guardian, 25th November 2008 http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2008/
nov/25/gender-economy-domestic-violence-women
12. Home Office (2005) The economic and social costs of crime against individuals and households 2003/04. http://webarchive.
nationalarchives.gov.uk/20100413151441/crimereduction.homeoffice.gov.uk/statistics/statistics39.htm
13. World Health Organisation (2004) The Economic Dimensions of Interpersonal Violence http://www.who.int/violence_injury_prevention/
publications/violence/economic_dimensions/en/
14. Goode, J., Callender, C. and Lister, M.R. (1998) Purse or Wallet? Gender Inequalities of Income in Families on Benefits. Joseph Rowntree
Foundation/Policy Studies Institute: London
15. Women’s National Commission (2010) A Bitter Pill To Swallow: Report from WNC Focus Groups to inform the Department of Health
Taskforce on the Health Aspects of Violence Against Women and Girls. WNC: London http://wnc.equalities.gov.uk/work-of-the-wnc/
violence-against-women/news-and-updates/309-a-bitter-pill-to-swallow-report-from-the-wnc-focus-groups.html
16. Victim Support (2012) Listening and Learning: Improving support for victims in London. Produced by Victim Support in partnership
with the Home Office and Ministry of Justice http://www.victimsupport.org/About-us/Policy-and-research/~/media/Files/Publications/
ResearchReports/VSA%20reports/Listening%20and%20learning%20-%20London
17. See Compact Voice (2012) http://www.compactvoice.org.uk/about-compact Accessed: 21/03/13
18. FORWARD and Imkaan (2011) The Road to Sustainability: A review of Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic and Refugee organisations working with
women on health and gender based violence in England. A study commissioned by the Women’s Health and Equality Consortium. WHEC:
London http://www.whec.org.uk/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/downloads/2011/07/TheRoadtoSustainabilityExecSummary2011.pdf
19. Victim Support (2012) Listening and Learning: Improving support for victims in London. Produced by Victim Support in partnership
with the Home Office and Ministry of Justice http://www.victimsupport.org/About-us/Policy-and-research/~/media/Files/Publications/
ResearchReports/VSA%20reports/Listening%20and%20learning%20-%20London
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