Women’s equality in the UK – A health check

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19.61 training on HBV for police officers. 105 These commitments have not been delivered on. The fact that neither has been completed indicates that HBV is not being given sufficient priority. Research by IKWRO revealed that over 2,800 cases of HBV were reported to police in 2010 106 and in some areas, reports of HBV increased by up to 400% between 2009 and 2010. (See Article 16 and Appendix: 29 and 33 for further information) Recommendations: • Training for the police and other front line agencies on HBV must be undertaken without any further delay • Urgent steps must be taken to improve schools’ response to HBV, including making training in HBV compulsory for all school staff, making response to HBV part of the schools inspection regime, and ensuring that forced marriage is included as a compulsory part of the PSHE Curriculum Female genital mutilation (FGM) The paucity of statistical evidence of the extent of FGM in the UK together with a lack of prosecutions under existing legislation indicate a real need for improvements in the way in which FGM is addressed by the UK as CEDAW recommendations from 2008 107 are yet to be addressed. Much work still needs to be done to ensure that women and girls are adequately protected and existing actions on FGM are inadequate and piecemeal and fail to include clearly resourced targets that address prevention, provision and prosecution. The Cross-Government FGM Coordinator post has been abolished despite campaigns by civil society 108 for the post to continue and there is evidence that there are GPs and other health professionals in the UK illegally performing FGM. 109 In general policy on FGM disproportionately focuses on enforcement and criminal justice and there is a general lack of integration of different guidelines within Local Authorities and the National Health Service (NHS). 110 (See Appendix: 33 for further information) Recommendations: • Training for all statutory professionals on the identification, management and support of those at risk and affected by FGM should be conducted routinely, in particular for teachers, social workers and health personnel. This will form the foundation for identifying cases and increased reporting. Training should also target legal professionals, police and immigration officers • FGM is an entrenched cultural norm which is a major problem across Europe and it is important that the UK Government engages with other European policy makers who have been more successful in engaging affected communities and implementing laws on FGM 105. Home Office (2011) Call to End Violence against Woman and Girls: Action Plan. HM Government http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/ publications/crime/call-end-violence-women-girls/vawg-action-plan?view=Binary Page 13. 106. Iranian and Kurdish Women’s Rights Organisation (2011) ‘BBC News headline: IKWRO research on ‘honour’ based violence in the UK, IKWRO blog, 3rd December 2011 http://ikwro.org.uk/2011/12/03/bbc-news-headline-ikwro-research-on-honour-based-violence-in-the-uk/ 107. CEDAW Committee (2008) Concluding observations of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Forty-first session http://daccess-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N09/555/92/PDF/ N0955592.pdf?OpenElement 108. Williams, R. (2011) ‘Female circumcision prevention post abolished by government’, The Guardian, 30th March 2011 http://www.guardian. co.uk/society/2011/mar/30/female-circumcision-prevention-post-abolished 109. Mahmood, M. and Mills, E. (2012) ‘I can circumcise them here: £750 for the first daughter’, The Sunday Times, 22nd April 2012 http://www. thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/news/uk_news/Society/article1022172.ece 110. Imkaan, Equality Now and City University. (2011) The Missing Link: A joined up approach to addressing harmful practices in London. Greater London Authority: London https://www.dropbox.com/sh/4zq0jgk4xyez91i/9xvCKa5r0H/The%20Missing%20Link%20Exec%20 Summary%20September%202011.pdf 186 Women’s equality in the UK: CEDAW shadow report 2013
19.62 19.63 19.64 19.65 VAWG in health and social care The endemic levels of VAWG are a major public health issue and one the Government has been slow to act upon cross-departmentally. Sexual violence and abuse puts women and girls’ lives at risk and can have serious consequences for their health and wellbeing. There are direct physical health consequences of sexual violence and child sexual abuse (CSA) including physical injury, sexually transmitted infections and unwanted pregnancy. Long-term consequences of sexual violence and CSA include post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety and panic attacks, depression, social phobia, substance abuse, obesity, eating disorders, self-harm and suicide. 111 Research also shows that certain BMER women have disproportionate rates of suicide and selfharm linked to VAWG. 112 (See Appendix: 22) At the strategic level, policies and guidance have been produced which evidence the impact of gender inequality and VAWG on health and make recommendations for gender-specific approaches to be implemented, 113 such as encouraging women-only wards and training for all mental health staff on VAWG, because of the high rate of women accessing mental health services who have experienced gendered violence. However, this has not yet translated in any mainstream way into practice or better outcomes for women service users, and policy continues to be produced by the Department of Health which does not join up the dots and fails to even mention gendered analysis; VAWG or the women’s voluntary and community sector. The effects of domestic and sexual violence on women’s physical and mental health are treated by health and social care professionals on a daily basis and must be considered when planning any reforms to NHS services. As has been highlighted in the Alberti review 114 of the NHS’ role in tackling VAWG, the NHS is one of the few places aside from organisations who provide womenonly spaces where women who have experienced violence feel able to disclose this information. Healthcare services available to women need to reflect this and provide appropriate support and referrals to other services. Acknowledging and addressing VAWG as a health issue would contribute to the overall reduction of VAWG as well as ensuring that appropriate and accessible support is available for the many women and girls who are experiencing violence and abuse. 115 VAWG also has significant financial costs to the NHS. Investment in health services (both statutory and voluntary) which identify and address VAWG would result in significant cost savings. For example, it costs the NHS £1.2bn a year for purely physical injuries with an added £176m for mental healthcare. 116 (See Article 12 and Appendix: 21 for further information) Recommendations: • VAWG needs to be a Department of Health and NHS strategic priority within their plans to cut health inequalities • The Department of Health and the NHS should engage with the women’s sector in a review of how it is ensuring compliance with the CEDAW Convention 111. Women’s Health and Equality Consortium (2011) Why women’s health? WHEC: London http://www.whec.org.uk/wordpress/wp-content/ uploads/downloads/2011/11/WhyWomensHealth11.pdf 112. Southall Black Sisters (2011) Safe and Sane: A Model of Intervention on Domestic Violence and Mental Health, Suicide and Self-harm Amongst Black and Minority Ethnic Women. SBS: London http://www.southallblacksisters.org.uk/reports/safe-and-sane-report/ 113. Department of Health (2002) Women’s mental health: into the mainstream, Strategic development of mental healthcare for women. DoH: London http://www.nmhdu.org.uk/silo/files/into-the-mainstream.pdf 114. Taskforce on the Health Aspects of Violence Against Women and Children (2010) Responding to violence against women and children – the role of the NHS http://www.health.org.uk/media_manager/public/75/external-publications/Responding-to-violence-against-womenand-children%E2%80%93the-role-of-the-NHS.pdf 115. Women’s Resource Centre (2008) Briefing: Violence Against Women, Health and the Women’s Voluntary and Community Sector. WRC: London 116. Walby, S. (2004) The Cost of Domestic Violence. Women and Equality Unit: London. http://www.devon.gov.uk/cost_of_dv_report_sept04.pdf Women’s equality in the UK: CEDAW shadow report 2013 187
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Women’s equality in the UK - A he
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Women’s equality in the UK - A he
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Appendices (online only) Appendix 1
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• the continued discrimination ag
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• Develop a common model of analy
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Article 9 - Nationality: One third
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investment in social infrastructure
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and increase the marginalisation of
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have been no prosecutions in Englan
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1 2 3 4 5 Introduction This is a Un
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10 11 12 13 housing crisis, a ‘lo
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1.1 1.2 1.3 Article 1 - Overarching
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1.7 1.8 1.9 1.10 1.11 1.12 Women’
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1.17 1.18 1.19 Young women We are a
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2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 consult to “remov
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2.12 2.13 discrimination”. Howeve
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2.17 2.18 2.19 2.20 2.21 worsen gen
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2.26 2.27 2.28 2.29 CEDAW and the l
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3.7 3.8 3.9 3.10 would “increase
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3.15 3.16 3.17 and accountable EHRC
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3.22 3.23 3.24 report is was partic
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classes, migrants, and Gypsy, Trave
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the institutional discrimination an
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5.5 5.6 5.7 Case study: 8 Sandra li
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5.12 5.13 5.14 issue. A more approp
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6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 Article 6 - Exploit
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6.9 6.10 6.11 to the protection and
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6.15 6.16 6.17 6.18 Office’s own
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6.24 6.25 6.26 women and increase t
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6.31 6.32 6.33 6.34 infrequent lap
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7.1 7.2 Article 7 - Political and p
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7.7 7.8 7.9 7.10 The House of Lords
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7.13 7.14 7.15 7.16 7.17 Recommenda
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7.21 7.22 7.23 Political representa
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9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 9.5 9.6 9.7 Article
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9.9 9.10 Mainstreaming gender in th
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9.15 9.16 9.17 biased views towards
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9.21 9.22 9.23 9.24 women. 47 (See
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9.28 9.29 9.30 9.31 New family migr
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9.35 9.36 UKBA, where men and women
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9.39 9.40 9.41 9.42 • Do not redu
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9.46 Research on immigration case m
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10.5 10.6 10.7 10.8 10.9 The Educat
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10.13 10.14 10.15 10.16 boys and on
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10.22 10.23 allow speakers to promo
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10.29 10.30 10.31 10.32 Case study:
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10.37 10.38 10.39 10.40 • Many wo
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10.46 10.47 10.48 applications (fig
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11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 Article 11 - Em
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11.8 11.9 are 754,000 women working
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11.14 11.15 11.16 11.17 11.18 The g
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11.24 11.25 11.26 per week or they
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11.31 11.32 11.33 Introducing more
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11.37 11.38 Case study: 83 Jasmine
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11.42 11.43 11.44 11.45 At the 2012
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12.3 12.4 12.5 12.6 of women and en
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12.12 12.13 12.14 12.15 Translators
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12.19 12.20 12.21 12.22 Barriers to
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12.25 12.26 12.27 12.28 Gypsy and T
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12.34 12.35 12.36 12.37 Older women
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12.41 12.42 Recommendations: • Th
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12.47 12.48 12.49 12.50 they are at
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12.55 12.56 12.57 Case studies: 128
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12.60 12.61 12.62 12.63 12.64 hospi
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13.1 13.2 13.3 13.4 13.5 Article 13
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13.11 13.12 13.13 13.14 children ne
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13.17 13.18 13.19 13.20 Welfare ref
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