Women’s equality in the UK – A health check

account of their sex by public bodies while exercising their public functions. Protection in this
respect does exist on the grounds of religious belief, race, sexual orientation and disability as is
included in the Equality Act 2010 in Britain.
In England, unlike in Scotland and Wales, the specific duty requirements of the Equality Act have
no explicit gender component. 8 In relation to the new Public Sector Equality Duty, positive and
robust specific equality duties have been introduced in Scotland 9 which should be replicated
elsewhere. Specific duties were also introduced in Wales 10 in 2011 which include a number of
elements aimed particularly at gender equality, including on equal pay. (See Appendix: 16) Given
the different specific duties in Scotland and Wales, the performance of the Duty in the three
nations should be compared and best practice reproduced.
Across the 4 nations there are many similar issues in terms of women’s rights and substantive
equality particularly in terms of linked issues around women and work, austerity and welfare
reform, access to legal aid and other support services and violence against women. 11
There are also differences in terms of gender equality across the Devolved Administrations and
where issues are exacerbated. Scotland has some of the highest childcare costs in the UK. (See
Appendix: 18) The impact of the cuts and benefits reform is expected to have a greater impact
on women in Wales who are more dependent on the public sector than elsewhere. 12 (See Article
13) Women in Northern Ireland are still denied their reproductive rights which leads to serious
breaches of CEDAW. (See Article 12)
Scotland’s criminal justice system also requires that all key evidence in criminal prosecution be
backed by two sources, which underpins the fact that 75% of rape complaints do not progress
to court despite recommendations to improve the system. 13 (See Article 15)
There is no women’s prison in Wales, which means that women from Wales are very likely to be
incarcerated at some distance from home, exacerbating the problems of separation from their
families. Calls are now being made for further urgent reform 14 but we would urge this to include
increasing and replicating the community facilities in Cardiff and Swansea to provide holistic
support that enables gender-responsive options for community sentences. 15 (See Article 15)
The rurality of many parts of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland must also be taken in to
account in terms of women’s equality. 50% of rural communities in Wales do not have bus
services in operation at peak times and 71.3% of women in rural Wales live in poverty compared
8. Equality and Human Rights Commission (2012) The Essential Guide to the Public Sector Equality Duty. EHRC: London http://www.
equalityhumanrights.com/uploaded_files/EqualityAct/PSED/essential_guide_update.pdf
9. Equality and Human Rights Commission (2012) Essential guide to the public sector equality duty: A guide for public authorities (Scotland).
http://www.equalityhumanrights.com/scotland/public-sector-equality-duty/non-statutory-guidance-for-scottish-public-authorities/
10. Equality and Human Rights Commission (2011) Annual reporting, publishing and Ministerial duties: A guide for listed public authorities in
Wales. http://www.equalityhumanrights.com/uploaded_files/Wales/PSED_Wales_docs/8._psed_wales_annual_reporting_publishing_and_
ministerial_duties.pdf
11. See Women’s Equality Network Wales (2012) Submission to the Committee on the Convention for the Elimination of all Forms of
Discrimination against Women, WEN Wales response. WEN Wales: Burry Port http://wenwales.org/wp-content/uploads/Submissionto-the-Committee-on-CEDAW-formatted-version-final.pdf
and Engender, CEDAW http://www.engender.org.uk/our-work/europeaninternational/cedaw/
and Scottish Women’s Convention, CEDAW http://www.scottishwomensconvention.org/activities/cedaw and
Northern Ireland Women’s European Platform http://www.niwep.org/default.asp
12. Women’s Equality Network Wales (2012) Submission to the Committee on the Convention for the Elimination of all Forms of
Discrimination against Women, WEN Wales response. WEN Wales: Burry Port http://wenwales.org/wp-content/uploads/Submission-tothe-Committee-on-CEDAW-formatted-version-final.pdf
13. Engender, CEDAW http://www.engender.org.uk/our-work/european-international/cedaw/
14. Townsend, M (2012) ‘Women’s prisons in desperate need of reform, says former governor’, The Observer, 11th February 2012 http://www.
guardian.co.uk/society/2012/feb/11/women-prisons-urgent-reform-needed
15. Women’s Equality Network Wales (2012) Submission to the Committee on the Convention for the Elimination of all Forms of
Discrimination against Women, WEN Wales response. WEN Wales: Burry Port http://wenwales.org/wp-content/uploads/Submission-tothe-Committee-on-CEDAW-formatted-version-final.pdf
196 Women’s equality in the UK: CEDAW shadow report 2013