Women’s equality in the UK – A health check

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6 7 8 9 Appendix: 37) on women in Jersey which is a UK Crown Dependency; and from the UK National Human Rights Institutions, the Equality and Human Rights Commission, 9 Equality Commission Northern Ireland and Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission. We will link to these submissions in this report and the appendices to avoid duplication, although the reports aim to complement each other and some similar issues may be reinforced with further information. Since the last UK examination the CEDAW Committee has adopted three new General Recommendations 10 on women migrant workers, older women, and core obligations of signatory states under CEDAW. However, the UK Government has hardly mentioned these in their report and have not addressed their obligations under these. The UK Government’s 7th Periodic Report comprises descriptive policy narrative but the report includes little specific data on the impact of policies and initiatives on women’s substantive equality. Also, the report ends on 31st May 2011 but there have been many changes further rolling back women’s rights in the UK since then. A considerable amount of the report is devoted to the Government’s work promoting gender equality in other countries and therefore is not relevant to its compliance with its domestic obligations under CEDAW. For example, the role of the International Violence Against Women Champion is only focussed on addressing violence against women and girls (VAWG) overseas when this is also an urgent area of work in the UK. The CEDAW Committee’s 2008 recommendations are not adequately addressed in the report and many of the concluding observations are yet to have any action taken. The Government did give further information in their response in February 2013 to the first list of issues and questions from the CEDAW Committee. 11 However, this still neglected to provide detailed information on all the questions asked and the information did not give the full picture of the current situation for women in the UK as this report will explain. Impact of the economic crisis on women’s equality This report has been produced at a time of severe economic pressure. It is important that the Committee is aware of, and takes into consideration, the context of economic downturn and austerity measures in the UK and the way in which these are negatively impacting on women’s rights. In many respects the full impact of these is not known as policies are just being implemented. However, as evidenced in this report, predictions of impact suggest that women will bear the brunt of public spending and welfare reform cuts. Since May 2010, the Coalition Government has introduced ‘Reform of Welfare Provisions’, a large-scale comprehensive spending review which has resulted in an unprecedented austerity package of cuts to public spending in order to tackle a national deficit of over £120bn. Within a context of global and acute European financial crisis, many people in the UK are facing unemployment, cuts to benefits, and financial hardship. Areas of the UK that were previously struggling, such as the North East, have fallen further into poverty and deprivation. The media is increasingly reporting news of a 9. Equality and Human Rights Commission, UN Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women http://www. equalityhumanrights.com/human-rights/our-human-rights-work/international-framework/un-convention-on-the-elimination-ofdiscrimination-against-women/ 10. CEDAW General Recommendation No. 26 Women Migrant Workers (forty-second session, 2008) http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/ cedaw/docs/GR_26_on_women_migrant_workers_en.pdf ; CEDAW General Recommendation No. 27 Older women and protection of their human rights (forty-seventh session, 2010) http://daccess-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/G10/472/53/PDF/G1047253. pdf?OpenElement; CEDAW General Recommendation No. 28 The Core Obligations of States Parties under Article 2 of CEDAW (fortyseventh session, 2010) http://daccess-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/G10/472/60/PDF/G1047260.pdf?OpenElement 11. CEDAW 55th session (2013) List of issues and questions with regard to the consideration of periodic reports: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Addendum: Replies of United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to the list of issues to be taken up in connection with the consideration of its seventh periodic report, 5th February 2013 http://www2.ohchr.org/English/bodies/cedaw/docs/ CEDAW.C.GBR.Q.7.Add.1.pdf 20 Women’s equality in the UK: CEDAW shadow report 2013
10 11 12 13 housing crisis, a ‘lost’ generation of young and long-term unemployed and the potential return of a 1920’s era Great Depression. 12 Throughout the consultation process for this report, great concern was expressed about the impact of current and impending public sector cuts imposed by the Government due to the national and global financial crisis. Whilst it is recognised that some action has to be taken, the current approach by the Government is generally accepted as impacting disproportionately on women. 13 The Government’s policies have already had a negative impact on most women through the loss of jobs, income and services. Additional measures announced in further Statements will only intensify those losses for all but the richest women. 14 (See Appendix: 1 for further information) Question: We would like to know how the Government are “taking action in key areas where there are persistent inequalities compared to the experiences of men”, as stated in their report, when many policies are disproportionately impacting on women? Women’s health Women’s health issues are still not adequately addressed and provided for in the UK. 15 Issues such as mental health and VAWG 16 are not understood and the long-term impacts of these are not dealt with. Radical changes to the National Health Service (NHS) introduced in April 2013 will have a significant impact on women who rely on these services most and throughout their lifetime, for example the cuts in maternity and care services. 17 Women and girls have greater health and social care needs than men across their lives 18 and face significant barriers to both good mental and physical health. 19 The health issues affecting certain groups of women due to, for example, their immigration status, 20 ethnicity, 21 being in prison 22 or living in poverty, 23 are also acute and cannot be ignored. Women and girls across the UK face poorer health, not only as a result of a poor response to the physiological differences between them and men, but because of social experiences 12. Women’s Resource Centre (2012) Factsheet: Women and the cuts 2012. WRC: London http://thewomensresourcecentre.org.uk/wpcontent/uploads/women-and-the-cuts.pdf 13. Fawcett Society (2011) The Impact of Austerity on Women. Fawcett: London http://www.fawcettsociety.org.uk/wp-content/ uploads/2013/02/The-Impact-of-Austerity-on-Women-19th-March-2012.pdf 14. Women’s Budget Group (2012) The Impact on Women of the Autumn Financial Statement 2011. WBG: London http://wbg.org.uk/pdfs/The- Impact-on-Women-of-the-AFS-2011.pdf 15. 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 16. 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 17. Bragg, R. (2012) ‘How cuts to maternity services are threatening health and care’, False Economy, 20th July 2012 http://falseeconomy.org. uk/blog/how-cuts-to-maternity-services-are-threatening-care 18. As a result of longer life expectancy and longer durations of poor health - Office of National Statistics (2010) Health Statistics Quarterly,45 Spring 2010 http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/hsq/health-statistics-quarterly/no--45--spring-2010/index.html 19. 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 20. Maternity Action (2012) Guidance for Commissioning Health Services for Vulnerable Migrant Women. WHEC: London http://www. maternityaction.org.uk/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/guidancecommissioninghealthservvulnmigrantwomen2012.pdf 21. 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/ 22. Prison Reform Trust (2011) Bromley Briefing Prison Factfile, December 2011. PRT: London http://www.prisonreformtrust.org.uk/Portals/0/ Documents/Bromley%20Briefing%20December%202011.pdf 23. UCL Institute of Health Equity (2010) Fair Society, Healthy Lives: Strategic Review of Health Inequalities in England Post-2010 (The Marmot Review). UCL: London http://www.instituteofhealthequity.org/projects/fair-society-healthy-lives-the-marmot-review Women’s equality in the UK: CEDAW shadow report 2013 21
Page 1 and 2: Women’s equality in the UK - A he
Page 3 and 4: Women’s equality in the UK - A he
Page 5 and 6: Appendices (online only) Appendix 1
Page 7 and 8: • the continued discrimination ag
Page 9 and 10: • Develop a common model of analy
Page 11 and 12: Article 9 - Nationality: One third
Page 13 and 14: investment in social infrastructure
Page 15 and 16: and increase the marginalisation of
Page 17 and 18: have been no prosecutions in Englan
Page 19: 1 2 3 4 5 Introduction This is a Un
Page 23 and 24: 1.1 1.2 1.3 Article 1 - Overarching
Page 25 and 26: 1.7 1.8 1.9 1.10 1.11 1.12 Women’
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Page 29 and 30: 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 consult to “remov
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Page 37 and 38: 3.7 3.8 3.9 3.10 would “increase
Page 39 and 40: 3.15 3.16 3.17 and accountable EHRC
Page 41 and 42: 3.22 3.23 3.24 report is was partic
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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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13.25 13.26 13.27 13.28 because in
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13.32 13.33 Case study: 57 “As a
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13.36 13.37 allocation of resources
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13.41 13.42 Homelessness, including
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13.47 13.48 BME women would be left
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13.52 13.53 13.54 13.55 with some l
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13.60 13.61 13.62 effect to their p
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14.6 14.7 14.8 disabled and lesbian
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14.14 Gypsy and Traveller women suf
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15.6 15.7 15.8 15.9 15.10 15.11 The
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15.14 15.15 15.16 purport to be vic
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15.21 15.22 15.23 Case study: 35
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15.28 15.29 15.30 15.31 has not pro
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15.35 15.36 behaviour by male priso
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16.5 16.6 people being forced into
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16.10 16.11 16.12 16.13 16.14 16.15
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16.21 16.22 frequently women’s ac
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Recommendations: • Parents with c
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19.6 19.7 19.8 as well as for our c
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19.13 19.14 19.15 19.16 The Governm
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19.22 19.23 19.24 19.25 VAWG is a c
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19.30 19.31 19.32 19.33 DV is still
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19.38 19.39 19.40 perpetrators thro
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19.43 19.44 19.45 Support for victi
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19.49 19.50 19.51 19.52 Recommendat
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19.57 19.58 19.59 19.60 BMER VAWG p
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19.62 19.63 19.64 19.65 VAWG in hea
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19.70 19.71 19.72 Invisibility of s
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19.77 19.78 19.79 A number of repor
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19.85 19.86 means more provision. T
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Annex 1: The Devolved Administratio
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to 41.8% of rural men. 16 Rural are
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Annex 2: The UK’s relationship wi
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Annex 3: UK reservations and declar
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ESA - Employment and Support Allowa
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Annex 5: Acknowledgements Many than
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Women’s Resource Centre is suppor
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