Women’s equality in the UK – A health check

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was room for improvement in its human rights record and reaffirmed their long-standing
commitment to advancing human rights both at home and internationally. However, human
rights protections offered to women are currently under threat in the UK as government
ministers aim to repeal the Human Rights Act. 7 As part of the UPR process, various countries
raised women’s rights issues that need to be addressed further, including the impact of the
financial crisis on women. In their response to this and also to CEDAW’s first list of issues and
questions 8 the Government stated that in order to reduce the deficit and restore economic
stability some very difficult decisions had to be made to reduce public spending but that these
will be made fairly and the most vulnerable will be protected. However, this commitment has not
been seen in their actions to date, as this report will show.
Progress on women’s equality
The Government produced an equality strategy Building a Fairer Britain in 2010, 9 which
states that “equality is at the heart of government” and “it is fundamental to building a strong
economy and a fair society” and that tackling the deficit must be done “fairly, protecting the
most vulnerable and prioritising equal opportunities for all”. However, we have not seen equality
underpinning “this coalition’s guiding principles of freedom, fairness and responsibility”, 10
especially in relation to women’s equality and that of the most vulnerable and marginalised.
In fact the equality strategies do not address gender in much detail and focus on only a few
areas of discrimination. The measures that the Government has taken to ensure the practical
realisation of the principles of equality and non-discrimination enshrined in the Convention are
piecemeal and ineffective.
In the Equality Strategy Progress Report, 11 published in 2012, where women are mentioned,
the focus is on women’s position in the labour market, women entrepreneurs and supporting
women to be on the boards of top financial companies. For the vast majority of women living in
the UK today these aspirations are far beyond what they experience in their everyday lives. (See
Article 11)
As a result of devolution there are also different equality provisions within the UK. For example,
in Northern Ireland, while the Government did introduce a ten year Gender Equality Strategy, 12
which is linked to the international conventions, weak departmental action plans and the lack of
implementation of key measures has meant that the potential impact has not been achieved.
The Welsh Government also have Equality Objectives and a Strategic Equality Plan 13 alongside
some positive developments regarding women’s equality while in Scotland the Scottish
Government has had Ministerial Priorities around gender equality 14 although these have not
been updated recently. (See Annex 1)
7. Sayal, R. (2013) ‘Tory Minsters plot Human Rights Act repeal’, The Guardian, 3rd March 2013 http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2013/
mar/03/tory-ministers-human-rights-act
8. 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
9. Government Equalities Office (2010) The Equality Strategy – Building a Fairer Britain. GEO: London http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/
publications/equalities/equality-strategy-publications/equality-strategy/equality-strategy?view=Binary
10. Government Equalities Office (2010) The Equality Strategy – Building a Fairer Britain. GEO: London http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/
publications/equalities/equality-strategy-publications/equality-strategy/equality-strategy?view=Binary
11. Government Equalities Office (2012) The Equality Strategy – Building a Fairer Britain: Progress report. GEO: London http://www.
homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/equalities/equality-strategy-publications/progress-report?view=Binary
12. Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister (2006) Gender Matters: A strategic framework for action to promote gender equality
for women and men 2006-2016 http://www.ofmdfmni.gov.uk/genderequalitystrategy2006-2016.pdf
13. Welsh Assembly Government, The Equality Objectives and Strategic Equality Plan 2012-2016 http://wales.gov.uk/topics/equality/equalitya
ctatwork/;jsessionid=C32863FCADA93901CA4C4DD2676A89F9?lang=en Accessed: 01/05/13
14. The Scottish Government, Gender Equality http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/People/Equality/18500 Accessed: 01/05/13
24 Women’s equality in the UK: CEDAW shadow report 2013