Women’s equality in the UK – A health check

3.15
3.16
3.17
and accountable EHRC that is able to hold government to account when women’s rights are not
being respected is essential for the advancement of women’s equality; however the position
of the EHRC is currently under threat. The EHRC is the subject of continuing review and severe
cuts and many of these monitoring functions will be reduced. For example, the EHRC has closed
its grants programme that funded civil society in the area of gender equality and women’s
human rights, supporting organisations to engage with international human rights mechanisms.
For example, in the UK’s 7th Periodic Report it is noted that the EHRC provided funding to the
Women’s Resource Centre to run training programmes around England on CEDAW, which was
only indirectly government funding. The Government is proposing to remove the General Duty
of the EHRC, which sets out its vision and mission, and is therefore important for guiding work
on women’s rights. This issue is currently being considered by Parliament. (See Appendix: 6 for
further information)
Non-Governmental Organisations
The women’s NGO sector has been a leader in bringing about positive changes to women’s
(and men’s) lives and improving gender equality in the UK, yet it is facing the worst funding
crisis in recent history and its sustainability is being seriously undermined while demand for
services is increasing. 18
A lack of recognition of the role and value of the women’s sector within policy and
commissioning frameworks has resulted in a trend across central government whereby
specialist services are being overlooked for funding and investment in favour of large, generic
providers who are being awarded contracts for the delivery of specialist women’s services. The
failure to adequately support the women’s sector to undertake policy work threatens the ability
of the sector to hold government to account in terms of how its policies impact on women, to
influence positive policy development and to interact with international policy bodies.
Case study: 19
“Gender specific work is proving to be increasingly difficult, with the limitations on funding
they are fighting for single sex services. Funders tend not to be responsive to need and
think of this type of work as discriminatory. Gender equality legislation seems to be used by
more men than women.”
Despite the denial of this in the Government’s report, research in 2012 has found that about one
in three Rape Crisis Centres in England and Wales have been challenged by funders about the
fact that they provided women-only services. 20 However, these organisations are the only ones
that can meaningfully engage isolated communities of women and bring them to a position
where they can take part in, and shape wider public and social life. Women-only services are
also value for money and can have a huge impact on public spending particularly in the areas
of healthcare and benefits. 21 Losing specialist services can have a detrimental impact on the
health and wellbeing of the particular population which that service served, with a loss of
18. See for example North East Women’s Network (2013) The Health of the Women’s Sector in the North East of England: Findings from annual
online surveys from 2009 to 2012 http://www.newwomens.net/images/stories/January_2013_-_Health_of_the_Womens_Sector_in_the_
North_East_report.doc.pdf
19. Research participant from a voluntary sector organisation in Northumberland, June 2012, in North East Women’s Network (2012) Findings
and recommendations from interim case study: The impact of austerity measures upon women in the North East of England, October
2012 and updated April 2013. NEWomen’s Network and Women’s Resource Centre http://www.newwomens.net/index.php/researchleftmenu-56
20. Coates, S., Eggleston, L. and Regan, L. (2012) Impact Of Rape Support Fund On Existing Rape Crisis Centres. Rape Crisis (England and
Wales) (forthcoming)
21. Women’s Resource Centre (2011) Hidden Value: Demonstrating the extraordinary impact of women’s voluntary and community
organisations. WRC: London http://thewomensresourcecentre.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/hidden_value_wrc_sroi_report_2011_22.pdf
Women’s equality in the UK: CEDAW shadow report 2013 39