Women’s equality in the UK – A health check

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11.5 11.6 11.7 crucial for many women to maintain their financial independence but only 27% of businesses in the UK are majority owned by women. 11 (See Appendix: 13 for further information) Recommendation: Further support women in business by promoting alternative sources of finance and provide access to training and support as well as introducing more networking and mentoring opportunities Women’s employment in the public sector Women’s work is concentrated in jobs providing public services. 12 Therefore, public service cuts have a gendered impact. Women form the majority of public sector employees, and are particularly concentrated where the cuts are deepest, with women constituting 68% of those employed by Local Authorities. 13 It is estimated that of the 500,000 public sector workers that are expected to be made unemployed due to the spending cuts, 325,000 will be women. 14 In 19 councils in England and Wales women account for 100% of those losing their jobs. 15 73% of remaining positions in the public sector that are subject to a pay freeze are held by women. 16 Those women who keep their public sector jobs are being expected to pay for them in lower wages. 17 This will inevitably increase the gender pay gap. There is a growing gap between the public and private sector in terms of opportunities for women. The private sector workforce is male dominated. Any growth in private sector employment may not therefore benefit women, either in terms of the number of jobs provided, nor their quality, and will not replace what they will lose from the public sector. Women in the public sector are more likely than those in the private sector to consider having or enlarging their family because of relative job security, more flexible working hours and more generous familyfriendly policies that tend to be available there. 18 Women remain far more likely than men to be in low-paid jobs. Around 17.2% of men in work are low-paid, compared with 28% of women workers, with those women who work part-time the most likely to be in low-paid employment. 19 Those in lower skilled, lower paid jobs are more reliant on State benefits 20 and women are in the most precarious and vulnerable work. 21 There 11. McRobie, H. (2012) ‘Don’t bank on gender equality from the UK high street’ Open Democracy, 22nd June 2012 http://www.opendemocracy. net/5050/heather-mcrobie/don%E2%80%99t-bank-on-gender-equality-from-uk-high-street 12. In some regions this is particularly high, for example in the North East nearly half of women who are working are employed in the public sector (46%) and two in three of public sector jobs are done by women – 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. NEWomen’s Network and Women’s Resource Centre http://www.newwomens.net/index.php/latest-news-leftmenu-50 13. Oxfam (2012) The Perfect Storm: Economic stagnation, the rising cost of living, public spending cuts, and the impact on UK poverty. Oxfam: Oxford http://policy-practice.oxfam.org.uk/publications/the-perfect-storm-economic-stagnation-the-rising-cost-of-livingpublic-spending-228591 14. Trades Union Congress (2010) The gender impact of the cuts. TUC: London http://tinyurl.com/6j7ry7b 15. Women’s Resource Centre (2012) Factsheet: Women and the cuts 2012 WRC: London http://thewomensresourcecentre.org.uk/wpcontent/uploads/women-and-the-cuts.pdf 16. Women’s Budget Group (2011) The Impact on Women of the Budget 2011. WBG: London http://wbg.org.uk/RRB_Reports_7_282363355.pdf 17. Women’s Budget Group (2010) The Impact on Women of the Coalition Spending Review 2010. WBG: London http://wbg.org.uk/RRB_ Reports_4_1653541019.pdfTable1, p. 13. 18. Equality and Human Rights Commission (2011) Sex and Power 2011. EHRC: London http://www.equalityhumanrights.com/key-projects/ sexandpower/ 19. Cooke and Lawton define low pay as 60% of full-time median hourly pay, excluding overtime in Cooke, G. and Lawton, K. (2008) Working Out Of Poverty. IPPR: London http://www.ippr.org/publication/55/1616/working-out-of-poverty-a-study-of-the-low-paid-and-the-workingpoor. The TUC has updated their calculation using figures from ASHE 2011 Office of National Statistics (2011) Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings 2011 (ASHE). ONS: London http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/ashe/annual-survey-of-hours-and-earnings/ashe-results-2011/ashestatistical-bulletin-2011.html . 20. Ward, R. (2011) Health and equality impacts of well paid parental leave. Women’s Health and Equality Consortium and Maternity Action: London http://www.whec.org.uk/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/downloads/2011/10/ HealthandEqualityImpactsofWellPaidParentalLeave20111.pdf 21. Oxfam (2012) The Perfect Storm: Economic stagnation, the rising cost of living, public spending cuts, and the impact on UK poverty. Oxfam: Oxford http://policy-practice.oxfam.org.uk/publications/the-perfect-storm-economic-stagnation-the-rising-cost-of-living-public-spending-228591 98 Women’s equality in the UK: CEDAW shadow report 2013
11.8 11.9 are 754,000 women working part-time as they cannot find full-time work – the highest level since comparable records began in 1992. 22 Average pay for part-time workers in the public sector is £9.34 an hour compared to £6.78 in the private sector so women working part-time in the public sector who lose their jobs may have to take a significant pay cut if they take a part-time job in the private sector. 23 Women also account for 54% of the 1.4 million workers on temporary contracts, making them more vulnerable to unemployment. 24 The shortage of formal job opportunities is likely to force many people living in poverty into working informally. Workers in the informal economy lack the labour rights of those working formally, meaning that they are vulnerable to exploitation, including being paid below the National Minimum Wage. 25 (See Appendix: 13) We call upon the Government to reconsider the depth and speed of the expenditure cuts, and to recognise the role of public spending in supporting economic growth and employment creation. Women’s unemployment Available evidence suggests that gender inequalities in the labour market will be worsened by the deficit reduction strategy. Despite the Government’s claim that there are “historically high numbers of women in employment”, 26 in March 2012, the unemployment rate for men stood almost exactly where it did at the end of the recession in 2009 at 1.54 million, an increase of only 0.32%, whereas female unemployment has increased by almost 20% to 1.13 million - the highest figure for 25 years. 27 In the final quarter of 2011, total unemployment had risen by 38,000, 21,000 of whom were women. This is a much higher number of unemployed women than a predicted 17,500 rise based on women’s participation rate in the labour market. 28 For example, in the North East the labour market statistics for September 2011 revealed that the number of women made redundant had increased 72.3% in the previous quarter and unemployment amongst North East women was at its highest since records began. 29 40% of redundancies in 2012 were among women, up from just over 30% 30 and the number of women claiming Job Seekers Allowance (JSA) has been increasing month-on-month and in January 2013 stood at 537,900. 31 In August 2011 282,000 women had been out of work for more than a year – the highest number since 1995. 32 If current trends continue, we could expect unemployment rates for women to accelerate, owing to their concentration in the public sector. 22. 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 23. Office for National Statistics (2009) Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings 2009 Results. Available at: http://tinyurl.com/ca36277 24. Women’s Resource Centre (2012) Factsheet: Women and the cuts 2012 WRC: London http://thewomensresourcecentre.org.uk/wpcontent/uploads/women-and-the-cuts.pdf 25. Oxfam (2012) The Perfect Storm: Economic stagnation, the rising cost of living, public spending cuts, and the impact on UK poverty. Oxfam: Oxford http://policy-practice.oxfam.org.uk/publications/the-perfect-storm-economic-stagnation-the-rising-cost-of-livingpublic-spending-228591 26. 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 27. 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 28. Equality and Human Rights Commission (2011) ‘Press release: Sex and Power: 5,400 women missing from top jobs’, 17th August 2011 http:// www.equalityhumanrights.com/news/2011/august/sex-and-power-5-400-women-missing-from-top-jobs/ 29. 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. NEWomen’s Network and Women’s Resource Centre http://www.newwomens.net/ index.php/latest-news-leftmenu-50 30. Equality and Human Rights Commission (2011) ‘Press release: Sex and Power: 5,400 women missing from top jobs’, 17th August 2011 http:// www.equalityhumanrights.com/news/2011/august/sex-and-power-5-400-women-missing-from-top-jobs/ 31. Office for National Statistics (2013) Summary of Labour Market Statistics, January 2013 http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/lms/labour-marketstatistics/january-2013/summary.html 32. Equality and Human Rights Commission (2011) ‘Press release: Sex and Power: 5,400 women missing from top jobs’, 17th August 2011 http:// www.equalityhumanrights.com/news/2011/august/sex-and-power-5-400-women-missing-from-top-jobs/ Women’s equality in the UK: CEDAW shadow report 2013 99
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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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Page 111 and 112: 12.3 12.4 12.5 12.6 of women and en
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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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