Life Raft for Women’s Equality Launched as Charity Coalition Warns: Women’s Rights Under Unprecedented Attack – Fawcett

The Fawcett Society, backed by a coalition of more than 20 charities, unions and academics, will tomorrow unveil a new report entitled ‘A Life Raft for Women’s Equality.’ (1)

Detailing a series of key policy recommendations for government, the Life Raft for Women’s Equality comes amid growing evidence that the government’s approach to reducing the deficit is ‘turning back time’ on women’s equality (2) – and is published on the same day the Minister for Women and Equalities is expected to give a speech outlining the government’s approach to women and the economy.  (3)

The recommendations include:

  • restoration of support for childcare costs for low-income families to pre-April 2011 levels – this would help ensure paid employment makes financial sense for the many low income women who’ve found they are better off not working.
  • Ring fencing of funding for Sure Start children’s centres – this would further protect women’s access to employment and shore up the other vital benefits these centres offer thousands of families.
  • Stopping local authorities from treating violence against women services as a soft touch for cuts to ensure that some of the most vulnerable women in the UK have access to the support they need.

Unveiling the report, Anna Bird, Acting Chief Executive of the Fawcett Society said:

“Women have not faced a greater threat to their financial security and rights in living memory. Decades of steady, albeit slow, progress on equality for women is being dismantled, as cuts to women’s jobs and the benefits and services they rely on turn back time on women’s equality.

“Women up and down the country are experiencing greater hardship; for those families affected the cuts to women’s jobs, services and benefits will represent a personal loss. But we must add to this the cost to wider society as women’s opportunities are scaled back. Fewer women working; a widening gap in pay between women and men; entrenchment of outdated gender roles at work and at home and women being forced into a position where they must increasingly rely on a main breadwinner or the state for financial subsidy – this is the picture that emerges when the many policies of economic austerity are stitched together.

“There are signs of hope that the government realises its economic strategy isn’t working for women, and we hope today’s speech signals a willingness to change course. Our report identifies a series of targeted and achievable policy measures that could be adopted by or at the 2012 budget, which together offer a life raft for women’s equality – and never has the need been so great.

“It represents the combined knowledge and expertise of more than 20 organisations and individuals across the charity, academic, voluntary and union sectors.

“Women’s rights are under unprecedented attack. But the government has the power to help stop the clock turning backwards.”

“We urge those who support our life raft to sign the petition on our website calling on government to adopt it in full, and join us on November the 19th for our national day of action in defence of women’s rights.” (4)

Dave Prentis, UNISON’s General Secretary, said:

“We need urgent action to stop women being ground down by the Government’s devastating cuts. Two thirds of public sector workers are women, who are most likely to rely on these vital services.


“At the same time these women’s pensions are under a serious attack. Paying more, working longer, for less, when the average pension of a low paid woman council worker is just £2,800 a year – just enough to keep them off means tested benefits.


“Women are being hit hard by unemployment, the rising cost of living and cuts to benefits and services to young people.”

Alison Garnham, Chief Executive of Child Poverty Action Group said:

“Child poverty and the incomes and services women are able to access are intrinsically linked. The vast majority of child benefit is received by women, whether as the main carer in a couple, or a single parent. It is hugely unfair that such a large burden of the government’s cuts should be falling on the shoulders of women and children, and it would be profoundly wrong if these unfair cuts to child benefit became permanent.”

Notes:

(1) The full ‘Life Raft for Women’s Equality’ is available from Charlie.woodworth@fawcettsociety.org.uk / 0207 253 2598

Signatories include:

(2) Evidence that the government’s approach to reducing the deficit is ‘turning back time’ on women’s equality:
- The number of women out of work is at a 23 year high – 2.07 million women are facing unemployment. www.ons.gov.uk

- Job losses in the public sector are hitting women particularly hard – recent research found that two thirds of the 130 000 jobs lost in local authorities since the first quarter of 2010 have belonged to women:
http://www.gmb.org.uk/newsroom/latest_news/women_council_job_losses.aspx

-  Increasing numbers of women are finding paid employment doesn’t pay when they factor in soaring costs of childcare and reduction in the childcare element of the Working Tax Credit.  A survey carried out by Netmums in partnership with the Resolution Foundation, of over 2,000 working mothers on the impact of the change showed that:
-       over half of working mothers will be forced to ‘stop work or significantly reduce their working hours’;
-       over one in five (22 per cent) of working mothers will have to give up their jobs in order to cover the increased childcare costs;
-       over a quarter of mothers (29 per cent) will reduce their working hours in order to cope with childcare costs;
-       more than two-thirds of parents (68 per cent) said they will have to make significant adjustments to their childcare arrangements;
-       over a quarter (27 per cent) will have to rely more on informal care from family and friends to cover the shortfall.
(http://www.resolutionfoundation.org/media/media/downloads/Childcare_Survey_Press_Notice.pdf)

-       A survey (released in May 2011, 6 weeks after the change was enacted) conducted by Working Mums provides evidence that changes to the Working Tax Credit are already having a marked impact on the ability of women – many of whom will be mothers – to combine work and childcare where the survey found that 24% of mothers have had to give up work as a result of the changes.
http://www.workingmums.co.uk/working-mums-magazine/news/2574511/mums-forced-to-quit-work-due-to-tax-credit-cuts-survey.thtml

-       Research by Save the Children and the Daycare Trust (released on 7 September 2011) substantiates the concern that rising childcare costs mean cuts to Working Tax Credit are having a drastic impact on families: 58% of families in extreme poverty said they are not better off working once childcare has been paid for. The cut to Working Tax Credit has meant that four in ten families in extreme poverty have considered giving up work, as £500 per year, on average, has been added to their childcare bill. Furthermore, 25% of families across all income demographics stated that the rising costs of childcare and reduced payments of WTC had caused them to get into debt.
http://www.daycaretrust.org.uk/news.php?id=54

- Changes to the tax and welfare system are undermining women’s financial security and independence – some 70 per cent of the money pulled out of the benefit system through the 2010 Budget comes from women’s pockets.(House of Commons Library research found some £5.8 billion of the £8 billion of cuts contained in the budget will be taken from women.)
- Research by the Institute for Fiscal Studies shows that single mothers will be hit hardest by the changes to the tax and welfare system and stand to lose the equivalent of more than one month’s income a year as a result.
- As public services are rolled back, women are being expected to ‘fill the gaps’.  Women still tend to do lion’s share of unpaid caring for family , undermining their ability to juggle work with other responsibilities.
- Some of the most vulnerable women in the UK are being put at risk as local authorities across the country cut back on Violence Against Women services because of funding cuts.
- Many women face retiring in poverty as government negotiations around public sector pensions leave much of this workforce unsure of their likely income when retired.

(3) The Rt.Hon Theresa May MP, Minister for Women and Equalities, will today (Friday) give a speech on women and the economy.

(4) The Fawcett Society has called a national ‘Day of Action’ – the 19t November will see a ‘march in defence of women’s rights’ in central London, and a series of smaller campaign actions throughout the country.

More information, and the petition, can be found at www.fawcettsociety.org.uk

Posted 4 November, 2011 (18:58) | Notices |