Equality Counting Project

Date: 18th May 2011
Category: Access to appropriate information, Non-discrimination, Civil Rights and Freedoms, Disability, Basic Health and Welfare

Engender would like to work with members of Together (individuals or organisations) to hold workshops on child poverty and its relation to gender inequality.

The aim of the Equality Counting Project is to evidence and demonstrate the impact of public bodies' gender neutral and gender blind policy and practice on their lives and use equalities legislation to engage with policy makers to lever positive change. For those who are interested in taking part Engender will hold workshops on equalities legislation and participatory action research to then support and work with these groups to evidence the impact of gender blind or neutral policy and practice. Ultimately Engender will support groups to engage with public service providers and/or policy makers and use equalities legislation to lever change.

 

Introduction to Engender

Engender works to make Scotland a fairer, safer place where women can flourish and contribute to both the social and market economies with dignity, freedom and justice.

To this end we seek to increase women's power and influence; make visible the impact of sexism on women and children and on Scotland's social, economic and political development; and support people, organisations and our government to make equality a reality.

 

Equality Counting Project

The aim of this project is to work with women in communities of interest to evidence and demonstrate the impact of public bodies' gender neutral and gender blind policy and practice on their lives and use equalities legislation to engage with policy makers to lever positive change. In doing so the project aims to bring the Equality Act 2010, ICESCR and CEDAW to life as meaningful tools in achieving women's equality in Scotland - by making people aware of them and their potential, by supporting public bodies to implement them, by supporting women to engage with the accountability mechanisms at Scottish, UK, EU and UN levels, and by using these policy tools to inform analysis and feedback in policy consultations.

For those who are interested in taking part Engender will hold workshops on equalities legislation and participatory action research to then support and work with these groups to evidence the impact of gender blind or neutral policy and practice. We will support groups to develop and articulate their gendered analysis of their issue and facilitate roundtables to enable groups to engage with academics and activists to learn from each other's understanding. Ultimately we will support groups to engage with public service providers and/or policy makers and use equalities legislation to lever change.

Engender and Together

In working with Together's members, we hope raise the discussion and debate around approaches in tackling child poverty.

We see tackling women's poverty as key to the success of the child poverty strategy. Women are the main managers of family poverty and the stress can undermine their maternal role. This is only amplified by the:

• Disadvantage women face in the labour market
• Inaccessible and often unclear access to services and
• Inadequate financial support for those not in paid work. For example working as carers for children, elderly parents or other loved ones.

Engender believes that reductions in poverty have stalled because child poverty issues are rarely gendered- 'families' and 'parents' are inherently gendered notions incorporating gendered cultural and social norms. Without acknowledging the relationship between child poverty and gender inequality brought about by the lack of value given to women's social and reproductive role, strategies for change are undermined.

What is needed? A child poverty strategy that recognizes the well being of the mother is crucial and understands that women's earnings are fundamental to keeping families, and in turn children, out of poverty. There needs to be:

• Action to address the inadequacy of benefit levels for those out of work
• A high profile, national, campaign to maximise the uptake of all welfare entitlements and tax credits.
• More resources to ensure the effective enforcement of the National Minimum Wage.
• Relevant, high quality and paid training for all those who need it, whether in or out of work.
• A strategy to tackle labour market discrimination which prevents women and black and minority ethnic groups from progressing in the labour market and earning a decent income
• The removal of the childcare barrier to work by setting out a strategy toward a universal approach to providing childcare free at the point of delivery.

We would like to work with Together and their members to hold workshops on child poverty and its relation to gender inequality. If you are interested in taking part or would like further information please email Rosaria Votta at Engender.