Lynn CarvillWomen’s Resource and Development

Agency

Role of lobbyist

Women’s Sector interaction with political institutions

Women’s Manifestos

Budget 2010/11

‘The NI Economy: Women of the Edge’

Northern Ireland Women’s Budget Group

to enhance channels of communication between the women’s sector and government in Northern Ireland and bring a ‘gender perspective’ to discussions and decisions that happen in the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Three key tools are employed: ◦ Gender Focus ◦ Gender Agenda ◦ Women’s Sector Assembly Update.

Women’s ad hoc Policy Group◦ a group comprised of a wide range of organisations, individuals and trade unions

who are concerned to ensure that gender equality is protected and promoted in and through government policies.

Proactive work◦ Produce the Women’s Manifesto and meet with political parties

Reactive work◦ Respond to Programme for Government, Comprehensive Spending Reviews and

Budgets

‘Economic Independence’

Women are.....

◦ At greater risk of poverty

◦ More likely to be employed in low paid sectors, work part-time and be paid less than their male counterparts

◦ Primarily responsible for domestic work

◦ More likely to be reliant on means-tested benefits than men

‘Women and the Economy’

Women .....o will shoulder almost 75% of the cuts announced in the 2010

Emergency budgeto Are a greater risk of poverty throughout their liveso Have been largely invisible in the narrative around the economic

downturn

And.......

◦ Paid work is not an equal experience for women and men

◦ The labour market is highly segregated with women concentrated in low paid and part-time jobs.

Disseminating manifesto at Party Conferences

Meeting with Political Parties prior to party manifesto development

Producing ‘Political Party Commitments to Women’

Childcare Strategy and Early Years Strategy (SF, DUP, SDLP, UUP, All)

Flexible working and Leave entitlement (All, SDLP)

Mitigate against worst excesses of welfare reform for women (SF, SDLP and All – Alliance stipulate women)

Introduction of automatic payment pilot for Pension Credit (DUP, UUP)

Mandatory pay audits to eradicate the gender pay gap (SDLP and UUP)

2010 Emergency Budget and CSR

Coalition government delivered cut to social security and welfare services that will hit women hard, especially pregnant women, single mothers and single female pensioners

House of Commons research showed that of the £8billion changes to direct taxes and benefits to raise revenue......women would pay £5.8 billion to men’s £2.2 billion.

Fawcett Society brought a judicial review (govt had not undertaken an Equality Impact Assessment.

Women’s ad hoc Policy Group wrote to DFP and OFMdFM asking if all departments had been reminded that they must comply with equality duty requirements

50 hours of Assembly debate on NI Budget 2011 (234 pgs).......impact on women featured twice in 50 hours

Impact on lone parents (1), low income families (1), childcare and children (5)

“Women have never been in the same economic position as men and while the

recession and its aftermath are difficult for everyone, women are less well positioned

than men to weather the crisis both in relation to its immediate pressure and in

the longer term”

Coalition government determined 73% of the budget deficit would be met by spending cuts and 27% by increasing taxes

Women comprise 55.3% of benefit recipients in NI

Benefits and tax credits make up a larger share of women’s income (than men’s) as more women work part-time and are on lower wages

Welfare Reform proposals pose a serious assault to women’s economic autonomy and labour market participation.

2 major concerns about Universal Credit proposals

1.) UC will be paid into the bank account of one person in a household. Women’s economic autonomy will be eroded.

2.) UC will be calculated to incentivise work at a household level. 2nd earners (usually women) disincentivised to enter the labour market.

“.....because the reward is for the first earner into work, there is some (sic) second earners might choose to reduce or rebalance their hours of work more in line with their families needs. The government believes that any such risk of decreased work incentives for women in couples is justified.”

DWP EQIA Universal Credit 2011

All of this has led us to......... NI Women’s Budget Group

Meeting held in September 2011 to examine potential for establishing a Women’s Budget Group – what we need to do; who should be involved.

Meeting with Ailsa Makay (Scottish Women’s Budget Group)

Marilyn Waring visit on 24th/25th November

Implementation of proper budgetary mechanisms

Programme for Government

Economic Strategy

Welfare Reform

Rebalancing the NI Economy◦ Public to Private sector◦ Subsidised Corporation Tax

Questions

lynn.carvill@wrda.net