Tag Archives: austerity

ACTION: Please respond to the Government’s call for evidence for the Equality Duty Review

From an email from the NEWomen’s Network:

“The call for evidence below is very important and may be our only chance to ensure that the Equality Duty Review panel takes into account the importance of having the Duty in place.  While not claiming that the Duty is perfect we would like to position it as something which has the potential to be improved and therefore even more effective. If you have used the Equality Duty and have evidence, then please do respond.

NEWomen’s Network are also co-ordinating a response – if you have any evidence please register here – NO LATER THAN 6 PM ON THURSDAY 18TH APRIL

The Government has announced a call for evidence for the Equality Duty Review. Please see below (details can be found here – https://www.gov.uk/government/policy-advisory-groups/123?). CLOSING DATE FOR SUBMISSIONS IS THE 19 APRIL.

Call for evidence

The review is particularly focusing on the following key themes:

  • how well understood is the PSED and guidance
  • what are the costs and benefits of the PSED
  • how organisations are managing legal risk and ensuring compliance with the PSED
  • what changes, if any, would ensure better equality outcomes (legislative, administrative and/or enforcement changes, for example).

The Chair of the steering group is particularly interested in looking at equalities paperwork and policies related to PSED (particularly in relation to public sector procurement processes) and the collection, retention and use of diversity data by public bodies, for example, in relation to goods, facilities and services.

If you have evidence about how the PSED works that relate to any or all of the above points, please submit this to the PSED review team by Friday 19 April-

They will only be able to consider information relating to the Duty’s operation, and will not be able to consider submissions which are not evidence-based. They will not be able to consider evidence submitted after this date. They would also welcome examples of documentation you are aware of relating to the PSED, for example equality impact assessments, procurement forms, diversity data forms, guidance and toolkits.

They expect this combined review to be done by June 2013.

ACTION: Call for evidence – the impact of austerity measures upon women in the North East of England

This call came through on email from the North East Women’s Network.

“IF YOU CAN PROVIDE ANY EVIDENCE,  PLEASE REGISTER AN INITIAL RESPONSE BY NOON ON WEDNESDAY 10TH APRIL HERE.

In October 2012 NEWomen’s Network published “Findings and Recommendations from Interim Case Study: The impact of austerity measures upon women in the North East of England”. NEWN is now in the process of updating the case study to inform  the  shadow report being submitted by Women’s Resource Centre to the to the   Convention for the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) examination in Geneva in July 2013.

If you have any stories data, information, case studies, research or any other forms of evidence (including stories  and testimonies of women themselves) about the impact of the welfare reforms and austerity measures upon:

  • The lives of women in the North East and their children, families and the community
  • Cuts to women’s community and voluntary organisation
  • Cuts to women’s only services

If you have any evidence at all please register your details  (it will only take a minute or so)  and one of the researchers will contact you to arrange to follow up it up.

NEWomen’s Network intends to deal with the issues that are at the heart of the current economic crisis and tackle the underlining causes of women’s inequality and CEDAW provides us with a framework with which to do this. CEDAW was established in 1979 and is often referred to as the Women’s International Billof Rights.   Unlike domestic UK and European legislation on gender discrimination and equal treatment, the Convention is solely concerned with the position of women rather than discrimination faced by both sexes (which would include discrimination against men). CEDAW places obligations on the countries that have agreed to the Convention, to eliminate discrimination against women in all its forms.

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PETITION: Iain Duncan Smith: Iain Duncan Smith to live on £53 a week.

£53 a week?

This petition calls for Iain Duncan Smith, the current Work and Pensions Secretary, to prove his claim of being able to live on £7.57 a day, or £53 a week.

On this morning’s Today Programme David Bennett, a market trader, said that after his housing benefit had been cut, he lives on £53 per week. The next interviewee was Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith, who was defending the changes. The interviewer then asked him if he could live on this amount. He replied: “If I had to, I would.”

This petition calls on Iain Duncan Smith to live on this budget for at least one year. This would help realise the conservative party`s current mantra that “We are all in this together”.

This would mean a 97% reduction in his current income, which is £1,581.02 a week or £225 a day after tax*.

Please join me.

Link: change.org.