Engender blog
All of Engender’s latest news. Reports, reviews, books, articles, and information from across Scotland’s women’s sector.
We would love to hear from other feminists around Scotland. Check out our guidelines for more information on how you can blog for us.
5 things you need to know about equality and today's Scotland Bill debate
With amendments to the Scotland Bill falling like leaves, it doesn't seem likely that any of the positive equality amendments being debated on Monday are likely to make it into the statute books.
The (too) rapid progress of the Bill through the House of Commons means that some of the detail is passing in a bit of a blur. By any forecast, the use of some of the powers that are being transferred will happen within what seem to be extraordinarily narrow parameters. As we see the constraints on the Scottish Parliament in action there are likely to be additional awkward questions about whether the new Scotland Act can really be said to have delivered on the spirit of some of the commitments outlined in the Smith Agreement.
We think there are five important things to note about women's equality and today's debate.
Write to End Violence Against Women Awards Now Open!
Engender is delighted to be joining with women’s charities, led by Zero Tolerance, and the National Union of Journalists Scotland on the 2015 Write to End Violence Against Women Awards.
The public are invited to submit good (and bad) writing for consideration through the Write to End Violence Against Women Awards website. The winners will be announced in December at the Scottish Parliament.
The media has a vital role in challenging a culture which supports violence. Journalists, editors and other media professionals have the choice aid public understanding of violence against women, or to fall back on stereotypes and sensationalism.The Scotland Bill or How Not To Do Devolution
The sunny and warm weather may have arrived in Scotland this week, but there is a definite chill emanating from Westminster. After a wide-ranging and imaginative national discussion on Scotland's constitutional future, the hastiness of the Smith Commission process has accelerated to warp speed as the Scotland Bill whizzes through its required stages en route to the statute book.
A gallimaufry like the Scotland Bill, which includes so many disparate and technical elements, can only be enhanced by the kind of scrutiny that it is guaranteed not to receive. So what five things do you need to know about the Bill?
There’s more to Scottish sectarianism than the dominant narrative of ‘men behaving badly’
By Emma Ritch.
This article first appeared in The National on May 26th 2015.
There's a strange tension at the heart of sectarianism in Scotland, in that we talk about it a great deal but actually know very little about it. It appears to sit at a particularly slippery intersection between race and sect, and takes on a different shape across geographical areas and class identities. Surprisingly, we have only had even a tentative definition for sectarianism in Scotland since 2013. This lack of clarity about what sectarianism is and how it functions to marginalise, exclude, and discriminate against individuals only becomes fuzzier when we throw gender into the mix.
Guest Post: Women’s Access to Employment Tribunal
Guest post by Jillian Merchant of Thompsons Solicitors
Sex discrimination, sexual harassment and the fight for equal pay are, sadly, still the reality of many working women’s lives.
Despite the Equal Pay Act being passed over 45 years ago the fight for equal pay goes on. Women are still paid almost 10% less than men on average if in full time work and over 19% for all types of employment.
RSSDownloads
Engender Briefing: Pension Credit Entitlement Changes
From 15 May 2019, new changes will be introduced which will require couples where one partner has reached state pension age and one has not (‘mixed age couples’) to claim universal credit (UC) instead of Pension Credit.
Engender Parliamentary Briefing: Condemnation of Misogyny, Racism, Harassment and Sexism
Engender welcomes this Scottish Parliament Debate on Condemnation of Misogyny, Racism, Harassment and Sexism and the opportunity to raise awareness of the ways in which women in Scotland’s inequality contributes to gender-based violence.
Gender Matters in Social Security: Individual Payments of Universal Credit
A paper calling on the Scottish Government to automatically split payments of Universal Credit between couples, once this power is devolved to the Scottish Parliament.
Gender Matters Manifesto: Twenty for 2016
This manifesto sets out measures that, with political will, can be taken over the next parliamentary term in pursuit of these goals.
Scottish NGO Briefing for UN Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women
Joint briefing paper for the UN Rapporteur on Violence Against Women.
Newsletter
Sign up to receive our newsletter here:
Sign up to our mailing list
Receive key feminist updates direct to your inbox:
