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.
AGORA Summer School 2015
The Agora Summer School organised by the European Women’s Lobby saw 50 young feminists from across Europe come together for four days of networking, skill sharing and discussion. I was lucky enough to be one of the participants from Scotland, so here’s a brief rundown of what happened.
Guest Post: A Citizen’s Income for Scotland?
Guest Post by Annie Miller, Chair of the Citizens' Income Trust
In this post Annie talks about why we need a Citizen's Income, and how it could work in Scotland.
The Citizen’s Income Trust is a think-tank with the object of educating the public about the desirability and feasibility of a Citizen’s Income or Basic Income. A Citizen's Income is like a Child Benefit, but for everyone. It is based on the individual, (not the couple or household), is universal for everyone with the legal right to residency in the country, and is not means-tested. It is unconditional and non-selective.
Women lose in Summer Budget 2015
Wednesday’s
budget made for extremely grim listening and reading. Low-income women and
their children will be pushed into poverty at the expense of increased spending
on defence and tax breaks for the affluent. Women were always going to be
penalised by this budget, not least because of the well-trailed £12 billion
worth of cuts to the ‘welfare’ budget, but some of the detail and framing
language is even worse than predicted.
Our recent report sets out why gender inequality has risen as the result of welfare reform. Women’s caring roles and low-paid jobs mean that different groups of women are particularly impacted by austerity measures. Summer Budget 2015 is no different. The House of Commons Library has already issued analysis estimating that 70% of the £34bn pounds of savings to be made by 2020/21 will come from women’s pockets. As HMT has not published an Equality Statement alongside its budget, outlining how different groups will be affected by its spending choices, we can only assume that it does not care that this will undermine gender equality, and increase women’s and children’s poverty.
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.
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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.
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