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.

GUEST POST: Women and Local Council Elections in Scotland

A pink graphic that reads: Local councils are the democratically accountable voices of our local communities and it is therefore vital that we increase women’s representation to at least 50 percent – roughly in line with the proportion of women in our society.Today we're publishing the first in a series of blogs from the current student placements Engender is hosting from the University of Strathclyde Applied Gender Studies and Research Methods course. In this post, Rowan discusses women's representation in local councils, and will be researching about why some women that were previously elected are not re-standing in the local council elections in May 2022. You can read Rowan's second blog here.

When I decided to apply to the Applied Gender Studies masters at Strathclyde, the prospect of a research placement at Engender was a big factor in my decision. Naturally, I am now thrilled to be a part of this organisation’s research into the experiences of female local councillors in Scotland and the reasons behind some women’s decision to stand down in the May 2022 elections.

Data & Equality in Politics

Between now and the local elections on May 5th, we will be publishing a series of blogs from the Equal Representation Coalition. They’ll be taking a look at the state of equality in our politics at the moment, discussing their work in tackle barriers to participation, and will be exploring the crucial role that accurate data plays in achieving equal representation in our councils and parliaments and why we need more of it. Here, Engender’s Equal Representation Development Officer Jessie Duncan is kicking us off with an introduction to some of the key issues and why gathering data is vital to achieving equal representation.

Let’s make sure that this election is the moment that we recognise the pivotal role that data can play in reducing inequalities within our politics, and the need for a comprehensive approach to gathering it across all elections in Scotland.

BAFTAs so...diverse?

Awards season is upon us: the 2022 ceremony for the British Film and Television Awards (the BAFTAs) took place on the 13th of March, and the Academy Awards are coming up fast. As always, with awards-fever comes discussions of representation, and in this blog, Dr Miranda Barty-Taylor reflects on the changes we have seen to the BAFTA awards, and whether they are enough to bring about women's equality in the arts.

Best Actress has still only ever been won by white performers; demonstrating the multiple intersectional barriers facing women of colour in the film and television industry – not only in roles and jobs within the industry, but also in the perception of their performances as worthy of an award.

Trapped: the call for a more flexible world

Fran Macilvey is an Edinburgh-based author. Her memoir ‘Trapped’ tells the story of her life with cerebral palsy. She has also published two self-help books which she thinks of as ‘gleaning something valuable from forty years of making mistakes’ and has recently finished writing three novels about women’s experiences with the law.

In my quest to enjoy a full family life, I have met many sympathetic professionals. But as Engender’s report indicates, this is not so much due to good policy, as good luck.

Using the law to tackle misogyny

Engender’s Policy and Parliamentary Manager, Eilidh Dickson, has been a member of the Independent Working Group on Misogyny chaired by Baroness Helena Kennedy. Here she reflects on the final report released today: The graphic shows a light green background with bright green and dark green left-aligned text that reads "Misogyny constrains every aspect of women’s lives – from the decisions about what time or where we feel comfortable to go for walk in our own neighbourhoods, to the subjects we take at school because of peer pressure, teasing or worse if we break with gendered conventions.  Women in Scotland need a wholesale culture shift towards a society which values equality and where misogyny is no longer acceptable."

Misogyny constrains every aspect of women’s lives – from the decisions about what time or where we feel comfortable to go for walk in our own neighbourhoods, to the subjects we take at school because of peer pressure, teasing or worse if we break with gendered conventions. Women in Scotland need a wholesale culture shift towards a society which values equality and where misogyny is no longer acceptable. For a number of years Engender has been calling for a standalone criminal offence based on misogyny; using the law as one piece of the puzzle to making women safer in Scotland.

Joint Statement: Not In Our Name

A graphic with text that reads: "We must act - in Scotland - to use the powers we have to object in the strongest possible terms, to push back and stand with our fellow human beings through practical action, and to say loudly and clearly: not in our name." The hashtag #NotInOurName is positioned beneath the quoted text.

Engender joins other orgnisations dismayed at exclusion of equality and rights in Scottish Government’s Covid-19 inquiry

We urgently ask the Scottish Government to set out how it will correct this omission and ensure that the inquiry adopts an intersectional gender, equalities and human rights lens in order to understand and prevent future impacts for groups whose rights are most undermined.Today, we joined with 26 organisations working for equality and human rights in Scotland to write to John Swinney expressing our “dismay” and “deep concerns” following the publication of the Scottish Government’s Terms of Reference for a public inquiry into the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic in Scotland.

Engender Recommends 2021

The graphic shows a bright purple background with black and white left-aligned text that reads "2021 Engender Recommends". In the top right-hand corner of the graphic there is Engender's logo, which is an equals sign in a white circle. In the bottom right-hand corner of the graphic there is an icon of a microphone.

Delivering Equally Safe - how can we prevent violence against women?

Engender have been awarded funding from the Delivering Equally Safe fund of the Scottish Government, for work on primary prevention of violence against women. In this blog, we explain why this is so vital, and how those interested can complete our Invitation to Tender.

Women’s inequality is both a cause and consequence of violence against women, and therefore eradicating violence against women in Scotland will require us to tackle entrenched gender inequalities.

Emma Ritch awarded lifetime achievement award

Last night Engender's late Executive Director, Emma Ritch, was posthumously awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Scottish Public Services Award 2021. Nina Murray, the convener of Engender's board, accepted the award. Her speech honouring Emma is shared here.

Recruiting for Engender's Executive Director

Today we have launched the recruitment to find Engender’s new Executive Director.

Climate Change is a Feminist Issue

The graphic shows a bright teal background with black and white left-aligned text that reads "COP26 Climate Change is a Feminist Issue". In the bottom right-hand corner there is an icon of a megaphone.Over the next two weeks COP26 is taking place in Glasgow, where governments will negotiate actions and rules for addressing climate change.

We all know that climate change is a feminist issue, particularly because the effects are already being felt disproportionately by women and communities of colour across the world. If you want to find out more, Gal-dem’s new series ‘It’s Happening Now’, explores the effect of the climate crisis and campaigns for change to address its effects on marginalised communities in the UK and around the world. They are publishing a series of articles during, and beyond, COP26 which you can access here.

When Words Fail: The Way Institutions Talk about Sarah Everard Matters

[CN: violence against women, police violence] In this blog post, Gender Equal Media Scotland's Development Officer, Dr. Miranda Barty-Taylor, discusses the language used by institutions in the wake of the Sarah Everard case and trial, and the epidemic of violence against women and girls in the UK. This blog entry largely refers to UK institutions.

Dark green graphic with quote in white text reads: To indicate a degree of choice on Sarah’s part is to disregard the power dynamic which removed her agency altogether. It also assigns women the task of keeping themselves safe, which once again elides men’s role in their violence." Quote attributed to Miranda Barty-Taylor.

GUEST POST: Stand with the pro-choice voice across the US

Feminist across the world have continued to watch in horror as reproductive rights are under attack in the USA. In this blog, Jane Carnall, an activist with Abortion Rights Edinburgh sets out why we must act in solidarity with those seeking access to abortion in the states.

The individual right to get an abortion, to terminate an unwanted or unsafe pregnancy safely and legally and freely, is a right that should be protected by the state, as all human rights should be.

Downloads

Engender Briefing: Pension Credit Entitlement ChangesEngender 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 SexismEngender 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 CreditGender 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 2016Gender 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 WomenScottish 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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