Latest publications

Engender response to the Scottish Labour Policy Forum consultation
Jan 30, 2025: The 2026 Holyrood Election is a chance for Scottish Labour to show meaningful commitment to women’s equality and for the party to be bold in creating a manifesto that will improve their lives materially. We ask that Scottish Labour ensure that their proposed policies recognise and actively address the deep fault lines of intersectional gender equality, which are alive and well in Scotland.
Date of publication: January 2025.
womensrights politics health abortion poverty costofliving
Engender Annual Report 2023-2024
Jan 14, 2025: This annual report sets out the work that Engender has been doing over 2023-24 to ensure that women's equality remains at the heart of policy-making in Scotland.
This annual report contains a welcome from Engender's convener Lucy Mulvagh and provides updates on all areas of work, staffing, governance and finances.
Date of publication: January 2024.
annualreport womensrights abortion engendernews
Primary Prevention and Public Policy Spotlight: Housing
Dec 17, 2024: This mini-briefing sets out the steps to achieving a primary prevention approach in housing, and highlights wensuring women’s access to safe, secure and quality housing is essential for advancing women’s equality and preventing VAWG once and for all.
Applying a primary prevention approach requires policymakers to actively address gender inequality and promote women’s safety in all areas of public policy, including housing
Date of publication: December 2024.
housing womensrights des vawg socialsecurity homelessness
Engender Response to Scottish Government Consultation on Proposal to Allow Proxy Voting for Councillors
Dec 13, 2024: The Scottish Government recently carried out a consultation on allowing proxy voting for local councillors. Women remain underrepresented in local politics at just 35% of councillors in Scotland. Introducing more flexible ways of working - like proxy voting - is essential to ensure more diverse participation in local politics.
equalrepresentation womensrights politics
Engender Parliamentary Briefing: The Scottish Government Budget 2025-26
Dec 10, 2024: This is a briefing sent to MSPs ahead of the publication of the Scottish Budget 2025-26. The Scottish Budget 2025-26 is an opportunity for the Scottish Government to commit to securing women’s rights, especially for women most impacted by poverty and other forms of marginalisation. Women and men have different access to power, resources, and safety. Budgets are not neutral; they have the power to reinforce or address intersectional gender inequality.
Date of publication: December 2024.
genderbudgeting womensrights economy
Engender Parliamentary Briefing: Empowering Young People’s Voices in Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls
Dec 5, 2024: This is a briefing sent to MSPs ahead of the Scottish Government debate on ‘Empowering Young People’s Voices in Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls’ as a chance to highlight our work on primary prevention. Girls and women across Scotland continue to experience violence at endemic levels. The 16 Days campaign is a reminder that gender-based violence must not be an inevitable part of growing up in Scotland. A Scotland free from violence and abuse is possible. The only way to achieve this is to fund prevention work that stops this violence before it gets the chance to occur by tackling the root cause: gender inequality. We ask MSPs to call on the Scottish Government to invest in primary prevention of VAWG.
Date of publication: December 2024.
vawg primaryprevention youngwomen
Primary Prevention and Public Policy Spotlight: Public Transport
Nov 14, 2024: Primary prevention of VAWG aims to stop this violence before it occurs by tackling its root cause: gender inequality. Applying a primary prevention approach requires policymakers to actively address gender inequality and promote women’s safety in all areas of public policy, including transport.
This mini-briefing sets out the steps to achieving a primary prevention approach in public transport, and highlights why safe and accessible public transport is key to gender equality and preventing violence against women.
Date of publication: November 2024.
publictransport vawg primaryprevention womensrights
Engender Parliamentary Briefing: The Women’s Health Plan 2021- 2024 – Progress and Next Steps
Nov 12, 2024: This is a briefing sent to MSPs ahead of the Scottish Government debate on the Women's Health Plan 2021-2024 Progress and Next Steps. The Scottish Government’s Women’s Health Plan 2021-24 is an important first step toward improving women’s health and well-being in Scotland. Engender welcomes the opportunity to reflect on the progress made so far and looks forward to learning more about the Scottish Government’s next steps in this vital work.
We urge MSPs from across the chamber to build on the work delivered by the Women’s Health Plan 2021-24 and to ensure longer-term action is taken to actively tackle the ways in which women are being disadvantaged within health systems.
Date of publication: November 2024.
health womensrights covid19
Invitation to Tender, Development of Engender’s Strategic Plan 2025-2030
Nov 5, 2024: We are seeking a consultant(s) to work with us to deliver a strategic review and planning process that will result in the?development of Engender’s next Strategic Plan 2025-2030. Find all the details and apply here.

Engender briefing on the public sector equality duty
Oct 23, 2024: We are calling on the Scottish Government to revisit proposals on PSED reform, to expand
the duties so that outcomes for people with protected characteristics are improved.
The public sector equality duty is currently not fit for purpose in bringing equality concerns
to the heart of public sector work. Nor are public bodies adequately supported to improve
outcomes for people with protected characteristics and to fulfil their obligations under the
law. Alongside sector colleagues we have advocated for reform for many years.
Downloads
Engender briefing on the public sector equality duty We are calling on the Scottish Government to revisit proposals on PSED reform, to expand the duties so that outcomes for people with protected characteristics are improved.
Engender briefing on the public sector equality duty
We are calling on the Scottish Government to revisit proposals on PSED reform, to expand
the duties so that outcomes for people with protected characteristics are improved.
Engender response to the Scottish Government consultation on A Human Rights Bill for Scotland
Engender welcomes the opportunity to respond to the Scottish Government’s consultation on a Human Rights Bill for Scotland.
In this section
- Latest publications
- Equal Media & Culture Centre
- Care
- Education and training
- The labour market
- Health
- Abortion and reproductive healthcare
- Women's representation
- Public space
- Social Security
- Violence against women
- -- Primary Prevention
- Women's rights
- Our economy

Newsletter
Sign up to receive our newsletter here:
Sign up to our mailing list
Receive key feminist updates direct to your inbox: