The fight for equality between the sexes has been an uphill struggle for centuries, but overtime we have overcome some of the obstacles. For instance, women are now allowed to vote thanks to the suffragettes movement in the early 1900s. A majority of women work, whilst enjoying the freedom of the choice to bear children on their terms through the means of contraception and family planning options. Speaking of work, women are also now paid the same as men thanks to the Equality Pay Act 1970 and its replication in 2010. Women are also mostly protected in the workplace due to the implementation of the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 which protects men and women from harassment based on their marital status. This year alone, the Domestic Abuse Act has been made into law which now goes beyond criminal justice reforms alone, to cover the family courts, housing, and health.
Yet the fight continues.
Nowadays there isn’t a year that goes by without women bringing their abusers to court, or being attacked -in most cases, by men- which is broadcast across social media and our television screens.
The Harvey Weinstein scandal in October 2017 launched a wave of outrage through social media, using the hastag #metoo as women found solidarity with each other and called out their abusers. Marches were made with women both the woman on the street and celebrities came together to take a stand against the fear that victims face in not being believed. Harvey Weinstein was convicted, but there are others like him out there who abuse their position of power because they can. The list of female victims accusing former president Donald Trump has doubled during his term amongst his other infractions against the American people and their multiple communities.
In the past year though, there has been a surge of worry for the safety of women, particularly after the death of Sarah Everard. After walking home from a friend’s house, Sarah went missing and was eventually found dead in South London, in March 2021. Her death sparked a vigil in her honour and that of other women who are attacked whilst walking home on Clapham Common, on 13th March 2021. The outrage felt from the public was responded to by the Home Secretary, who has pledged to consider new laws regarding women’s safety against sexual harassment in public.
Safer Streets Merseyside
The Merseyside Police Commissioner Emily Spurrell wants to better understand the concerns of women across the region. In our parks, on public transport, walking home from a night out in the city centre – the survey aims to gain a greater understanding of how safe women and girls feel when going about their daily lives across Merseyside, by day and at night.
Therefore, she has launched this survey for women to express their experiences on how safe they feel.
The lived experiences collected through the survey will be used to inform the activities and projects the Police Commissioner runs, including how she bids for cash from a number of Home Office funds, including Safer Streets 3 and a new pot focused on improving women’s safety in the night time economy. The findings will help to ensure the funding is targeted in the most effective way.
The survey should take no longer than 10 minutes to complete and is open until Friday 9th July 2021.
Charities:
These charities are dedicated to protecting women in various situations from sexual harassment to domestic abuse:
- Tomorrow’s Women Wirral – a project designed to benefit all women 18+ in the community to make permanent, positive lifestyle changes. Criminalised women are frequently among the most vulnerable individuals in society, often suffering from abuse, substance misuse & mental health problems. It is for these reasons that the existence of supportive Women’s centres exist and are crucial to rehabilitation.
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WEB Merseyside – Set up by local women in 1993, WEB Merseyside (Women’s Enterprising Breakthrough) has grown from a small support network of local women into a vital community based organisation that supports women, men and children through a variety of issues which affect many people throughout their life.
- The Reading Womb – Funded by the Cheshire & Merseyside Women & Children’s Services Partnership, “The Reading Womb” is a 12 week programme, supporting women who are 12 weeks or more pregnant and struggling with their mental health.
- Women’s Sunshine Prescription Service – Enables women from a variety of backgrounds to come along to the centre and experience a safe, non-judgemental space in which to come together with other women, have fun and learn new skills.
- Early Help Support for Families – Where families are experiencing difficulties and are looking for some support, WEB can meet with family members, listen to their concerns and help to address those concerns by finding the appropriate help and support as quickly as possible.
- Koala NW – Exists to provide children and their families with tailored practical and emotional support that improves wellbeing, reduces isolation and supports both children and care-givers to thrive.
- Elsie’s Moon – After the death of their daughter Elsie, her parents set up Elsie’s Moon which aims to support families when pregnancy doesn’t follow the plan.
- Movement and Bloom – Pre and post-natal fitness for mums and mums-to-be
- Wirral Women and Children’s Aid – A 24 hour domestic abuse helpline, which can help with: safe refuge accommodation, Outreach, Cognitive Analytical Therapy, Adverse Childhood Experiences or ACEs programme, Outreach for children, advice and guidance about your options, and the Gateway programme either one to one or in a group setting
- Safety2Sisters – Works to support migrant women across the North West who have experienced gender-based violence and who have no recourse to public funds or state benefits.
- The Girls’ Network – Aims to inspire and empower girls aged 14-19 from the least advantaged communities by connecting them to a mentor and a network of professional role models who are women.
- Women’s Aid – Women’s Aid is a grassroots federation working together to provide life-saving services in England and build a future where domestic abuse is not tolerated.
Projects:
- G.I.R.L.S. – A self-development project designed for young women aged 13 – 19 yrs who are considered to be vulnerable and at risk. Over the past two years, G.I.R.L.S. has been successfully run with hundreds of young women from across Wirral.
- New Horizons – An innovative project offering support to those living in the Liverpool City Region who experience specific and multiple barriers accessing job search, training and education opportunities that enable them to compete effectively in the employment market. Through offering a person-centred approach our specialist advisers will offer advice, training and support that will the lives of of 3120 local residents enabling their movement into work, education or training.
Cheshire & Merseyside Women & Children’s Services Partnership Improving Maternal Mental Health VCSE Small Grants Programme
The CVS network across Cheshire & Merseyside ran this small grant programme. Community Action Wirral ran it for Wirral. In each area they established a Community of Practice that bring funded organisations together to share best practice and to look at ways in which they can work together to make a real difference in our communities.
Local charities successfully applied for this limited funding opportunity through the Cheshire and Merseyside Women & Children’s Services Partnership and its initiative to improve maternal mental health after Covid-19. The funding went on to support women and their families who were expecting a child or had recently given birth, who may have been affected by social isolation due to Covid-19.
The organisations who received funding have resources or training programmes available covering areas such as:
- Mental health / wellbeing peer support for women
- mental health / wellbeing peer support for partners
- Improved well-being by offering knowledge, advice and understanding of mental health
- Signposting and supported navigation into services
- Expansion of social networks to increase well being
Funding:
- The Eleanor Rathbone Charitable Trust – The Trust supports charities benefiting women, girls, young people and families, who are economically deprived or/and socially excluded
- The Women Thrive Fund – Delivered by Rosa and Smallwood Trust, the Women Thrive Fund is distributing grants of up to £40,000 to specialist women’s organisations across the UK. Organisations should be working to enable women and girls to improve their mental health and wellbeing and/or improve their financial resilience. The fund responds directly to what women’s and girls’ organisations have told us throughout the pandemic: that declining mental health, increased risk of emotional trauma and increased poverty levels are their biggest concerns for women and girls across the UK.
- The Feminist Review Trust – The Feminist Review Trust has announced that grants of up to £15,000 are available for projects both in the UK and internationally that further gender equality and end oppression.
- The Empowering Women Fund – The Empowering Women Fund, part of the Labyrinth Project, is a Tampon Tax funded grant scheme, led by Solace. It will provide funding to support small women’s groups and organisations to develop innovative ways of empowering women in their local area and build the capacity of small organisations. The fund is divided into two strands and grants can run for up to 12 months.
- The Tampon Tax Fund – The Tampon Tax Fund was introduced in response to VAT being imposed on sanitary products by the European Union, and following this round will have provided more than £90 million of funding supporting women and girls charities.
The battle of the sexes may still continue, but every step counts in the right for equality.
