Women’s representation

Before the Ballot - Why Candidate Assessment is a crucial step on the journey to more equal representation in politics

Blog – Mar 26, 2024: With partners in the Equal Representation Coalition, Engender is launching a brand new chapter of the Equal Representation in Politics Toolkit focusing on Candidate Assessment.

Engender Response to the Scottish Parliament Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee Call for Views on the Scottish Elections (Representation and Reform) Bill

Mar 13, 2024: It is vital that our democratic bodies represent the full breadth of Scottish society and that decision-making reflects the diverse needs and experiences of Scotland’s communities. We want to work with the Committee to ensure the Bill is as strong as possible in furthering women and other marginalised group’s political participation and representation. However, we would like to raise our concerns about the limited nature of some specific provisions in the Bill and ask the Committee to consider further action that can be taken to progress equal representation in Scottish
politics.

Date of publication: March 2024

Engender Parliamentary Briefing International Women’s Day 2024 - #InspireInclusion

Mar 7, 2024: Ahead of this year’s Scottish Government International Women’s Day debate, we ask all MSPs to #InspireInclusion by highlighting the action still required to achieve equal representation for women and all marginalised people in public, cultural and political life. In the majority of spaces where decisions are made, men remain dominant while women are excluded, and as a result, sexism is perpetuated across public life.

An Overview of VAWG and the Role of Public Policy in Scotland in Prevention

Nov 28, 2023: This briefing paper examines the prevalence of VAWG and gender inequality in Scotland and highlights the urgent need for integration of a primary prevention approach within the Scottish policy landscape. VAWG is not only a justice or equalities policy issue, but one that all policymakers – regardless of their area of work – must play a role in preventing and ultimately eradicating.

Date of publication: November 2023

Walking Away: Why Women Are Leaving Their Positions As Councillors

Sep 27, 2023: An exploration of key factors turning women off from local politics.

Date of publication: September 2022.

Making Local Politics Work for Women: The experiences of women local councillors and their reasons for not seeking re-election

Sep 27, 2023: A student research report on retention rates of women councillors, including insights from interviews with women councillors who stepped down in 2022.

Date of publication: September 2022.

Reading into the News: A Review of Gender Representations of Politicians in the May 2022 Elections in the Scottish News

Sep 27, 2023: This research critically examines women politicians’ representations in the May 2022 election news.

Date of publication: September 2022.

What Women Want (from their Elected Representatives)

Sep 27, 2023: A quick “how-to” guide helping local councillors ensure the needs and concerns of women are central to local decision making.

Date of publication: September 2023.

Making It Happen For 2027: Transforming Local Democracy For Women

Sep 27, 2023: This leaflet contains recommendations for those in power on what can be done to achieve gender-equal representation in local politics.

Date of publication: September 2022.

GUEST POST: Do we need diversity quotas in film?

Blog – Aug 9, 2023

Where are the women? Nearly 500 women are ‘missing’ from key positions of power in Scotland

Blog – Jul 18, 2023

Apply now for our Board Pioneer Programme

Blog – Jun 22, 2023

Cost of Living Crisis: The hidden cost of politics

Blog – Apr 27, 2023

Engender response to the Scottish Government Consultation on Electoral Reform

Mar 15, 2023: Engender weclomes this opportunity to respond to the Scottish Government consultation on electoral reform. Everyone should have the right to participate in elections fairly and freely. We’re clear that this also means that at the same time as expanding rights, we need to increase support and protection for those most likely to experience barriers to participation – including women, Black and minoritized people, disabled people and LGBTI people – to allow a diversity of voices to be included in decision-making and ensure the health of our democracy for all.

Date of publication: March 2023.

Making it Happen for 2027: Transforming Local Democracy for Women

Blog – Sep 26, 2022: “Making it Happen for 2027: Transforming Local Democracy for Women” is a call to action aimed at building a future where women's equal representation on councils is realised.

Engender Response to Committee inquiry into the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill

May 27, 2022: Our views in support of the proposed changes to the Gender Recognition Act remain unaltered. We have previously provided detailed feedback through consultation responses to the Scottish Government in 2020 and in coalition with several of our partners in the women’s rights sector in
2018.

We are responding to this consultation primarily due to the links that have been made in public debate, media and elsewhere, between reform of the application process for a Gender Recognition Certificate (GRCs) and women’s equality and rights. We will endeavour to address the Committee’s stated areas of interest in this response. However, beyond the potential intersection of GRCs and the realisation of women's equality and rights, we only have limited comments to make as many of the Bill's provisions and Committee's consultation interests relate to areas of law and policy that do not fall within our remit.

Date of Publication: May 2022

GUEST POST: Looking Deeper: Black and Minority Ethnic Women in the Scottish Parliament

Blog – May 13, 2022

GUEST POST: Who are the conversation starters in the Scottish Parliament when it comes to marginalised women?

Blog – May 11, 2022

GUEST POST: Which women are visible in the Scottish Parliament?

Blog – May 10, 2022

Why we need data to achieve equal representation in politics

Blog – May 5, 2022

GUEST POST: Women’s Representation in the Scottish Local Council Elections 2022: What We Know So Far

Blog – May 4, 2022

GUEST POST: Supporting women to stand for political office

Blog – May 3, 2022

GUEST POST: Why we need diverse representation now

Blog – Apr 27, 2022

GUEST POST: Young women's political representation

Blog – Apr 7, 2022

GUEST POST: Women and Local Council Elections in Scotland

Blog – Mar 23, 2022

Data & Equality in Politics

Blog – Mar 17, 2022: Engender’s Equal Representation Development Officer Jessie Duncan is kicking us off with an introduction to some of the key issues around data and elections, and why gathering data is vital to achieving equal representation.

BAFTAs so...diverse?

Blog – Mar 15, 2022

Trapped: the call for a more flexible world

Blog – Mar 10, 2022

February 2022 - Policy Round Up

Blog – Mar 1, 2022

January 2022 - Policy Round Up

Blog – Feb 1, 2022

Engender Response to Scottish Government Data Improvement Proposal

Jan 21, 2022: At present women are underrepresented at all levels of politics. The current lack of robust, detailed and intersectional data on who our representatives are is a major barrier to progress in terms of gender parity in our political institutions at both local and national levels. Without this information it is very difficult to fully understand the cause of (and possible solutions to) the chronic underrepresentation of women - as well as other minoritized groups, including Black and minority ethnic people, LGBTI+ people and disabled people.

It is well established that increased diversity in politics has a positive impact on all aspects of public life. Diverse representation increases participation and engagement in the democratic process, and the inclusion of diverse voices enriches and enhances policy outcomes for us all. We therefore welcome the Scottish Government’s plan to collect data on the protected characteristics of candidates standing for election, in the hopes that the introduction of a framework for collecting this data will be a crucial step in addressing the persistent inequalities which exist within political representation in Scotland.

Date of publication: January 2022

Engender response to the Scottish Parliament Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee’s Call for Views on understanding barriers to participation in politics

Nov 18, 2021: Women are underrepresented at all levels of political decision-making, and this is most extreme at the local level where only 29% of councillors in Scotland are women. Vital decisions in many areas disproportionately impacting women’s lives are made by councils - for instance women are more likely to be employed in social care or education, and more likely to be users of public transport - however their voices are largely absent from these conversations.

Diverse representation improves democratic engagement, increases participation in elections, and enriches policy decision-making. In order to create better outcomes, it is vital that women are able to fully participate in local politics.

Date of publication: November 2021.

Engender and Close the Gap Joint briefing on the impact of Covid-19 on young women

Nov 12, 2021: This briefing looks at the impacts of Covid-19 on young women’s employment, financial security, and mental health in Scotland. It uses data from a joint survey on young women developed by Close the Gap, Engender, the UK Women’s Budget Group, Fawcett Society, Women’s Equality Network Wales, and Northern Ireland Women’s Budget Group.

This paper analyses survey data gathered from 501 young people aged 18 to 30 in Scotland and a booster sample of 266 Black and minority ethnic (BME) young people. Key findings reinforce evidence, gathered over the course of the pandemic, that young women have been particularly affected by rising financial precarity and anxiety as a result of the ongoing crisis. The findings also align with evidence from previous crises which indicates that economic downturns tend to have particularly detrimental effects on younger workers.

Date of publication: November 2021

Supporting Political Parties to achieve Equal Representation in Politics

Blog – Aug 12, 2021

Apply to our new Board Pioneer Programme

Blog – Jun 24, 2021: Engender is launching our new Board Pioneer Programme offering an opportunity to get involved in feminist governance and see how a board works. Find out more in this blog from our Communications & Admin Assistant Maxine.

GUEST POST: Sex, Relationships and Parenthood – A Network Supporting Young Women and Girls with a Learning Disability

Blog – May 20, 2021

GUEST POST: Exploring how local authorities use Equality Impact Assessments

Blog – May 5, 2021

A supplementary gender edit of parties running in 2021

Apr 28, 2021: Engender has published a Gender Edit of the Manifestos published by each of the 5 parties elected to the Scottish Parliament in 2016, each of which is running in at least every region. This can be found here: https://www.engender.org.uk/content/publications/A-Gender-Edit-of-Party-Manifestos-2021.pdf

This document is a supplementary gender edit of the manifestos (where published) of the 20 other parties running at the Scottish Parliament election in 2021. Given the number of parties running, we have summarised each party’s commitments as they relate to women and gender equality and Engender’s Manifesto themes in an alphabetical list below. We have however not included every commitment that could be thematically related where the party itself has not made some reference to women or gendered considerations.

Date of publication: April 2021

A Gender Edit of Party Manifesto 2021

Apr 28, 2021: Ahead of the Scottish Parliament elections on the 6th May 2021, political parties have published commitments in manifestos covering a broad range of devolved policy areas. This gender edit contains a list of commitments made that explicitly reference women’s equality, or which are directly associated with Engender’s asks in our Vision for a Feminist Recovery Manifesto.

While many other areas or commitments will be of great interest to women such as policies around rent, primary health care or climate change measures, for example, unless the party themselves has noted a specific commitment to advance women’s equality or rights we have not included them in this particular summary. Nor have we included commitments for which power and responsibility rests with Westminster or, in the main, those that take the form of broad statements expressing positive attitudes towards equality without a substantive commitment.

This gender edit covers each of the five parties elected in 2016. A supplementary document summarising the commitments of the other 20 parties running for election in 2021 can be found here: https://www.engender.org.uk/content/publications/A-Supplementary-Gender-Edit-of-Party-Manifestos-2021.pdf

Date of Publication: April 2021

GUEST POST: Racism - We reject #NotAll, We demand #NotAtAll

Blog – Apr 16, 2021

GUEST POST: Gender representation within Local Authorities

Blog – Apr 9, 2021

Engender response to the Scottish Government consultation on Adult Disability Payment

Apr 7, 2021: Engender welcomes this opportunity to comment on the Scottish Government’s draft regulations for the new Adult Disability Payment (ADP). We have been engaged on work around gender and social security since the 2010 programme of “welfare reform” and over that period we have sought to highlight the ways in which women and women’s equality, safety, access to resources and human rights are all affected by the design and delivery of social security.

Date of publication: April 2021.

GUEST POST: Women and decision-making in local authorities

Blog – Apr 5, 2021

Our Bodies Our Rights in Lockdown

Blog – Mar 23, 2021

Engender Parliamentary Briefing: Scottish Government Debate: International Women’s Day 2021: #ChooseToChallenge

Mar 3, 2021: Engender welcomes this opportunity to mark International Women’s Day 2021 with this briefing and the Parliament’s debate, which this year coincides with a year since the introduction of public health restrictions in the wake of Covid-19. This year’s theme ‘#ChooseToChallenge”, urges people to call out and challenge gender bias and inequality. Women’s inequality with men demands structural and targeted responses with the aim of disrupting women’s subordination and exclusion in policy, practice, and everyday life. This means understanding the reality of women’s lives, the specific barriers to equality women face, and how multiple forms of discrimination intersect with one another. There is a need to go further and faster to challenge sexism and inequality, unpaid and invisible labour, gender-based violence and harassment, and the undervaluation of women’s work.

Date of publication: March 2021.

Engender response to the Scottish Parliament Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee consultation on Code of Conduct changes to give effect to the recommendations of the Joint Working Group on Sexual Harassment and Sexist Behaviour

Feb 1, 2021: Engender is pleased to respond to the Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee consultation on Code of Conduct changes to give effect to the recommendations of the Joint Working Group on Sexual Harassment and Sexist Behaviour. We continue to support Parliament taking any step open to it to ensure that robust accountability and support systems are in place to prevent sexual harassment, support women who report sexist and sexual harassment, and enable widespread and lasting culture change to realise women’s right to participate fully in political and public life on equal terms with men.

Date of publication: February 2021.

GUEST POST: Food for thought

Blog – Oct 14, 2020

F-words: Language and gender in board games

Blog – Sep 1, 2020

F-words: Writing ourselves into existence

Blog – Aug 18, 2020

F-words: language's influence on body image

Blog – Aug 7, 2020

F-words: Words against stereotypes

Blog – Aug 4, 2020

GUEST POST: Decriminalisation of Abortion for a Modern Scotland

Blog – Jul 23, 2020

F-words: Language, power, and Blackness

Blog – Jul 22, 2020

GUEST POST: Being a Black Woman in Scotland: A Unique and Complex Experience

Blog – Jun 19, 2020

GUEST POST: Some thoughts on issues BAME women, including immigrants, face in the UK

Blog – Mar 13, 2020

Our Bodies Our Rights - speech from Christina McKelvie MSP

Blog – Mar 10, 2020

Sex and Power 2020

Jan 17, 2020: Sex and Power 2020 sets out the extent of men's over-representation in positions of power in Scotland.

Date of publication: January 2020

Gender Edit of General Election 2019 Manifestos

Dec 4, 2019: This document is a ‘gender edit’ of the manifestos published by political parties in the run up to the snap General Election on 12th December; it pulls out relevant commitments from the manifestos of each of the six largest political parties standing in the General Election in Scotland. The edit includes direct references to ‘women’, ‘sex’, ‘gender’ and ‘equality’, as well as manifesto commitments covering a wide range of policy areas and services of interest to women and which are highly relevant to women’s daily lives. This summary does not offer analysis or critique of policies and commitments.

Date of publication: December 2019.

#GE2019 - what's in it for women?

Blog – Nov 28, 2019

Engender Parliamentary Briefing: Charities, Scotland and Holyrood

Oct 30, 2019: This is a briefing ahead of the Scottish Parliament Member's Business Debate on Charities, Scotland and Holyrood on 30th October 2019. Scotland has a thriving and politically engaged women’s sector, comprising organisations that work both independently and collectively to call for substantive changes in policy and practice to advance women’s rights and equality. This briefing highlights just some of the major successes of our campaigning and advocacy work since the Scottish Parliament’s establishment.

Date of publication: October 2019.

Protecting Scotland's Future: Programme for Government 2019-2020

Blog – Sep 4, 2019

Engender response to the Scottish Government’s Consultation on Implementation of the Gender Representation on Public Boards (Scotland) Act 2018

Aug 6, 2019: This document is a response to the Scottish Government’s consultation on implementing the Gender Representation on Public Boards Act 2018. Engender has actively engaged with the Gender Representation on Public Boards Act (the Act) initially recommending as part of our Smith Commission engagement that powers be devolved to enable temporary special measures in Scotland to increase women’s representation. We continued to engage throughout the Bill process and remain strongly committed to the Act’s aspirations.

Date of publication: August 2019.

Guest Post: Exploring contraception as a feminist issue

Blog – Jul 24, 2019

Guest Post: Contraception information and consent - two sides of the same coin?

Blog – Jul 4, 2019

Guest Post: Hyper-sexualising queer women is a social injustice - it's time to change the narrative

Blog – Jun 26, 2019

Guest Post: Why contraception needs a Me Too moment

Blog – Jun 21, 2019

Menopause Matters: Share your experience in our survey

Blog – Jun 12, 2019

Engender Response to the European Commission: Public consultation on Gender equality in the EU – current situation and priorities for future

Jun 4, 2019: This is an Engender response to the European Commission's public consultation to gather opinions of different actors of the current situation of gender equality in the EU and priorities for the next five years.

Date of publication: June 2019.

Engender response to the Scottish Government consultation on disability assistance in Scotland

Jun 3, 2019: Engender has been engaged on work around gender and social security since the 2010 programme of Welfare reform and over that period we have sought to highlight the ways in women, who are twice as likely to rely on social security for their income, have been systemically and grotesquely disadvantaged by reforms.

We therefore welcome this opportunity to respond to the Scottish Government’s consultation on the future of devolved disability assistance within Social Security Scotland. In the UK, women are a small majority of disabled people and, as a group, disabled women are amongst the very hardest hit by welfare reform.

Date of publication: June 2019.

Scotland & the European Elections: What's in it for women?

May 17, 2019: This document contains a summary of commitments made in Scottish party manifestos for the 2019 European Elections that are relevant to Engender's work in advancing and enabling women's equality.

Date of publication: May 2019.

Engender note on Equally Safe: A consultation on legislation to improve forensic medical services for victims of rape and sexual assault

May 8, 2019: This is a note contributing to the Scottish Government’s Consultation on legislation to improve forensic medical services for victims of rape and sexual assault. As a policy and advocacy organisation, Engender works to secure women’s rights and we are ambitious in our aspiration to see a gender-equal Scotland for all women and girls.

Engender works closely with our colleagues across the women’s sector including Scotland’s violence against women organisations. We face a shared task given that violence against women is a cause and consequence of women’s inequality, but we have specific areas of expertise and focus. We are therefore responding to this consultation only where we have additional evidence to share about the experience of disabled and learning disabled women. On the wider issue we are pleased to endorse the evidence and analysis of Rape Crisis Scotland.

Date of publication: May 2019.

Engender Parliamentary Briefing: Condemnation of Misogyny, Racism, Harassment and Sexism

Mar 28, 2019: 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.

Harassment and other forms of violence against women and girls (VAWG) are both a cause and a consequence of women’s inequality. Through our policy and advocacy work we have drawn attention to the multitude of ways in which women’s inequality persists in Scotland and without concerted action to address these, attitudes and actions which replicate sexism and create the conducive context for men’s violence will continue.

Date of publication: March 2019.

Women's sector letter to Joan McAlpine MSP

Blog – Mar 1, 2019

Engender Parliamentary Briefing: Census (Amendment) (Scotland) Bill Stage 1 Debate February 2019

Feb 28, 2019: Engender briefing ahead of the debate on the Census (Amendment) (Scotland) Bill. The following briefing highlights our support for the general principles of the Bill at Stage One as well as the emerging consensus around amending the language of ‘gender identity’.

Date of publication: February 2019

Proxy voting and making politics work for women

Blog – Feb 1, 2019

Gender Matters and #GenerationEqual: Shifting the needle on equality for women and girls

Blog – Feb 1, 2019

GUEST POST: On Faith and Feminism

Blog – Dec 19, 2018

GUEST POST: The Unwelcome Feminist

Blog – Dec 17, 2018

Guest post: Reflections on the Intersection Between Race and Gender in Public Life

Blog – Dec 3, 2018

Engender Response to the Scottish Government Consultation Protecting Children: Review of section 12 of the Children and Young Persons (Scotland) Act 1937 and section 42 of the Sexual Offences (Scotland) Act 2009

Nov 14, 2018: Engender welcomes this opportunity to respond to the Scottish Government’s consultation on proposed changes to section 12 of the Children and Young Persons (Scotland) Act 1937 and to outline some of our current research relevant to the potential impacts.

The question of a correct approach to a legislative response to emotional neglect is outwith the scope of our expertise. We are generally supportive of updating the current offence in section 12 in order to better reflect more modern understandings of emotional harm in line with the views of Scottish Women’s Aid. However, we believe that without careful scrutiny and drafting there may be unintended consequences for vulnerable parents.

Date of publication: November 2018.

Our bodies our rights - Identifying and removing barriers to disabled women's reproductive rights in Scotland

Nov 6, 2018: Since 2013, Engender has been working with disabled women and disabled people’s organisations on a project to discuss the key issues facing women and girls in Scotland, and to enable a deeper and richer conversation about reproductive rights.

This report summarises what women have told us about their experiences of reproductive, sexual and parental rights, and makes recommendations to the Scottish Government and other bodies. Throughout the report you will see quotes from women who took part in project activities.

Date of publication: November 2018.

Disabled women’s reproductive rights routinely ignored

Blog – Nov 6, 2018

Our Bodies, Our Rights Easy Read Report

Nov 6, 2018: This is an Easy Read version of our Disabled Women: Our Bodies, Our Rights Report.

Since 2013, Engender has been working with disabled women and disabled people’s organisations on a project to discuss the key issues facing women and girls in Scotland, and to enable a deeper and richer conversation about reproductive rights.

This report summarises what women have told us about their experiences of reproductive, sexual and parental rights, and makes recommendations to the Scottish Government and other bodies.

Date of publication: November 2018.

Our Bodies, Our Rights: Research Report

Nov 6, 2018: Disabled women’s lives and lived experiences have received limited policy attention in the UK, limited visibility, and limited inclusion in mainstream feminisms and feminist projects. Despite increasing movement towards intersectionality and intersectional agendas, disabled people have remained hidden in myriad ways.

As the accompanying policy report ‘Our Bodies, Our Rights: Identifying and removing barriers to disabled women’s reproductive rights in Scotland’ details, there is a lack of robust research examining the lived experiences of reproduction and reproductive rights of disabled women in Scotland.

Date of publication: November 2018.

Engender Gender Edit of the Scottish Government Programme for Government 2018-19

Oct 5, 2018: This document is a ‘gender edit’ guide to the Scottish Government Programme for Government 2018-19. It provides excerpts which refer directly to women and gender, but also captures sections on equalities and social justice where women and girls in Scotland would be directly impacted.

Date of publication: September 2018.

What's in it for women? Programme for Government 2018-19

Blog – Oct 5, 2018

Visibly Invisible: Our bodies, our voices, our rights

Blog – Aug 24, 2018

Visibly Invisible: Meet the superhumans

Blog – Aug 23, 2018

Visibly Invisible: We are not all the same

Blog – Aug 22, 2018

Visibly Invisible: Where are we at now?

Blog – Aug 21, 2018

Visibly Invisible: Cultural representations of women with disabilites in contemporary scottish and uk media

Blog – Aug 20, 2018

Disabled Women: Our Bodies Our Rights

Blog – Jul 11, 2018

Parliamentary Briefing: Sexual Harassment and Inappropriate Conduct in the Scottish Parliament

Jun 13, 2018: Engender has drafted a briefing for tomorrow’s parliamentary debate on the report by Standard, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee into sexual harassment and inappropriate conduct. In our briefing, we outline our support for certain measures recommended by the Committee, as well as share further action which could be taken to prevent, appropriately investigate, and sanction sexual harassment and inappropriate conduct.

Engender Response to the Scottish Government Consultation on Electoral Reform

Mar 29, 2018: In December 2017, the Scottish Government launched its consultation on electoral reform. Among its many questions on the future of elections in Scotland, the Scottish Government has focused on possible reforms to anonymous voter registration as well as to improving gender balance in elected office.

Equal representation across politics and public life is a key issue within feminist agendas, and Engender has long advocated for women’s increased representation in both political and public life.

Date of publication: March 2018.

Engender joins equalities organisations to launch tool to improve political representation

Blog – Mar 15, 2018

Scottish Women's Sector Response to the Scottish Government Consultation on Proposed Changes to the Gender Recognition Act

Mar 7, 2018: This is a joint response from national women's equality organisations Close the Gap, Engender, Equate Scotland, Rape Crisis Scotland, Scottish Women's Aid and Zero Tolerance to the Scottish Government's consultation on proposed changes to the Gender Recognition Act (2004).

In it, we express broad support for the Scottish Government proposals, confirm our view that the proposals won't undermine the safety and dignity of women accessing women-only services, and make some detailed recommendations around next steps

There will be an event on May 22nd at which all are welcome to come and discuss this consultation response. You can find out more information and book on our events page.

Date of publication: March 2018.

Frequently Asked Questions: Women’s Equality and the Gender Recognition Act

Jan 29, 2018: Engender, along with Scottish Women's Aid, Rape Crisis Scotland, Zero Tolerance, Equate Scotland, Close the Gap and the Women 5050 Campaign, have produced a document with frequently asked questions about women's equality and the Gender Recognition Act.

Date of publication: January 2018.

Gender equality and the Sustainable Development Goals

Blog – Dec 14, 2017

Engender Parliamentary Briefing: Gender Balanced Boards Stage 1 Debate November 2017

Dec 6, 2017: Engender briefing on the debate on the Gender Representation on Public Boards (Scotland) Bill. The following briefing highlights why the Bill, and further amendments, are needed to strengthen women's representation on public boards in Scotland.

Date of publication: November 2017.

Scottish Labour Party Leadership Election Q&A

Blog – Nov 10, 2017

Disabled Women's Reproductive Journeys

Blog – Oct 12, 2017

Engender Submission to the Scottish Parliament Equality and Human Rights Committee Call for Evidence on the Draft Gender Representation on Public Boards (Scotland) Bill

Sep 6, 2017: Engender welcomes the opportunity to respond to the call for evidence on the draft Gender Representation on Public Boards (Scotland) Bill.

As highlighted by Engender in its response to the call for written evidence on gender balancing measures on public boards in Scotland in 2014, policy changes are needed to tackle gender inequality across the public sector; to break down the barriers to women’s equal participation in public life; and to eliminate gender imbalance in leadership, authority and decision-making across public, political, social and cultural institutions.

Date of publication: September 2017.

Gender Matters in Disability Easy Read Briefing

Sep 1, 2017: Women’s issues are often overlooked by the disability movement. Disability issues are not at the centre of the women’s movement. How then, do disabled women get their issues raised?

Engender and Inclusion Scotland have been working together and with other partners to identify the particular issues of concern to disabled women in Scotland and how these could be addressed.

Date of publication: September 2017.

Gender Matters in Disability Briefing

Sep 1, 2017: Women’s issues are often overlooked by the disability movement. Disability issues are not at the centre of the women’s movement. How then, do disabled women get their issues raised?

Engender and Inclusion Scotland have been working together and with other partners to identify the particular issues of concern to disabled women in Scotland and how these could be addressed.

Date of publication: September 2017.

Guest Post: #GE17 - Lorna Slater, Scottish Green Party

Blog – Jun 7, 2017

Guest Post: #GE17 - Nighet Nasim Riaz, Scottish National Party

Blog – Jun 1, 2017

Guest Post: #GE17 - Pam Duncan-Glancy, Scottish Labour

Blog – May 30, 2017

Guest Post: #GE17 - Kirstein Rummery, Women's Equality Party

Blog – May 25, 2017

Engender joins equalities organisations working together to improve political representation

Blog – May 23, 2017

#ScotSocialSecurity and why we need gender-balanced experience panels

Blog – Apr 11, 2017

Sex and Power in Scotland 2017

Mar 6, 2017: This report sets out the extent of men’s over-representation in positions of authority and influence in Scotland. In 2017, women still have unequal access to power, decision-making and participation throughout all areas of public life, with men holding 73% of the 3029 positions of power and authority identified.

Date of publication: March 2017.

Sex & Power in Scotland

Blog – Mar 4, 2017

What do women want from local councils?

Blog – Feb 28, 2017

Engender Submission to the UK Government Women and Equalities Committee Inquiry on Women in the House of Commons After the 2020 Election

Nov 16, 2016: Engender welcomes the opportunity to respond to this inquiry on women’s representation in the House of Commons. Women have unequal access to power, decision-making and participation across all areas of public life in the UK. This is the case in the House of Commons, where men’s over-representation still stands at 70%, and throughout the political pipelines that lead to elected office nationally. This means that women are not able to participate fully in society and to exercise equal citizenship in the UK.

Date of publication: November 2016.

Engender Submission to the UK Government Women and Equalities Committee Inquiry on Women in the House of Commons after the 2020 Election

Nov 16, 2016: Engender welcomes the opportunity to respond to this inquiry on women’s representation in the House of Commons. Women have unequal access to power, decision-making and participation across all areas of public life in the UK. This is the case in the House of Commons, where men’s over-representation still stands at 70%, and throughout the political pipelines that lead to elected office nationally. This means that women are not able to participate fully in society and to exercise equal citizenship in the UK.

...

Whilst measures to erode the structural barriers that prevent women from entering into public office and to support women as candidates are also vital, these are simply not enough. If gender parity in our democratic institutions and gender equality more broadly are genuine political goals in the UK, then we must start moving towards a system of legal quotas to reduce men’s over-representation across public life.

Date of publication: November 2016.

Women-only leadership: progressive or discriminatory?

Blog – Oct 24, 2016

5 things you should know about the Fairer Scotland Action Plan

Blog – Oct 7, 2016

A Gender Edit of A Plan for Scotland: The Government's Programme for Scotland 2016-17

Sep 8, 2016: This document is a ‘gender edit’ guide to the Scottish Government’s Programme for Government 2016-17. It includes all extracts that refer directly to women and gender, and selected text on issues where there are clear implications for women and girls in Scotland, such as social security and unpaid care. The Programme for Government confirms the Scottish Government’s legislative programme for the opening year of the parliamentary term and it is worth noting that many of the policy and funding commitments set out are not new announcements.

Date of publication: September 2016.

Shared Statement of Ambition on Social Care launched

Blog – Jul 27, 2016

Guest Post: Will 2016 be a high point for women’s representation at Holyrood?

Blog – May 5, 2016

Everything you need to know about the gender commitments in the Holyrood 2016 manifestos

Blog – May 2, 2016

A Gender Edit of Major Party Manifestos for Holyrood 2016

Apr 30, 2016: A gender edit of all of the five main party manifestos, which pulls out commitments on issues relating to women's equality.

Date of publication: April 2016.

A Gender Edit of Supplementary Party Manifestos for Holyrood 2016

Apr 30, 2016: A gender edit of the Women's Equality Party, RISE, and UKIP manifestos for the 2016 Holyrood elections.

Date of publication: April 2016.

Where does Scotland stand on women's equality?

Blog – Apr 28, 2016

Guest Post: 2016 - A new opportunity for Scotland

Blog – Apr 7, 2016

Equal Voice, Equal Power: the case for gender quotas in Scotland

Blog – Mar 16, 2016

Equal Voice, Equal Power: The Case for Gender Quotas in Scotland

Mar 16, 2016: Women have unequal access to power, decision-making and participation throughout all areas of public life in Scotland. In order to participate fully in society and to exercise equal citizenship, women must be able to contribute across the spectrum of civic life. Evidence from around the world shows that increased representation for women in politics has a positive impact on both gender equality issues and social policy more broadly. Gender balance in parliament, local government and around decision-making tables influences both the focus and outcomes of discussions.

This report sets out the case for gender quotas in Scotland; looking at international examples, analysing the current gender balancing mechanisms at play in Scotland, debunking some commonly held myths about quotas, and making recommendations to the Scottish Government and political parties.

Date of publication: March 2016.

Engender joins call for political parties to support equal representation measures

Blog – Mar 16, 2016

Guest Post: I care about……

Blog – Mar 4, 2016

Guest Post: Social Care and Gender Equality: Independent Living in Scotland’s Dialogue on the Future Funding of Social Care

Blog – Mar 2, 2016

Guest Post: Gender Inequality in Old Age

Blog – Mar 1, 2016

Engender Calls for a Gender Equality in Business Scheme to promote women’s equality in the workplace

Blog – Feb 19, 2016

Gender Matters in Media and Culture

Blog – Feb 16, 2016

Time to drive gender equality home with robust legislation

Blog – Feb 8, 2016

We need a #GenderEqualityBill because...

Blog – Feb 5, 2016

Engender Response to the Scottish Government Consultation on Civil Partnerships

Dec 18, 2015: Engender supports the retention and extension of civil partnerships in Scotland. Fundamentally this is an equality issue, for which there is clear demand from non-LGBTI and LGBTI people alike. Equality before the law, irrespective of sex, gender or sexual orientation is a vital baseline against which further progress towards LGBTI and gender equality can be made. As such, equal civil partnership is a matter of concern for Engender and our membership. We work towards equality for all women and men in Scotland and we take an intersectional approach to our advocacy for gender equality.

Date of publication: December 2015.

Engender Response to the Scottish Government Consultation on the Introduction of Diversity Succession Planning for Board Appointments and the Lowering of the Threshold for Publishing Gender Pay Gap and Equal Pay Statements

Nov 30, 2015: Engender's response to the Scottish Government consultation on the introduction of diversity succession planning for board appointments and the lowering of the threshold for publishing gender pay gap and equal pay statements.

Date of publication: November 2015.

5 Things You Should Know About The Scotland Bill

Blog – Nov 27, 2015

Scottish Green Party Elections - Female Co-Convener Q&A

Blog – Nov 25, 2015

Gender Matters Manifesto: Twenty for 2016

Oct 10, 2015: This manifesto sets out measures that, with political will, can be taken over the next parliamentary term in pursuit of these goals. The 2016 Scottish Parliament elections present an opportunity for political parties to show leadership on gender equality and take the bold action that is needed to truly address intractable problems like endemic violence against women, our unjust and unsustainable economy, social insecurity for women and multiple discrimination.

This manifesto is the result of consultation with women and equalities organisations across Scotland.

Date of publication: October 2015.

Gender Matters: Twenty for 2016

Blog – Oct 10, 2015

Guest Post: Scotland, a fairer and healthier nation?

Blog – Sep 22, 2015

Engender Submission to the Equal Opportunities Committee Inquiry on Race, Ethnicity and Employment

Jul 16, 2015: Engender's submission to the Equal Opportunities Committee inquiry on race, ethnicity and employment. Women’s disadvantage within the labour market is a key manifestation of gender inequality. Within this, women from black and minority ethnic (BME) communities face particular discrimination and challenges in accessing paid work.

Date of publication: July 2015.

Guest Post: To succeed we must achieve equality

Blog – Apr 27, 2015

Guest Post: A politics by and for women

Blog – Apr 24, 2015

Guest Post: “Leanne Wood, I would!” (Helpful Twitter Guy, 2015)

Blog – Apr 16, 2015

Cracks in the Glass Ceiling or Just a Trick of the Light? New Report on Women on Boards

Blog – Feb 26, 2015

Scottish Labour Party Leadership Q&A with Engender November 2014

Nov 21, 2014: Candidates for the leader and deputy leader of the Scottish Labour Party answer questions on gender equality.

Date of publication: November 2014

Scottish Labour leadership contest: Q&A with Engender

Blog – Nov 20, 2014

Guest Post: Trans and intersex equality voice grows louder as largest conference in Scotland is held

Blog – Nov 6, 2014

Guest blog: Indyref, women and politics (Indyref Thursday #5)

Blog – Aug 21, 2014

Scotland's Futures: Women, Politics and Power

Aug 20, 2014: This briefing is part of a series that sets out how power and responsibility to tackle critical gender equality issues are divided between Holyrood and Westminster. It is part of Engender’s contribution to the independence referendum debate.

Date of publication: August 2014

Engender Parliamentary Briefing: Increasing Opportunities for Women Debate 2014

Aug 20, 2014: A briefing paper for MSPs in advance of the Scottish Government debate on increasing opportunities for women in the Scottish Parliament on 20 August 2014.

Date of publication: August 2014.

Engender Repsonse to the Scottish Government Consultation on the Introduction of Gender Quotas on Public Sector Boards

Jul 4, 2014: Engender's response to the Scottish Government's consultation on gender quotas on public sector boards.

Date of publication: July 2014.

Scottish Labour's 'red paper'

Blog – Mar 28, 2014

We celebrated IWD by talking about women's equality & Scotland's futures

Blog – Mar 18, 2014

Women in Scotland: Facts and Stats 2012 Calendar

Mar 5, 2014: Women in Scotland calendar 2012: monthly facts and stats on women's inequality.

Date of publication: January 2012.

Quotas in the Scottish Parliament: Festival of Politics Briefing Paper

Mar 5, 2014: This briefing paper lays out Engender's position on parliamentary quotas. It was produced for the Festival of Politics, 2011.

Date of publication: July 2011.

Women Thinking Equality Series: Inequality of Access to NHS Services by Trans Women

Mar 5, 2014: This report is part of Engender's 'Women thinking equality' series on intersecting equalities issues. It outlines findings of participatory action research on the inequality of access to NHS services by trans women.

Date of publication: 2011.

Politics in Your Pocket Resource

Mar 5, 2014: A pocket guide to gender inequality across political life in Scotland.

Date of publication: 2010.

Women Thinking Equality Series: Disability

Mar 5, 2014: This briefing paper on gender and disability presents findings from Engender's 'Women Thinking Equality' project.

Date of publication: 2009.

Women Thinking Equality Series: Race

Mar 5, 2014: This briefing paper on gender and race presents findings from Engender's 'Women Thinking Equality' project.

Date of publication: 2009.

Women Thinking Equality Series: Sexual Orientation

Mar 5, 2014: This briefing paper on gender and sexual orientation presents findings from Engender's 'Women Thinking Equality' project.

Date of publication: 2009

Women Thinking Equality Series: Transgender

Mar 5, 2014: This briefing paper on gender and transgender presents findings from Engender's 'Women Thinking Equality' project.

Date of publication: 2009.

Gender Audit Series: Participation in Political & Public Life

Mar 5, 2014: A summary and discussion of the implications of data from the Gender Audit of Statistics [Breitenbach,E. and Wasoff, F. Scottish Executive Social Research 2007] relating to care and caring prepared by S. Macpherson, Engender Associate and E. Thomson.

Engender Response to the Christie Commission Consultation on the Future of Scotland’s Public Services

Mar 5, 2014: Engender's response to the Christie Commission on the future of Scotland's Public Services.

Date of publication: February 2011.

Engender Consultation on Scottish Labour Party at Holyrood

Mar 5, 2014: The following notes were compiled following an informal discussion session, which took place on 22 September, involving a group of Engender members and inspired by input via email from others who were unable to attend that evening.

Date of publication: September 2009.

Engender Response to the Government Equalities Office on Proposals for Extending the Provisions for Women-only Shortlists

Mar 5, 2014: Engender's response to the Government Equalities Office proposal on extending women-only shortlists.

Date of publication: October 2008.