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The GenderWorks Toolkit is a practical,
two-part guide to help:
Womens groups campaign successfully on
issues of gender, poverty and social exclusion
and
Public bodies meet their obligations under
equalities legislation and tackle poverty among
women more effectively.
The GenderWorks Toolkit
Contents
Acknowledgements and Foreword 4
Toolkit credits plus how to order copies.
A GenderWorks training participant and member of the Saheli
Asian Womens Group explains why this toolkit is so useful.
Introduction 6
Why women?
A look at the links between gender and poverty,
and the need for women-only services.
Self-analysis 34
Exercises and case studies to help you think about your group and
how you can best achieve change.
Lobbying letters 48
Practical examples to help you communicate with a range of audiences.
Useful reading 59
A selection of training packs and lobbying kits to help you achieve change.
2
Public bodies meeting equalities obligations 63
A guide to gender mainstreaming 64
The theory behind the concept and the business case for adopting it.
Gender budgeting 76
The gender mainstreaming tool that give you bite.
Participation 84
Analysing how inclusive you are, and why involving users in
the design and development of services is so essential.
Conclusion 103
We are stronger together!
A look at the benefits of shared learning.
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The GenderWorks Toolkit
ledgements
Acknow
This toolkit was written and compiled by the GenderWorks would like to thank Adele Baumgardt,
GenderWorks team: Engender, Sandy Ruxton, the Public Law Project,
the British Institute of Human Rights, Southall Black
Sue Balcomb England Country Programme
Sisters, Media Co-op and the Equality and Human
Director.
Rights Commission for their contributions both to
Steph Kendrick-Jones Project Manager. this toolkit and to GenderWorks training courses.
Sue Smith Equalities Policy Officer. We would also like to thank course participants for
Anna Grindle and Sandhya Sharma - Gender Skills allowing us to share their learning and illustrate this
Training Officers. toolkit with case studies.
Emma Feeny Communications Officer. Copies of this toolkit can be ordered by contacting
Oxfam in Scotland, First Floor, 207 Bath Street,
Thanks to GenderWorks staff Jane Moir, Kate
Glasgow G2 4HZ, tel: +44 (0) 141 285 8882,
Mansbridge and Haifa Cortbawi for their support,
email: scotland@oxfam.org.uk
and volunteers Stephanie Ross and Ruth Rosselson
for their contributions.
The GenderWorks Toolkit was edited by
Emma Feeny and designed by Katy Dawkins.
Foreword
From a member of the Saheli Asian Womens Group who took part in
GenderWorks Making the Gender Duty Work training course.
The GenderWorks training has made us more we fight back even stronger! Knowledge really is
confident and better informed about the options power, and getting information through the internet
available to us when challenging decisions by is just not the same. Having the chance to meet
local authorities which have an adverse effect on a group like Southall Black Sisters was so very
our group or our service users. We have already important and had a huge impact on us we did
used some of the guidelines set out by the Gender not feel alone with our struggles.
Equality Duty when negotiating our contract for
We thoroughly recommend this toolkit, as
funding before, we didnt know about the duty.
it contains many of the materials used on
We now talk with a greater understanding of our GenderWorks training courses, which have proved
rights, and it has made a huge difference now so useful to us in our work.
4
Credit: Ian MacNicol
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The GenderWorks Toolkit
odu ctio n
Intr ?
Wh y w om en
Despite a misconception that women have achieved equality, women continue to be
the majority in socially and economically disadvantaged groups all over the world.
In the UK, for example, the Women & Work Oxfams work on gender
Commission announced in 2009 that the gender Oxfam has long-term experience of working with
pay gap had widened to 22.6 per cent, from 21.9 women living in poverty. We know that peoples
per cent in 2007; this means that women are paid, experiences of being disadvantaged differ
on average, 22.6 per cent less per hour than men1. according to their gender, as well as their race, age
Womens pay and employment prospects are and where they live. We know that peoples needs,
further reduced by having children. A 2009 report assets and the barriers they face to overcoming
from the Fawcett Society found that while partnered poverty are also gendered.
women without dependent children working full Oxfam supports work around the world helping
time earn nine per cent less than men on average, women to overcome the discrimination they face,
for mothers with two children working full time, the and secure their basic rights. This includes backing
pay gap is 21.6 per cent.2 efforts to get heard in the places that count.
The same report found that the gap in hourly In Sierra Leone, for example, where women are
earnings between full-time men and part-time under-represented in public life, we funded training
women is even worse, at 36.6 per cent. But if for local womens organisations, so they could
women did not shoulder the bulk of child-caring lobby decision makers more effectively on issues
responsibilities, men who want to have children affecting girls and women. They also looked at how
would be unable to work full time and earn women could get more involved in society.
higher salaries.
Several participants later stood as candidates
in local elections, and won seats a great
achievement in a country where women struggle to
enter politics.
Oxfam has run similar schemes in Uganda, Mexico
and the Caribbean.
1
Women & Work Commission, 2009: Shaping a fairer future: A review of the recommendations of the Women & Work Commission three years on
2
Fawcett Society, 2009: Not having it all: How motherhood reduces womens pay and employment prospects
6
Introduction Why women?
3
UNESCO Gender Quiz, April 2007 (Section for Women and Gender Equality)
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The GenderWorks Toolkit
The following activities have been designed to help members of both womens groups
and public-sector bodies reflect on the position and representation of women in
society, and enable learning about why using a gender perspective is essential.
Gender quiz
Test your knowledge of equality issues by filling in the blanks below.
2. In 2009, per cent of Members of the 8. In the UK in 2008, about of all ethnic
European Parliament (MEPs) were women. minority women were in employment, and
of Pakistani and Bangladeshi women,
3. In 2009, Sweden had the strongest
compared to 70 per cent of ethnic minority
representation of women in parliament in
men and 73 per cent of white women.
Europe, at per cent.
9. In the UK in 2007, per cent of migrant
4. In 2008, Rwanda had the highest percentage
domestic workers passports were withheld
of women in parliament internationally,
by their employers.
at per cent.
10. Homosexuality is illegal in countries in
5. In the UK in 2008, female graduates earned,
the world.
on average, per cent less than their male
counterparts at the age of 24. 11. In the UK in 2006, single women pensioners
received an average income of per
6. In the UK in 2009, the gender pay gap meant
week, compared with 85 per week for single
women were paid, on average, per cent
men pensioners.
less per hour than men.
12. On average, women in England and
Wales are killed every week by a current or
former male partner.
8
Introduction Why women?
9
The GenderWorks Toolkit
Have a look at the statements below. In each case, try to identify whether
the statement is linked to sex or gender.
1. Women give birth to babies, men dont. 7. Mens voices break at puberty, womens do not.
2. Little girls are gentle, boys are tough. 8. Good quality, affordable childcare helps
women to balance work and family
3. Women form 70 per cent of administrative and
commitments.
secretarial, personal service and customer
services occupations. 9. According to UN statistics, women do 67 per
cent of the worlds work, yet their earnings for
4. Women can breastfeed babies, men can bottle-
it amount to only 10 per cent of the worlds
feed babies.
income.
5. Most building-site workers in the UK are men.
Can the group reach a common understanding of what gender means to them?
Answers
1. Sex 2. Gender 3. Gender 4. Sex 5. Gender 6. Gender 7. Sex 8. Gender 9. Gender
4
Adapted from S. Williams, J. Seed, A. Mwau (1994) The Oxfam Gender Training Manual, Oxfam (UK and Ireland)
10
Introduction Why women?
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The GenderWorks Toolkit
12
Introduction Why women?
13
The GenderWorks Toolkit
Resources:
A copy of the 20-minute Why women? film, which
can be requested by emailing info@wrc.org.uk OR
copies of the Why women? report, which can be
downloaded from the Womens Resource Centres
website (see above).
How to use:
Show the group the Why women? DVD or
give participants a copy of the report to read,
then engage them in discussion around the
challenges, threats and opportunities facing
the womens sector.
Useful questions:
Why do women and men need specific services
and what might they include?
What are the advantages of a strong womens
sector, particularly in relation to minority
womens groups?
14
Introduction Why women?
5
This case study is an edited version of one recorded as part of Oxfam GBs ReGender project
15
The GenderWorks Toolkit
16
ns g r ou ps
W om e
f id en ce
the con
to cam p a ig n
s ire women
uide to insp
A practical g rovide you with all the
groups and p rmation you need.
o
tools and inf
17
The GenderWorks Toolkit
, Real Power
Real Women
Campaigning can be challenging at times and very hard work, but if your
efforts contribute to even a small change, its an empowering and very
rewarding experience.
During the course of the GenderWorks project, we came across some
inspiring real-life stories of women who had successfully campaigned on
issues that mattered to them. Weve brought five of those stories together
on a DVD, which is included in the resources pocket at the back of this toolkit.
The case studies featured are all very different, and, as youll see from the
information that follows, contain a wide range of ideas on how to go about
lobbying to achieve your aims, whether its at local or national level.
We hope that watching the Real Women, Real Power DVD will inspire you
to use this toolkit to plan your own campaign, and challenge poverty and
inequality wherever you find them.
Credit: Michelle Dillon
18
Real Women, Real Power
Strengths/opportunities
Lead campaigner The support of the union, Unison.
Elaine North, a support for learning assistant in A belief in the need to challenge discriminatory
Dumfries and a steward with the Unison union. practice and attitudes.
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The GenderWorks Toolkit
Send out flyers When consulted, the Scottish Executive Minister for
Education at the time clarified that the formula had
Use the media.
only ever been intended to act as guidance for
We got round the table and had meetings and councils, and was not cast in stone.
we made decisions about how we were going
to fight this Change achieved
These children are vulnerable and theyre entitled As a result of the campaign, education officials
to an education like everybody else The kind of within the local authority withdrew the planned
people that do this job are very caring; we know proposal to cut classroom assistant posts and
how important we are for these children, so it made there were no redundancies.
us fight even more. Dumfries and Galloway Council now have a
protocol that provides a fairer mechanism for the
The campaign allocation of classroom assistant hours, and an
The campaign ran from the end of October 2007 annual meeting takes place between education
until the end of January 2008, and got a very good officials and Unison, to discuss and review the
reception from the general public. The selling service provided by classroom assistants.
point was the threat of withdrawal of adequate
Elaine and Marion won the STUC One Workplace
support in school from some of the regions most
Equality Award 2008. This award recognises
vulnerable children.
the role of Scottish trade union members in
Petitions were taken to the high streets. challenging discriminatory practices and attitudes
Postcards were produced to give to the public to in the workplace.
send to their councillors. Essentially the award was to a group of low-paid
Advertisements were placed in the local paper women workers who, with the support of their
accompanied by the message, If you support union, stood up for fairer treatment and got it.
our campaign contact these councillors
From strength to strength
(giving details).
A second campaign in Dumfries and Galloway was
We took our campaign to the streets throughout undertaken on the issue of classroom assistants
Dumfries and Galloway being discriminated against in terms of equal pay.
One of the things that surprised us was that people The Council said classroom assistants are not
queued up to sign our petition. The public feeling in same category as male manual workers (who
was very strong, and they supported us and that get bonuses) because the two groups work in
was amazing. different sectors.
The campaign culminated in a petition with around It maintains that there are no directly comparable
10,000 signatures being given to the Council, jobs held by men, and therefore that classroom
and over 2,000 postcards opposing any cuts in assistants cannot say they are being discriminated
classroom assistant posts being sent directly to against by being paid less.
elected members.
325 cases went to the Equal Pay tribunal and won.
This was a turning point, and provoked an The Council is currently appealing the decision.
immediate reaction from the Council. It withdrew
the planned proposal for redundancies the For more information
next day, and removed the item from the See Unisons website www.unison.org.uk
Council agenda.
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Real Women, Real Power
Strengths/opportunities
A shared commitment to address injustice
Credit: Michelle Dillon
The groups aim was to develop a way of The group focuses on engaging local people in
campaigning and getting messages across campaign issues, offering them an opportunity to
through methods devised by the women think about how the issues impact on their lives.
themselves. We decided that we would have two avenues
We play to peoples strengths, and that works to work along, one of which was working on
because people have built up a confidence in the ground, exploring issues with women in
playing certain roles, and its kind of giving people communities, and we would continue with the
their space within the group. work kind of needling away at politicians and
power holders.
Beechwood Women & Arts Group produces
pieces of drama and street theatre to highlight The Beechwood Women & Arts Group takes
issues such as domestic abuse and mental health feedback on its drama pieces from the audience
problems; promote breastfeeding; and encourage and learns from this shared experience. In this way
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The GenderWorks Toolkit
it develops its campaigning messages and ensures research and would like to consider the difficulties
they are relevant to those they represent. surrounding diagnosis and the challenges faced
by women with mental health issues in simply
The campaign getting through the day.
The groups work can feed into a wide variety of
campaigns. It is often commissioned to produce Empowering members: Margos story
a piece of drama for a specific awareness-raising Margo for one knows all too well the impact
campaign, such as the global 16 Days of Action of poverty on health, well-being, participation
against Gender Violence and the UK-wide Mental and voice. She also knows how important it
Health Awareness Week. is to empower women and help them gain
confidence, so that they feel able to get involved in
No issue is too small or taboo for the group to
campaigning on issues that matter to them, which
work on. Although it is sometimes commissioned
are often related to personal experience.
to produce specific pieces of work, it does not
pursue funding which might limit members Margos community activism initially took off with
freedom and voice. her involvement in the project Communities against
Poverty, which had contact with the newly formed
Change achieved Scottish Parliament.
Beechwood Women & Arts Group has played
It continued in 2000 with her involvement in the
an important role in raising issues within a wide
Improving Debt Recovery Working Group, a cross-
variety of settings: on the streets, in workplaces,
party group of politicians, community activists and
at conferences and events. It feels there should be
legal experts working informally to get a solution to
anti-poverty training for all, so that everyone can
the social problem of debt recovery.
understand how poverty erodes you and prevents
you being yourself. Through the group, Margo met politicians and
learned about political systems and structures.
The group has the space to campaign, to address
This helped her feel confident and strong enough
the issues, to take it to the politicians, the power
to stand her ground, and be able to focus on the
holders, and to say look, this isnt right; something
important issues.
needs to change. Bring together the personal and
the political. Margo also used to be part of a community-led
project called Blackhall for All, which received
But in addition to raising important issues, the
funding to convert an empty shop premises and
success of the Beechwood group lies in its
provide services such as internet access and
empowering effect on members, all of whom are
youth activities. It also hosted surgeries run by
given the chance to experience what it feels like to
other agencies providing support and advice on
make a difference (see Margos story below).
financial, health and job matters.
Connecting with other women is a great way
The project, which was used almost entirely by
to build the confidence, knowledge and skills
women, ran successfully for five years. It was
required to challenge the status quo, and small
forced to close when funding was withdrawn, but
wins really do make a difference. In addition,
through her work with Blackhall for All, Margo
the ability to see an issue as being of national,
learned about funding rules, how to argue a case
international and even global importance and to
for funding, meet the criteria and tick the boxes.
make links with other communities can be a very
powerful thing, particularly in relation to poverty Margo herself is still living in relative poverty; she
and the gendered nature of poverty. understands only too well how poverty affects you
psychologically and leaves you feeling worthless.
From strength to strength
My experience of poverty is that Ive always felt
Beechwood Women & Arts Group has recently it was my fault, but once I became a bit more
been commissioned to produce a drama piece politically aware I recognised that no, actually, this
by the Renfrewshire Association for Mental Health is keeping me there it was the poverty trap.
(RAMH). RAMH is keen for it to focus on recovery,
but the group is currently still conducting its Margo feels that through her experience of
community development she has been empowered
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Real Women, Real Power
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The GenderWorks Toolkit
Strengths/opportunities
Lead campaigner: A belief in the need to challenge sexist attitudes
Sandrine Levque, campaigns manager and for someone to speak out on this issue,
for Object. which no other lobbying groups were working on.
The opportunity to use the legal hook of the lap
Campaign aim
dancing licensing issue as a way to raise the
Stripping the Illusions specific aim was to end broader debate.
the licensing of strip clubs as cafs, but it also set
out to show that the normalisation of lap dancing Vision, drive and a nothing to lose and
promotes sexist attitudes and inequality between everything to gain approach.
women and men, which is detrimental to the whole
Challenges
of society.
The campaign began with one part-time worker,
Women obviously face a lot of battles today in few contacts, a basic lack of infrastructure and
terms of poverty, equal pay and violence, and the not enough activism.
way that women are viewed in our society is an
Object had to be as creative as possible with
issue which relates to all of those things. You cant
limited funds.
have an equal society and equal rights for women
if its completely acceptable and completely The normalisation of lap dancing that had
normal to treat women as sex objects. already taken place meant it was difficult to get
Objects message across and raise awareness
Background that many people were unhappy about it.
The Licensing Act 2003 regulates both the sale
of alcoholic drinks and the licensing of public Campaign strategy
entertainment. This means that functions that were Objects director, Dr. Sasha Rakoff, raised funds
previously administered by the licensing justices for a single-issue campaign and with Sandrine
and local authorities respectively are now entirely planned how best to use every opportunity to help
the responsibility of local authorities, and a single overcome the challenges. The key to the campaign
premises licence authorises the sale of alcohol and was to make it a collective issue.
the provision of what the Act defines as regulated
One of the things were constantly told by new
entertainment.
members, by people who join Object and who
Eaves Housing Association produced a report come across our campaigning, is Thank God Ive
(Lilith Report on Lap Dancing and Striptease in the found another voice I thought I was the only one.
Borough of Camden, 2003) which outlined how this
To create more activism, Object employed an
change in the licensing laws had acted to open
Activist Organiser for four hours a week. Having
the floodgates for the lap-dancing and strip-club
someone organise a monthly meeting made an
enormous difference.
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Real Women, Real Power
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The GenderWorks Toolkit
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Real Women, Real Power
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The GenderWorks Toolkit
28
Real Women, Real Power
Background
SBS is a not-for-profit organisation that was
established in 1979 to meet the needs of black
(Asian and African-Caribbean) women. Its aims are
Lead campaigner to highlight and challenge violence against women;
empower them to gain more control over their lives;
Pragna Patel, Chair of Southall Black Sisters
live without fear of violence; and assert their human
(SBS).
rights to justice, equality and freedom.
Campaign aim Addressing poverty is also addressing violence
The campaign aim was initially to save the against women, because you are having to
SBS service from closure due to a withdrawal address issues of access to education, access
of funding, but more broadly was about addressing to careers, addressing the kind of racial or other
issues of equality and cohesion, and the need discrimination that prevents women from achieving
for single identity groups, which support a their potential, whether its in the workplace
particular community based on ethnic, religious or within the family. These things are clearly
or cultural identity. connected You cant compartmentalise.
The move by Ealing Council to cease funding SBSs SBS manages a resource centre in West London
service came after the Independent Commission that provides a comprehensive service to women
on Integration and Cohesion recommended in 2007 experiencing violence and abuse. It offers
that: the presumption should be against Single specialist advice, information, casework, advocacy
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The GenderWorks Toolkit
and counselling, and self-help support services in and was aware that the issues involved in its
several community languages. campaign had implications for other groups.
Since 1984, SBS had been partly funded by Ealing SBS has a high profile, making it easier to get the
Borough Council, but on 18 September 2007 the attention of the media.
council decided that in future it would only fund
borough-wide services provided to all individuals Challenges
experiencing domestic violence, irrespective of The continuing existence of racism.
gender, race, sexual orientation, faith, age
Councillors werent really interested in issues
or disability.
of violence against women and refused to
SBS expressed concerns to the council that this engage in negotiation with SBS to find an
would have a disproportionately adverse impact on alternative resolution.
BME women, and pointed out that no race equality
Lack of time and resources for liaising with
impact assessment had been carried out in relation
lawyers, contacting the media, lobbying, getting
to the decision. An equality impact assessment is
women together, leafleting and so on, all of which
a way of examining whether a policy or procedure
distracts from service provision.
affects a certain section of the community
differently (see Impact assessments, page 99). The need to continue negotiations and use
tools of persuasion while also considering a
Under the Race Relations Act, public authorities
legal challenge (there is a time limit for a
have a duty to set out their arrangements for
Judicial Review).
assessing and consulting on the likely impact
of proposed policies on the promotion of In the current culture of contract commissioning,
race equality. seeking support from other organisations
providing services for women can be difficult.
The council then withdrew its 18 September
decision in order to undertake a draft equality Campaign strategy
impact assessment. The draft impact assessment SBSs first reaction to Ealing Councils decision to
conducted by the council indicated that the impact fund only a generic service was that the Council
on BME women would be monitored when the new hadnt thought the decision through in terms of its
arrangements were in place. A full equality impact impact on a significant group of vulnerable women.
assessment was not completed.
Its initial impulse was to get on the phone and start
On 26 February 2008, the council confirmed its lobbying, and speak to the leader of the Council to
earlier decision to only fund a single, borough-wide convince him of the need for SBS. SBS also started
service provider. Following initial negotiations, SBS thinking about other ways of raising funds and
decided to apply to judicially review this decision. decided to find out what the legal options were in
A Judicial Review is a type of court proceeding in terms of challenging the decision.
which a judge reviews the lawfulness of a decision
or action made by a public body. SBS kept hoping that its soft negotiations with
Ealing Council would bear fruit, but as the legal
Ealing Council were saying to us that we dont clock was ticking and it had a three-month
need black and minority (service) groups to exist window in which to apply for a Judicial Review,
any more, because their existence somehow it was eventually forced to issue notice of legal
causes segregation in society. proceedings, angering the Council leader.
The organisation received strong support from We decided to take the Council to court because
individuals, groups and people in the public eye. we felt that they were actually breaking the law in
terms of the Race Relations Act.
SBS had a strong sense of responsibility; it
wanted to repay the trust placed in it by its users, Once the situation had been clarified, it was critical
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Real Women, Real Power
31
The GenderWorks Toolkit
Top tip s fo r g
l c ampaignin
succe ssf u
These are the key messages from the five groups that feature in the DVD
Real Women, Real Power. Weve also put them on a handy set of cards at
the back of this toolkit, so wherever you go, youll never be short of inspiration!
People power
Have someone co-ordinating Build support
the activism to bring people together. Build a coalition of support
Involve all interested and supportive we are stronger together!
groups and individuals to gain voice and Forge effective alliances and team up to
add strength to the campaign message. campaign (for example, as Object did with
Be aware of your power people power the Fawcett Society).
really can make a difference. Link up with sympathetic politicians and
Speak to the people you are campaigning decision makers on the big picture issues.
on behalf of and make sure you give an Make the decision makers sit up and listen
honest account of their experiences. and see that the issue is in the public interest.
They didnt just write the letters, they got We realised that there were a lot of different
involved in the campaign, in terms of coming groups that had a reason to be interested in
to demonstrations that we organised, and so this issue. Womens groups, equality groups,
on. That transforms them from being passive human rights organisations, local residents
victims to active agents of change. groups and community forums
Widen impact
For example, the campaign may not
simply be about saving jobs; it could
have the potential to have a much larger
impact on whole communities.
Recognise where there are wider
principles at stake and lever for change
on these where possible.
(By the time SBS got to court, its
campaign was no longer about funding
but about the principles of equality).
Credit: Anji Capes
32
Top tips for successful campaigning
Respond quickly and try to keep up a fast Get the message out to the general public,
pace to your campaigning; politicians, the build on existing foundations and challenge
media and people generally can rapidly old myths.
lose interest. Be creative and be visible the media like
Consider your options carefully; for example, strong visuals.
negotiation versus a more confrontational We knew that if we were going to stand any
approach, such as legal action. chance of being heard, and having any
Monitor and review the progress of the victory, we should be visible both inside
campaign, collecting feedback. and outside the court.
Self-analysis
Exercises to help you think reflectively about your group and the services
it provides, and consider how you can best achieve change
The process of looking inward as an organisation Where is your group?
is an important step in preparing for lobbying and
Activity 1: Timeline.
campaigning, as being able to communicate the
work of your organisation and the impact your Activity 2: Assets what are we good at?
services have is essential. Activity 3: Sources of power.
Its also very important to step back from the Activity 4: Power and influence.
demands of service delivery at times in order to
Activity 5: What do we look like to others?
think about the role your group or organisation
plays, and the need for, and impact of, the services Achieving change
you provide.
Activity 1: At the end of the rainbow.
This section features a number of exercises to help
Activity 2: One step at a time.
you think about:
The examples given are all taken from Oxfam GBs
Where your group is and
work with Tea in the Pot, a womens drop-in centre
What you can do to achieve change in Glasgow, Scotland, which supports women to
The following activities can be used to help feel more confident and take steps towards making
you think about the role and impact of your a difference in their community.
organisation, and plan for lobbying work.
Credit: Ian MacNicol
34
Self-analysis
To increase awareness of the range of factors Get members to take it in turns to place their
that shape an organisation, including the post-it notes on the timeline, talking through what
motivation of members, practical circumstances they have written on each one.
and so on. Encourage discussion of shared experiences,
To enhance the ability of all members to add new ideas as they emerge and try to draw
communicate the work of the group and the out themes, developing a comprehensive picture
impact its services have. of the events and factors that have contributed to
the groups development.
Resources:
Example: Tea in the Pots timeline
Pieces of flip chart paper stuck together
horizontally. When women involved in the Tea in the Pot
drop-in centre came together for a Vision Day,
Markers. they started by looking back at how the drop-in
Post-it notes. service had developed, producing the timeline
on the next page.
How to use:
The result is a combination of group history and
Discuss as a group what you want to take as a personal stories that provide a valuable insight
starting point; for example, it could be the year into what users get out of the centre and why the
your organisation was formed, or before. Once this services it offers are so important.
has been decided, mark it at the beginning of the
timeline and divide the rest into the years since.
Credit: Chris Worrall
35
36
Tea in the Pot timeline
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
Was able to attend Oxfam grant and Health issues course, NHS, nurse, I came for a couple of I started coming
The GenderWorks Toolkit
Oxfams Regender support for rent Reiki, holistics, pilates, Job Centre, weeks and then stopped to Tea in the
training course, community involvement referrals begin as I was a carer for my Pot again as
because childcare husband. My husband he improved
was made available Problems getting got dementia and so his and I loved it,
First became involved because I illness got worse, thats especially the
funding and
was looking for a place to go to why I had to stop ladies. Also
charitable status
replace courses which had been started the art
Tea in the Pot started cancelled at Cardonald College. class, which
Since then I have become a Reiki Christmas I came to Tea in the Pot is great, the
practitioner Using my stalls raise after being off work with atmosphere is
own skills funds for Tea arthritis. I needed to get warm and lovely.
to share in the Pot involved with something Well done, Tea in
Helps me to be worthwhile. There is the Pot
focussed for most a great atmosphere
of the time No suits, Made costumes and good information.
solidarity for Govan Fayre First aid for
Through Tea in the Pot I
mental health &
did a mental health first
Insight into other peoples cookery courses
aid course and cookery
problems, someone worse Involvement in course and hope to
off than you poverty groups become a lot more The group gave
etc, arts, holistics, involved in the future me a wonderful
book clubs, sewing, surprise birthday
Helped with mental health party. I enjoy
Education for I joined Tea in the Pot,
my own painting, material
myself, learning found the group very
ill health was supplied
about other Learned health and friendly and welcoming
problems
projects cooking which is regardless of age, it It just keeps getting
great, I have become gives me something to better, support,
more sociable look forward to support, support
Self-analysis
To develop a consensus about what an 1. How does our group help women?
organisation is good at, and why it provides Friendly, welcoming place to come to.
particular services. Safe and supportive environment.
To reinforce, or clarify, the objectives of Confidential.
an organisation. Less formal: location at back of the centre can
provide opportunities for women to drop in without
Resources: advertising that they are here.
Flip chart sheets.
Practical assistance in raising awareness and
Markers. supporting education.
Feel confident, relaxed and comfortable.
How to use:
Can vent frustrations.
Divide the group into smaller groups of three or
Given a voice.
four participants.
Somewhere to go.
Ask each group to think about the ways in which
Free tea and biscuits!
your organisation helps women, and in particular
what is special about the services you provide. Feedback for and from others.
Remind participants that anything is valid, Information.
and often it is the unseen details that make a Learn skills at own pace.
difference. Give each group one of the following
questions to answer, and ask them to record their 2. What is it about our group that is special?
responses on a flip chart: Warm, women working for women.
How does our organisation help women? No agenda, hidden or otherwise.
What is it about our organisation that is Listen to members.
special?
Word of mouth referrals.
Why do people come to us rather than using
another service? Medical skills and improving health.
As a whole group, bring the discussion Trust.
together, recording the main points and asking
Campaigns public toilets and NHS 24.
participants to give examples of things they have
listed; for example, what services does your Just ordinary women.
group provide that are not available elsewhere in Confidence to use own skills.
the community?
Varied life experiences.
Draw out the assets the group has, such as local
knowledge, a safe and supportive space, varied Everyone is the same everyone has been there.
life experiences and so on. Feel free to talk, non-judgemental.
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The GenderWorks Toolkit
3. Why do women come to us rather than Doing this activity highlighted a number of themes
using another service? for the group. Members realised how important
Accessible. the centres physical location was as a safe space
for women, and decided they wanted to retain this
Good reputation.
rather than seek larger premises.
Like-minded women you can rely on.
The process also reinforced that it was the
Not official.
volunteers local knowledge and skills in engaging
Can be their first steps, then they can move on.
with women that had built up trust in the group,
No waiting time, no jargon. leading to referrals from other organisations.
Use our own language.
The group decided to try and secure funding
from a variety of smaller and in-kind pockets
of funding, which would allow the committee
and volunteers to retain autonomy over their
organisation and the unique way in which they
provide services.
Credit: Ian MacNicol
38
Self-analysis
6
Adapted from V Miller & L VeneKlasen (2002) A New Weave of Power, People and Politics The Action Guide for Advocacy and Citizen
Participation, Oklahoma City: World Neighbors (pg 45).
Diagrams originally by Ken Sprague.
39
The GenderWorks Toolkit
To help organisations become aware of how Do we provide a service for them? What?
visible they are to other organisations. Do we currently engage with them? How?
To help groups identify which external bodies Should we be trying to engage with them? Why?
are allies and which they could or should
engage with in advocacy work. (See the example table below.)
By the end of the exercise, the group should be
Resources: able to prioritise which external bodies or public
Flip chart figures they wish to engage with.
Post-it notes. Lead the group onto a more focused discussion
about the ways in which they can contact certain
How to use: groups, or begin to develop more strategic
As a group, write down on post-it notes the relationships. Although small organisations
names of government bodies, decision-making often approach local authorities in relation to
organisations and local service providers that their needs (for example, funding), they can
have the resources and power to set local also engage with them from other starting points;
agendas and make decisions. for example, by making them aware of the
Make a note of other voluntary-sector organisations duty on local authorities to consult with
that influence or are connected to the work of your small organisations.
organisation.
Example:
The power and influence chart below provides examples of the kind of entries you might come up with.
40
Womens groups the confidence to campaign
41
Self-analysis
42
Self-analysis
How do we communicate our mission statement? Do we send out regular emails or newsletters, or
place leaflets in key public places? Is our website
up to date and informative?
Management
How is the work of our organisation directed?
For example, do we have a steering group or Relationships and accountability
board of trustees? Do we build good relationships with service
users? How does this happen?
How often does our board of trustees meet and
how do we communicate with them? Do some service users start volunteering or
contribute in other ways?
How do people find out about our
Finances
organisation/services?
Do we keep a clear record of our income and
expenditure?
Networking
Do we have timely and clear communications with
Do we have links with organisations doing
organisations or individuals that support our work
similar work?
financially?
Are we networked within the voluntary sector and
How we develop relationships with potential
among relevant public bodies?
donors?
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The GenderWorks Toolkit
44
Self-analysis
45
The GenderWorks Toolkit
Achieving change
Activity 2: One step at a time
Purpose: arrange them logically, taking the groups
To help groups plan effectively to reach current situation as the starting point. As the
organisational goals or carry out campaigning activity progresses, it may become apparent that
and influencing work. reaching the end goal is not a linear process. The
exercise may also highlight new interim goals.
To break down longer-term goals into step-by-
step processes, and highlight how different The end result should provide a sort of route-
steps link with other parts of a groups work. map for the group to follow in order to achieve
its goals and campaign aims, which can then be
Resources: incorporated into a time-bound action plan.
Markers
Example: Tea in the Pot plots a route
Flip chart to its goal
Card/flip chart paper cut into circles (stepping When the Tea in the Pot womens drop-in centre did
stones). this activity, it set itself the goal of opening daily
and also in the evenings, so that more people could
How to use: access its services. It wanted to be accessible to
Ask participants to select a long-term goal or teenagers and young women, for example, as well
campaigning issue they would like their group as to men.
to address, and write it on a piece of card.
Make sure this card is easily identifiable as the The diagram opposite illustrates the different steps
intended end result; for example, by circling it plotted by the group that would lead to this goal.
or using a particular colour of card. The centre set itself interim goals of starting to
As a group, discuss the things that need to open in the evenings, and to gradually increase the
happen in order to reach this goal. For example, number of days it was open. The group recognised
the group may need to form a relationship with that it would need more volunteers to run the
the local authority in order to lobby; seek some service, and thought that providing classes might
external expertise; improve record-keeping be a way to increase its membership and attract
systems; carry out some basic research; or new volunteers.
make contact with a group with more
It also realised that social interaction was an
campaigning experience.
asset that served to strengthen the identity of the
Write each idea on a separate piece of card, or volunteer base: through their involvement with the
stepping stone. group, volunteers provide services but also have
Spread all the pieces of card out and then fun, socialising and enjoying each others company.
46
Self-analysis
Provide a crche
during the summer Be open at night time
Run classes
for men
More volunteers
Be open at least
three days per week
and one night
Men drop in
GOAL:
To be open daily
Tea in the Pot and also at night
stepping stones
47
The GenderWorks Toolkit
ng letters
Lobbyi
Writing lobbying letters is a quick, easy and cost-effective way to campaign.
You could write a personal letter to your MP or local councillor, asking them to take a
specific action, or to your local or national newspaper to raise awareness of an issue.
You could also draw up a standard or template letter and encourage as many other
people or groups as possible to send it, in order to demonstrate the public concern
that surrounds an issue.
There are a number of guides available to help The date in full (left-hand side).
you decide who to write to, and what to say.
The name of the official and correct salutation/
For example:
greeting (e.g. Dear).
The Fawcett Societys guide to writing letters
First paragraph: why are you writing? (for
(see www.fawcettsociety.org.uk) covers
example, in response to a public statement or to
everything you need to think about when writing
follow up a previous request.) Say whether you
to local newspapers or companies, MPs or local
are writing on behalf of others or an organisation,
councillors, and includes a section on mass
or in your personal capacity, and what has
letter-writing campaigns.
prompted you to do so.
There are separate guides to help you lobby
Second and third paragraphs/body of the letter:
your MP (including finding out who they are and
develop your argument, backing it up with facts,
how to contact them) and your local government,
figures, specific cases, quotes and relevant
covering how councils are structured and how to
legislation.
get hold of their agendas.
Final paragraph: what action would you like
The International Campaign to Ban Landmines
the official to take? (For example, send you
(ICBL) website (www.icbl.org) features a
information, grant you a meeting).
comprehensive guide to writing a lobbying letter,
which covers: why to write one, who to target, Closure (e.g. Yours sincerely or Yours faithfully).
how to write effectively and what kind of letter. Your signature, name and if appropriate, your title
The following tips on what a typical letter should and organisation.
include has been adapted from ICBLs guide: Copies: state who has received a copy of
Your address (right-hand side). this letter.
The officials salutation (e.g. Right Honourable), On the following pages are a number of letters that
title (e.g. Prime Minister), name and address have been used in different campaigns and can be
(left-hand side). adapted to suit your needs.
48
Lobbying letters
<YOUR ADDRESS>
Dear Editor,
Residents in <YOUR TOWN/CITY> dont currently have a say in whether lap-dancing clubs can
open in our area. They are licensed in exactly the same way as cafes and pubs, despite being
part of the sex industry. This has been highlighted in a national campaign run by the Fawcett
Society and Object.
The Government has pledged to tackle the problem, but their proposals dont go far enough.
The reforms contained in the Home Offices Policing and Crime Bill, currently being debated
by MPs, exempt venues providing lap dancing less than once a month. The reforms will also
be voluntary local authorities wont have to adopt them. The result? Ordinary pubs and clubs
holding strip nights will become more common, lap dancing agencies catering for this sub-
market will prosper, and residents will face a postcode lottery over whether they do actually get
a greater say in the licensing process.
<YOUR LOCAL AUTHORITY> should urge the Government to make licensing reforms universal
and applicable to all venues, however frequently they host lap dancing. I also urge <NAME OF
NEWSPAPER> and your readers to add their voices by signing a petition to the Government at
http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/lapdance-reforms/
Yours sincerely,
<YOUR NAME
YOUR ADDRESS>
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The GenderWorks Toolkit
Letters to politicians
Template email drawn up by GenderWorks partners for womens organisations to
send to national contact points for social inclusion issues, asking to be involved in
the process of drawing up a National Action Plan (see page 91).
<YOUR ADDRESS>
<DATE>
The European Commission (EC) foresees the involvement of stakeholders and relevant non-
governmental organisations in the process of drafting the National Action Plans on Social
Inclusion (NAPs), and our organisation is very keen to contribute.
The EC has published a gender mainstreaming handbook for guidance when drafting the
NAPs, and in its joint report on the action plans for 2006 said that there is still considerable
room for ensuring that policy measures are better informed by gender considerations.
As an organisation that works on issues of gender and poverty, we feel we could make a
valuable contribution to the NAP process. Please let us know how we can best give you our
feedback and be involved in producing the NAP for 2010.
Yours sincerely,
50
Lobbying letters
Re: European election results, next President as well as Chairs and Vice-chairs of
Committees of the new European Parliament
According to preliminary figures the recent European elections have resulted in a slight
progress in the representation of women in the European Parliament (EP), which now reaches
about 35% (compared to about 30% at the beginning of the 1999-2004 term) but still doesnt
attain parity or even the 40% of women threshold agreed by Member States of the Council of
Europe.
You now have, as a political party leader, an excellent opportunity and indeed responsibility to
show renewed commitment to ensuring the equal representation of women and men within the
governing structure of the EP, and in particular in the negotiations regarding the appointment
of the next President of the European Parliament, Chairs and Vice-chairs of the Parliaments
committees as well as other posts (EP Bureau, Quaestors, Vice chairs).
A number of criteria have been mentioned in the discussions regarding the next European
Parliament President (such as nationality, political affiliation and even country size). Regrettably,
gender is mostly lacking from these considerations, while gender equality is a fundamental
value and mission of the EU. I would hence like to remind you of the importance of considering
gender as a legitimate and important criterion when selecting the next President, whom we
hope to be a woman.
Furthermore, during the 2004-2009 term only about 25% of the Chairs and Vice-chairs of the
European Parliament committees were women. This number needs to be significantly improved
in order for the EP to be able to call itself truly inclusive of the European population in the way it
functions and make decisions that concern all.
I look forward to hearing from you on this topic and in the meantime, I remain,
Yours sincerely,
<SIGNATURE>
<TITLE, ORGANISATION>
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The GenderWorks Toolkit
<YOUR NAME>
<YOUR ORGANISATION>
<YOUR ADDRESS>
<DATE>
The Gender Equality Duty came into force on 6 April 2007, and places a legal requirement on
public authorities, when carrying out their functions, to pay due regard to the need to eliminate
unlawful discrimination and harassment, and to promote equality of opportunity between men
and women.
The duty apples to all functions of public bodies including: policymaking, service provision,
employment matters, statutory discretion and decision-making.
How your organisation has gathered and used information on how your policies and
practices affect gender equality in the delivery of services.
How your organisation has gone about consulting with stakeholders to take account of
relevant information in order to determine gender equality objectives.
The impact assessment carried out to determine how proposed policies and practices will
impact on gender equality.
You will notice that the requests above are consistent with the specific duties of the legislation.
Yours faithfully,
<YOUR NAME>
<YOUR ORGANISATION>
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Lobbying letters
<YOUR NAME>
<YOUR ORGANISATION>
<YOUR ADDRESS>
<DATE>
The Gender Equality Duty came into force on 6 April 2007, and places a legal requirement on
public authorities, when carrying out their functions, to pay due regard to the need to eliminate
unlawful discrimination and harassment, and to promote equality of opportunity between men
and women.
The duty apples to all functions of public bodies including: policymaking, service provision,
employment matters, statutory discretion and decision-making.
Yours faithfully,
<YOUR NAME>
<YOUR ORGANISATION.
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The GenderWorks Toolkit
ter m in ology
Language,
a n righ ts
and hum
I feel much more empowered to change my language from needs to rights, and
that we have a right to use the human rights act participant in the GenderWorks
projects Making the Gender Duty Work training session
Language and terminology are important. movement in the United States, had actually been
Understanding the best ways to use language on human rights training prior to her individual
when communicating with funders and policy protest, when she refused to stand up to allow a
makers can help womens groups argue their white person to take her seat on a bus.
cases more effectively.
I was just trying to let them know how I felt about
Using human rights language and a human rights being treated as a human being.
based approach to talk about inequality, poverty
and disadvantage is much more powerful than Core human rights principles and beliefs
talking about needs. As set out by the British Institute of Human
Rights (www.bihr.org.uk)
Talking about rights is also a much more powerful
way of articulating and justifying the essential There are core principles upon which human rights
services provided by the womens sector. are based:
Fairness the right to a fair trial.
RIGHTS vs NEEDS: A distinction7
Respect respect for family life.
A right is something to which one is entitled
solely by virtue of being a person enables a Equality freedom from discrimination.
person to live with dignity can be enforced
Dignity freedom from inhuman and degrading
and entails government obligation.
treatment.
A need is an aspiration that can be quite
Autonomy respect for private life.
legitimate but not necessarily associated with
an obligation by government to cater to it. The Central human rights beliefs:
satisfaction of a need cannot be enforced. As human beings we are all born with human
Human rights make the difference between being rights.
and just merely existing.
The whole of society will be stronger if we are
Human rights empowered to realise our own human rights and
Human rights are the basic rights and freedoms able to defend those of others.
that belong to every person in the world. Human rights are a set of important principles
Ideas about human rights have evolved over many that can be used in practical ways to create a
centuries. But they achieved strong international fairer, more decent society.
support following the Holocaust and Second World The value of human rights for individuals and
War. To protect future generations from a repeat society will only be fully realised if they are
of these horrors, the United Nations adopted the embraced as a full set of interdependent rights,
Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948. spanning civil, cultural, economic, political and
In the UK, the Human Rights Act 1998 has made social rights.
these rights part of our domestic law, and there are GenderWorks worked with womens organisations
now courts which can hear human rights cases. in the UK to support their understanding of these
Rosa Parks, the catalyst for the civil rights rights and demonstrate their day-to-day relevance,
7
From the United Nations Development Programme poverty practice note.
54
Language, terminology and human rights
55
The GenderWorks Toolkit
Case study:
Seven Towers and the right to adequate housing
The residents then set locally defined human rights
indicators and benchmarks around their selected
issues, which could be measured by residents
across a 12-month period to establish whether or
not the government was progressing their right
to housing.
Credit: PPR Project
56
Language, terminology and human rights
57
The GenderWorks Toolkit
ot a minute
If youve g
Practical suggestions about what you and your group can do in a minute,
an hour, a morning or a day.
If youre on your own and youve got. If youre with other members of your
a minute group and youve got
Download one of the lobbying kits from our list of a minute
Useful reading and print it out to read later. Hand round the list of useful things to read
(opposite), and ask each member to choose
10 minutes
one resource to read and feed back the
See if you can find your local authoritys Gender following week.
Equality Scheme on its website. If you cant, make
a note of who to contact about it later. 10 minutes
Have an ideas session to come up with a list of
half an hour
organisations or networks you could form alliances
Use a template letter to write to your local with to campaign on your chosen issue.
newspaper, asking the council to take action on the
issue you are campaigning about. half an hour
Research a local venue where you can hold a
an hour
meeting and book a slot at a convenient time so
Set up an online social networking group to create that you can bring supporters of your campaign
a community of people interested in the issue you together and plan how to take it forward.
want to campaign on. Social networking websites
include Bebo (www.bebo.com), FaceBook (www. an hour
facebook.com), MySpace (www.myspace.com) Come up with some content for a postcard or
and Twitter (www.twitter.com). flyer to raise awareness of the issue you are
campaigning on, and research printing costs.
half a day
See if you can come up with some content for a half a day
newsletter that explains why you are campaigning Find the contact details for journalists on local
on your chosen issue, what events youve got newspapers, websites and radio stations and
planned and what you would like readers to do to phone each of them, telling them about your
support the campaign. campaign and asking them to cover it as a matter
of local interest.
a day
If you have some leaflets or flyers that explain what a day
you are campaigning on and why, take them to all Draw up a petition on the issue you are
the key public places where you think potential campaigning about, take it to your local high street
supporters might read them and ask if they can be and ask people to show their support by signing it.
displayed somewhere.
58
Useful reading
59
The GenderWorks Toolkit
information and clarifies certain myths in relation to This pack is designed to support and inspire
parity democracy and quotas. groups and individuals to take action.
The kit aims at helping womens non-governmental It includes:
organisations and other interested actors to put
Examples and ideas for Feminist Friday actions.
pressure on political parties and decision makers
to introduce measures to advance parity. The kit is Legality of actions.
available in English and French. Protester pointers.
This lobbying kit can be downloaded from the EWL Feminist Fridays Comebacks.
website, www.womenlobby.org
Leaflet on lads mags (for activists to print and
Fawcett Society Lobbying guides make copies).
A series of guides full of practical tips for lobbying A petition calling for lads mags to be recognised
and raising the profile of your campaign, including: and regulated as porn (for activists to print and
Lobbying local government. make copies).
Lobbying your MP. This action pack can be downloaded from Objects
website: www.object.org.uk
Writing letters.
Using the media.
Save the Children How to campaign,
a beginners guide
Womens votes myths and reality.
This short guide aims to give you a brief overview
Gender and political participation. of campaigning what its all about, some handy
These guides can be accessed from the Fawcett techniques and tactics, and an insight into how
Society website, www.fawcettsociety.org.uk Save the Children runs its own campaigns.
For a copy of this guide contact Save the Children
Oxfam Into the lions den: a at www.savethechildren.org.uk or call 020 7012
practical guide to including women 6400
in regeneration
This guide aims to develop the capacity of European Network Against Racism
community-based groups in regeneration areas (ENAR) Toolkit No.1: Successful
by providing the tools and techniques for them campaigning
to hold decision makers to account. It follows the This toolkit offers a basic overview of useful
examples of three local womens groups who campaigning tips and advice for people
worked to ensure that they were involved in local with little or no experience of campaigning
regeneration initiatives. Throughout the guide, there activities. Conceived as a capacity-building and
are illustrated practical examples of tools that were empowerment tool, it presents the basics of good
used with the ReGender pilot groups. campaigning: what is campaigning? How do you
This action pack can be downloaded from Objects undertake effective campaigning? Why collect
website: www.object.org.uk Into the lions den information? How do you set objectives? How do
can be downloaded from the Resources page on you choose a methodology?
the GenderWorks website, www.oxfam.org.uk/ This toolkit can be downloaded from the
genderworks Campaigns section of the ENAR website,
www.enar-eu.org
Object Feminist Fridays Action Pack
Feminist Fridays consist of groups around National Council for Voluntary
the country coordinating actions to challenge Organisations (NCVO) Tips on good
misogynistic lads mags being sold as part of the practice in campaigning
mainstream media. They are a fun way to take a
(Jim Coe and Tess Kingham)
stand against sex object culture and to spread
grassroots feminist activism. This report is a straightforward and practical guide
aimed at anyone using their skills, judgement
60
Useful reading
Community Development Exchange You can read the report in the publications section
of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation website,
(CDX) - The Axis of Influence
www.jrf.org.uk
The Axis of Influence is a discussion-based tool
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The GenderWorks Toolkit
62
ubl ic b o di es
P
m e e t in g
equ a lit i es
oblig a t io n s
for pub lic bodies
uide
A practical g mply with equalities
o
to help you c d tackle poverty among
n
legislation a effectively.
e
women mor
63
The GenderWorks Toolkit
to ge nd er
A guide in g
mains tre am
This section of the toolkit is adapted from the GenderWorks projects Policy into
Practice training course and mentoring programme, and has been reproduced with
the permission of Adele Baumgardt, consultant trainer.
In order to deliver effective, targeted services Using a gender perspective also enables early
that are shaped around the needs of women and action to be taken to correct any negative impacts
men, policy makers need to integrate a gender on one group or another.
perspective into their everyday work from the start.
Gender mainstreaming is a set of tools that support
Incorporating a gender perspective into policies the integration of gender at every step into policy,
means thinking about users not as a homogeneous services and budgets. It is a strategy that aims to
group, but as distinct groups with differing needs, frame the delivery of services and the policies that
characteristics and behaviours, who might need govern them in a way that reflects the everyday
different approaches if equality of opportunity is to reality of both womens and mens lives.
be achieved for all.
64
A guide to gender mainstreaming
65
The GenderWorks Toolkit
Gender in a recession
During a financial downturn, public bodies under Its concerns were substantiated, it said, by
pressure to make budget cuts and redundancies press reports suggesting, for example, that women
may be tempted to see gender equality as a luxury. were more likely to be affected by redundancies
However, the need for greater efficiency makes the than men, as companies revised their maternity
case for gender mainstreaming more compelling, and flexible working practices in an attempt to
rather than less, as it enables the resources save money.
available to be targeted and therefore used more
While acknowledging the difficult economic
effectively.
environment in which public authorities were
In 2009, the Equality and Human Rights operating, the Commission emphasised the
Commission (EHRC) expressed its concern mandatory nature of the equality duties, and the
that some financial decisions made by public importance of public authorities meeting their
authorities might have a disproportionate effect on duties when making significant decisions.
certain groups of people, and might be contrary to
statutory equalities obligations.
66
How to gender mainstream
67
The GenderWorks Toolkit
68
How to gender mainstream
69
The GenderWorks Toolkit
er Im p act
Gend s
Assess m ent
Public authorities in the UK are under a duty to assess the impact of their current and
new policies and practices on gender equality, and must carry out an impact assessment
if it is likely that there will be an adverse impact (see section on The law in the UK).
What is a Gender Impact Assessment? process, so that changes and even the redirecting
A Gender Impact Assessment (GIA) is a systematic of policies can take place.
way of examining whether a new or existing With policies such as those affecting work-life
function, policy or procedure affects women and balance, it is obvious that gender issues are
men differently. central. However, with other policies the relevance
of gender can be less obvious, and this can lead to
Why conduct a GIA? them being labelled gender neutral; for example,
GIAs deliver more effective policies by enabling health and safety policies and regional or town
decision makers to think about the different effects planning.
their policies have on women and men. They help
With policies such as these, it can be tempting
decision makers to picture the effects of a given
to imagine that people are affected as a
policy more accurately, and to compare and assess
homogeneous group. However, if policies
the current situation and trends with the expected
are mistakenly perceived as gender neutral,
results of the proposed policy.
opportunities will be missed to include the views
GIAs can be applied to legislation, policy plans of different groups of women and men in the
and programmes, budgets, reports and existing formation and delivery of those policies, and the
policies. However, they are most successful when different effects on women and men will
carried out at an early stage in the decision-making be misjudged.
Credit: Ian MacNicol
70
Gender Impact Assessments
71
The GenderWorks Toolkit
72
Gender Impact Assessments
73
The GenderWorks Toolkit
Is the service responsive and flexible? Is it Do they include a measure for gender equality
possible for all groups of potential users to and a measure for customer satisfaction?
access the service? If not, what arrangements
How can external organisations representing
are in place to reach those who may
different groups in the community help in
be excluded?
monitoring the policy outcomes?
Is the service delivered in a joined-up way? Can
Are measures in place to initiate an investigation,
other public bodies or government departments,
or to change the policy, if it is not delivering either
local and nationally-based organisations, help
the equality objective defined at the outset of the
deliver the service to the women and men
project, or equality of opportunity for women
targeted?
or men?
Do those delivering the policy or service
Evaluation is the task of assessing and analysing
represent the diversity of the community
the data captured during the monitoring stage
being served?
in order to identify the success of the policy
Will the strategy for measuring customer or service.
satisfaction reflect satisfaction rates for different
To be effective, policymaking must be a learning
groups of women and men, or does it have a bias
process that involves finding out what works and
towards the views of the majority users?
what does not, taking corrective action to redress
Will the monitoring process enable the imbalances, and making sure others can learn
identification of policy benefits? from the experience. This means feeding back
the lessons learned from evaluation to other
Step five: Monitor and evaluate policy makers.
Monitoring is the continuous process of scrutiny
Questions to ask:
and examination of the impact of a policy on
women and men. It helps determine how well Is the policy promoting and delivering equality of
programmes are meeting their goals, and provides opportunity for women and men?
opportunities for improvements. Did one group receive a greater benefit than
The process of monitoring highlights the need for others? If so, how will the imbalance be
baseline statistics, against which progress towards addressed?
equality targets can be measured. Focus on Is there a need for additional data collection? Do
achieving full participation for different groups, and targets and indicators need adjusting in the light
if differentials still apply then consider taking action of experience?
to address the imbalance.
What lessons are there for improving future
Questions to ask: policies and services? Who needs to be
Were monitoring requirements specified in the informed? How is the information to be
implementation plans? presented?
Credit: Ian MacNicol
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Gender Impact Assessments
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budgeting
Gender
Different lives, different needs. Gender budgeting is a gender mainstreaming tool that
gives you bite.
Its a relatively new tool, and means asking the work at any level, from the smallest organisation
question: Where do the resources go, and what to a national government, and can involve a
impact does this have on gender inequalities? retrospective analysis or gender budget building.
By tracing the money that a government or public Gender budgeting can reveal that a programme or
body spends, you can find out how women and service isnt reaching women and men equally, and
men benefit differently from that spend. demonstrate how addressing this will result in more
efficient programmes.
Gender budgeting is a flexible tool which can
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Gender budgeting
8
Source: National Travel Survey -Transport 2000
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The GenderWorks Toolkit
Example
A school has a budget of 10,000 to improve the school playground. 100 children use the playground
50 boys and 50 girls. The children are to be involved in deciding what activities and facilities they want for
the playground, and how the money should be spent.
Table 1:
Choice Votes Boys Girls
Football 42 40 2
Seesaw 14 3 11
Marble playground 10 6 4
Hopscotch 9 0 9
Swing 7 0 7
Tennis 5 0 5
Slide 5 0 5
Table tennis 2 1 4
Climbing frame 5 0 2
Place to hang around 1 0 1
Discuss what the likely implications are for gender and the use of space if this voting system is used.
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Gender budgeting
Table 2:
Preference Votes % of budget required to Budget
provide necessary facilities
Football 42 56 5,600
Seesaw 14 19 1,900
Marbles 10 13 1,300
Hopscotch 9 12 1,200
TOTAL 75 100 10,000
Discuss what questions might be asked in relation to a gender equality impact assessment if this budget
allocation was to go ahead.
Observations:
Only half of the children 35 boys and 15 girls will be using the playground actively
The other half will be watching or waiting to play
The boys playing actively will be using 81.25 per cent of the playground
The girls playing actively will be using 18.75 per cent of the playground
From a gender perspective, discuss who will benefit most from the services provided.
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Discuss what the final outcome means for the provision of facilities and equality;
what difference has taking a gender budgeting approach made to the outcomes
for children, and to gender equality?
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Gender budgeting
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The GenderWorks Toolkit
Gender ed data
disaggregat
Gender disaggregated data is statistical information that is collected and separated by
gender in order to highlight the differences between mens and womens experiences
and behaviour. This helps decision makers understand who needs to benefit from a
programme and where resources should be targeted.
Many organisations collect information but do not Public bodies should contact the womens groups
analyse it, interpret it or act on it, all of which are in their area to discuss what data those groups
essential if there is to be a real improvement in collect and whether it could be used to help
services. decision makers understand how services are
accessed and what impact their programmes have.
Collecting local statistics and data to build up a
gender profile enables policy makers to assess For help with sourcing and collecting
the impact a programme is having on mens and gender disaggregated data, see the list
womens lives, and analyse whether it is making the of resources below.
situation better or worse for women and men.
List of resources
In the UK, national gender disaggregated data and And for more information about the womens
gender inequality statistics can be accessed via groups in your area, get in touch with a wider
the Government Equalities Office (www.equalities. network of womens organisations, for example:
gov.uk) and the Equality and Human Rights
The Womens Resource Centre
Commission (www.equalityhumanrights.com).
www.wrc.org.uk
For gender disaggregated data in Scotland, see the
The National Alliance of Womens Organisations
Scottish Household Survey, which is available from
(NAWO)
the Scottish government (www.scotland.gov.uk).
www.nawo.org.uk
In Wales, see the data produced by the Welsh
Assembly Governments Statistical Directorate
(wales.gov.uk/topics/statistics).
You could also contact the national womens
budget group in your country:
The Womens Budget Group
www.wbg.org.uk
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Gender disaggregated data
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ticipation
Par
The participation of users is essential in the design and development of effective
services. It ensures that services are developed with the needs of users in mind, and
enables decision makers to draw upon a diverse range of knowledge and expertise.
Participation is a buzzword that can have many different meanings, depending on who is using it. The
following exercise explores how the term participation is used to describe different processes.
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Participation
9
Adapted from Veneklasen, L. & V. Miller (2007), A New Weave of People, Power and Politics: The Action Guide for Advocacy and Citizen Participation,
Practical Action Publishing (page 88)
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86
Th e law
and y ou
ropean policy on
u
A guide to E er and poverty,
d
issues of gen n the UK.
i
and the law
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The GenderWorks Toolkit
p act of th e
The im n io n
Europ ean U
A guide to what difference the European Union (EU) has made and is making
to womens equality, and what mechanisms can be used to push for change.
1. On average, what is the size of the gender 4. Why are women more at risk in times
pay gap across the EU? of rising unemployment?
12 per cent 17 per cent
27 per cent 35 per cent 5. What is the proportion of women directors of
top-quoted company boards across the EU?
2. The percentage of women employees 1 per cent 3 per cent
working part-time is how much higher 6 per cent 10 per cent
than that of men?
Twice as high Four times higher 6. In how many EU member states do women
Ten times higher make up more than 30 per cent of the national
parliament? Why does it matter?
3. Who are more vulnerable to human
trafficking and gender-based violence
women or men?
Answers
1. 17 per cent. 4. Women are more at risk because they are
over-represented in precarious jobs based on
2. The percentage of women employees working
short-term contracts.
part-time in 2007 was 31.2 per cent four
times higher than for men. 5. 3 per cent.
3. Women and girls are more vulnerable to 6. Women make up more than 30 per cent of
human trafficking, and women are the main the national parliament in 11 member states.
victims of gender-based violence. This matters because 30 per cent is deemed
to be the minimum level (or critical mass)
necessary for women to exert meaningful
influence on politics.
Statistics from Report from the Commission to the Council, the European Parliament, the European Economic and Social Committee and the
10
Committee of the Regions Equality between women and men 2009 {SEC(2009) 165} /* COM/2009/0077 final */
88
The impact of the European Union
11
A Roadmap for Equality between women and men 2006-10 http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=422&langId=en
12
For example, Gender mainstreaming of employment policies: a comparative review of 30 European countries, Group of experts on Gender, Social
Inclusion and Employment (EGGSIE), Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities
Unit G1, September 2007
13
Manual for gender mainstreaming of employment policies, July 2007; manual for gender mainstreaming social inclusion and social protection policies,
both from European Commission, Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities Directorate-General
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EU Gender Equality Law, European Commission, Susanne Burri and Sacha Prechal, European Commission DG for Employment, Social Affairs and
14
90
The impact of the European Union
You might want to mention a specific issue that To read a toolkit produced by the European Anti-
you would like the NAP to address; for example, Poverty Network (EAPN) about how to engage with
domestic violence, childcare availability or the the NAP process, see:
gender pay gap. http://www.eapn.eu/content/view/296/34/lang,en/
The common objectives for the NAPs include In the UK, the NAP is produced by the Department
gender mainstreaming, which makes it possible to of Work and Pensions, see
hold governments to account for their actions. www.dwp.gov.uk
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Credit: Sonalle
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The law in the UK
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The principles
Often, public law principles are used when Public bodies must make rational and reasonable
something has gone wrong; but the principles decisions
actually make a good starting point for building
Public bodies must consult properly: consultation
a strong working relationship between womens
should be undertaken when proposals are at
organisations and the public sector.
a formative stage, with sufficient information
The principles state that: and time for those consulted to respond in
a meaningful way, and the results of any
Public bodies must take into account relevant
consultation should be taken into account when
information (and must ignore irrelevant
the public body makes its decision
information)
Public bodies should generally keep their
Public bodies must legally have the power to do
promises: if a public body has said it will do
what they are doing
something or has always done something in the
Public bodies should consider each issue past, this may create a legitimate expectation
fairly on its own merits: there should be that it will do it in the future. However, this cannot
no blanket policies prevent a public body from lawfully changing
its policies. A decision made in breach of
All decisions must be based on a fair hearing,
a legitimate expectation may be unlawful.
which includes elements such as disclosing
Individuals or organisations may also have a
relevant documents and allowing those affected
legitimate expectation that they will be consulted
to have their say
over a particular decision (see above point on
Public bodies must follow agreed procedures consultation).
Public bodies should give reasons for Public bodies must comply with all the statutory
their decisions duties that apply to them.
Public bodies must ask themselves the right
question and undertake sufficient enquiry when
deciding something
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Credit: Ian MacNicol
The law in the UK
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The law and you
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The law in the UK
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The GenderWorks Toolkit
Understanding discrimination
Understanding equality is linked to understanding The Gender Equality Duty is an example of
discrimination. Indeed, equalities legislation and this. Whereas previous legislation relied heavily
associated best practice have evolved due to on individuals taking action to challenge
the need to tackle long-standing and systematic discrimination, the Gender Equality Duty places
discrimination. a responsibility on public bodies to identify and
prevent discrimination.
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The law in the UK
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The impact of the Single Equality Bill
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102
Conclusion
Conclusion
We are stronger together!
Shared learning was at the heart of the be supported through engagement work, and the
GenderWorks project. appropriate provision of funding.
We worked with partner organisations engaged in We believe service providers must maximise
similar work across Europe to share experiences opportunities to engage with womens groups, and
and develop practice, and to jointly engage with value their input as a vital source of information
policy makers to share the findings of our learning. about the lived experiences of women in the local
area; not only because it is a duty under public law,
In our training work in the UK, we worked
but because it is best practice.
simultaneously with womens organisations and
women directly affected by poverty, and also with This toolkit and accompanying DVD provide
local authorities and policy makers who are tasked the tools and encouragement for womens
with providing services. organisations and public bodies to work together to
ensure the problems faced by women experiencing
We believe space must be created for women to
poverty are tackled more effectively.
come together, to share their experiences and give
each other the support and confidence to try to The shared learning approach acknowledges
bring about change in their community; particularly that we dont have all the answers, but is built
vulnerable and excluded women. on the belief that we can work creatively and
constructively to develop solutions together.
Space must also be created for womens groups as
a sector, both in grassroots service delivery and in We believe that by sharing our learning, we all
the planning of public services. This space must become stronger.
Credit: Ian MacNicol
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104
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106
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108
Women didnt just write the letters,
they got involved in the campaign, came
to demonstrations and so on. That
transforms them from being passive
victims to active agents of change.
Pragna Patel, Chair, Southall Black Sisters (SBS)
se pe op le power
U m effect
fo r m ax im u
p le pow e r
Use peo m ef fe ct
for max im u
Have someone co-ordinating the activism to bring people together
Involve all interested groups and individuals to reinforce the campaign
message and widen the impact
Where there are wider principles at stake, lever for change if possible
(for example, by the time SBS got to court, its campaign was no longer
about funding but about equality)
Speak to the people you are campaigning on behalf of and make sure
you give an honest account of their experiences
Be aware of your power people power really can make a difference!
he message across
Get t
rt
Build suppo
uild support
B
Build a coalition of support we are stronger together!
Forge effective alliances and team up to campaign (for
example, Object joined forces with the Fawcett Society)
Link up with sympathetic politicians and decision-makers
on the big picture issues
Make the decision-makers sit up and listen and see that
the issue is in the public interest.
Be strategic
Be strategic
Identify your strengths and opportunities and think of ways to use these
to overcome the challenges you face
Decide on the target group(s) you want to reach and consider how you
communicate with them. Develop an information database or mailing list
Respond quickly and try to keep up a fast pace to your campaigning;
politicians, the media and people generally can rapidly lose interest
Consider your options carefully; for example, negotiation versus a more
confrontational approach, such as legal action
Monitor and review the progress of the campaign, collecting feedback.
Stand firm,d
stay focuse
St an d firm ,
sta y foc u sed
Have the courage of your convictions, and dont be put
down by others who seem to have more power and control
Be clear about the desired outcome of your campaign
Remain consistent in your focus and your message(s)
Dont be tempted to take on other peoples opinions or
arguments that move you away from your goal.
ia
Use the med
se the media
U
Forge relationships with the media recognise that this is
important in terms of influencing politicians. Be very strong
with journalists
Use the media in a variety of ways: write blogs for websites
and letters to newspapers; aim for TV and radio coverage;
target local and national media as appropriate
Get the message out to the general public, build on existing
foundations and challenge old myths
Be creative and be visible the media like strong visuals.
o n o m ic Gender segregation
Money management/debt
week, 5 days a week Age discrimination (hard to access new opportunities) Lack of choices Attitude to old women
c
Fathers not contributing
e
witches, hags
-
Internalising social view
o
Inflexible male
back
gr o
Previo
us ge
nera
tion Lone parenthood Unemployment
Benefit trap
Pressure t
o provide
Housing repairs and upkeep
Socio
s r tu n ities for chi Giving up work to look after grandchildren -e
boy
s mo lopment
opp o ldren backcgonomic
g d e ve may i
n r round
i
Young c re en are e
a
C
r
arers
c ourage
d to do w
ell at school Low expectations Low p a y , p a r t-time, no c
De va l u in g o f c a re w o rk Assumption
and expe
nvo lve wo
men in c
rime
Life chances
Loo ctation s
ontinue
y r about Carin
t work e
i king c
l
e
i Special sc ar t-time caring ca r g
s
Di a b
hools
lack o
f c ho
after
young
er siblings
missing schoo Shock -a b s o r b e r for family
P
Transpor t barriers, work barriers
ro les
Cycle of
Cos t o f suppor t n
e ed s
ic e s
l Lack of education oppor tunities Younger elderly caring for older
ildre n ty Disab
abled ch nerabili ility
p
y
Pa g a
In v i s i b i lit y D i s
tional segregation
Poor emplo
Increasi ng v ul
g
n
Discrimination up a
i
O cc yment rig
e
ashier, carers
b Less income = less pension
l
l ht
e g , c s Pay g
in
w o o k
,c
& cleaning
ap
Hea lth
b s :
Women s j o
crisis
lotter y
Mor tality rate friends, par tn
er, then self
t
Pension are postc
ode
Student d e b Poor mental and emotional health a l th c Healt
He
y
h&w
t Impact on pension Less wor thy of investment
i
e th n i c
Violence
a g a in s t women r m, chronic
ellbei
ng
&
Long-te
Ra
ce
Teenag
e pregnancy
oked Over-achievin
g and ove
e a nd gender
Race
Eating disorders ing and underlo rlooked c
m ue to ra
& eth
o v
d
h ie
e r- a c it d nicity
e Ove fi c
r de
f
Assum
Sexualisa n pension
& i l d r e -
y
tion of c h ption r t y
t r of
ve
e ut numbe ded po
Sa f
n
young
girls
Assump t i o n s a b o
s & e xp e
ctations
about caring Compoun
Safet
o
i
t y & fr
a
role
t
n
e
eedom
i
e x u a l o r
Feeling u
nsafe t o wal k alone
S Threat
o f violence Violence
Coercive control
cta tio n Fear of crime and violence Sexua
l orie
Gendered expe Relationship break-ups (specific ntati
on
consequences for women) Hard to get on property ladder
Coming out (buy or rent)
Fear
Girls not encouraged in education Education (transitions) Jobs arranged around Varying ages women have children (selfish
family needs not Ignored (burden on society) Non person
towards high-paid jobs to wait and selfish not to have children) Continuing responsibility for Age makes inequalities more pronounced
Pressure to conform career development
adult children (still at home) (cumulative effect)
Grandparenting (financial strain of caring
no benefits or tax credits)
Birth to 10 11 to 21 22 to 32 33 to 42 43 to 54 55 to 65 66 to 76 77 to 87 88 onwards