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why women?

Women’s voluntary and community organisations provide free, and often life saving, services to women from all walks of life and lobby for better laws to end discrimination against women.

But many of these organisations are in danger of being closed down.

The why women? campaign is speaking up for women’s organisations, who do great work for women and society as a whole, but are under threat from lack of funding. We are calling on the government to put gender back on the agenda by:

acknowledging the systematic disadvantage women face because of their gender, and
publicly recognising the essential services and expertise the women's voluntary and community sector provides

Why women-only?

WRC have launched the second phase of their why women? campaign with the release of their new research "Why women-only? The value and benefit of by women, for women services".

This timely report sets out why women-only services are still relevant and much in demand, despite a common misconception that they are no longer needed because we have achieved women’s equality.

Write to Phil Hope and Harriet Harman

It is important to build relationships with the government to ensure they are knowledgeable about the value of the women’s voluntary and community sector, as well as the worsening funding crisis that is resulting in the closure of women’s organisations across the UK.

We need to keep women on the agenda and so we would urge you to write to either the Minister for the Third Sector, Phil Hope MP, who has taken over Ed Miliband’s position, or the Minister for Women, Harriet Harman and let them know:

why the women’s voluntary and community sector is so important to you/your service-users
that we are facing a worsening funding crisis and action needs to be taken NOW, with funding provision specifically to help save women’s organisations from more closures and cutbacks. (This is especially affecting sexual violence organisations).
that we need sustainable, long-term funding, not just ‘quick-fixes’
how important it is to change the ‘no recourse to public funds’ rule which stops women with insecure immigration status, such as asylum seekers, trafficked women and migrant domestic workers from accessing public funds, even if they need to leave a violent relationship. Refuges are being forced to turn women away or fund their places out of the organisation’s reserves, and the women are often forced to stay in violent situations. This is a human rights issue that urgently needs addressing.

It would be great if you could write your own individual letter, but if you’re strapped for time, we have written template letters that you are more than welcome to use.

Template letter for Phil Hope

Template letter for Harriet Harman

Please let us know if you send a letter or receive a response.

Please address your letters to the Right Honourable Phil Hope MP, Office of the Third Sector, 35 Great Smith Street, London, SW1P 3BQ (hopep@parliament.uk) or Harriet Harman QC MP, Minister for Women, House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA (harmanh@parliament.uk)

We are on Facebook!

If you are member of this highly addictive social networking site, why not join the why women? group here. It’s a great way of meeting other why women? supporters with a message board and more details of WRC’s campaign.

Click here to sign up to support the campaign

Campaign recommendations (word document)

FAQs

What are women's organisations?

Why a campaign about women's organisations?

What does this campaign want to change?

How can I help?

The why women? campaign is part of the Women's Resource Centre's work to support the women's voluntary and community sector.

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