Response to GEO consultation: Strengthening Women’s Voices in Government

Summary

The Commission welcomes the opportunity to respond the GEO consultation on Strengthening Women’s Voices in Government. We have not responded to the questions as set out in the consultation document, as these are directed primarily at individual women and the women’s sector. We would, however, like to offer a view on the current proposals, highlighting useful sources of guidance and evidence.

Key points

  • The Commission greatly valued the role of the Women’s National Commission in providing support and an independent voice for women’s organisations, and the means to identify key priorities for action. The new model needs to ensure that independence is retained.
  • The Commission is concerned that the dependence on a new IT platform as the central mechanism for engaging with individual women and women’s organisations may unintentionally exclude certain equality groups. We are also concerned that this mechanism may not allow meaningful two-way communication, and would recommend that co-ownership of the IT platform through a small board, including representatives of the women’s sector, would be more effective.
  • The Commission would like to see the proposals take into account the government’s European and international obligations with regard to gender equality, including inter alia, under the Convention of the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), the Commission on the Status of Women Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, the EU gender equality directives, EU Women’s charter 2010 and EU Strategy for equality between women and men 2010- 2015. The Women’s Convention requires states parties to consult and incorporate the advice of women’s groups.
  • The Commission is therefore concerned that the consultation does not adequately take account of the need to replace the role played by the Women’s National Commission in the international sphere. In particular, we would like to see more clarity on how the women’s sector will be enabled to input to the CEDAW and CSW processes and retain the ability to comment independently on the progress made by government.
  • The Commission draws the government’s attention to other examples of best practice on engagement with stakeholders, such as the approach of the Office for Disability Issues and of the Scottish Executive.
  • The Commission sets out the key challenges and priority areas for gender equality in the UK, drawing on evidence provided from the Commission’s triennial review ‘How fair is Britain’.

Download

Strengthening Women’s Voices in Government (Word)

Last Updated: 13 Jun 2011