Lynn Carvill. NI Women s Budget Group ICTU Joint Women s Committee Seminar September 2017

Transcription

1 Lynn Carvill NI Wmen s Budget Grup ICTU Jint Wmen s Cmmittee Seminar September 2017

2 The NI Wmen s Budget Grup Nrthern Ireland the Devlutin cntext Prtecting wmen and children in Welfare Refrm The future.

3 The NI Wmen s Budget Grup cnsists f individuals frm varius backgrunds wh want t ensure that the gender implicatins f budgets and spending plans in NI are fully scrutinised. We will examine hw taxpayers mney is spent and highlight the differential impacts this has n men and wmen. The NI Wmen s Budget Grup aims t encurage the NI Executive and Assembly t ensure a prper and transparent budgetary prcess is in place and that gender analysis is used t imprve its plicy making and spending plans.

4 1998 Peace prcess A sciety emerging frm cnflict an nging prcess and jurney Parallel issues with ther scieties mving frm cnflict gender equality is nt high n the agenda. D hndt system f gvernment all main parties in gvernment and n fficial ppsitin this changed fr a shrt time in the last mandate. Implicatins fr gender equality Gender Equality Strategy devised during direct rule perid (2005) Previusly hused in the The Executive Office where decisins need t be agreed jintly by the tw largest parties with ppsing views In last mandate GES has mved t the Department fr Cmmunities decisins will be made by 1 Minister.

5 All Party grup n Wmen, Peace and Security Examining issues affecting wmen in the cntext f UN Security Cuncil Reslutin secretariat prvided by NI Wmen s Eurpean Platfrm Wmen s Caucus Prir t the cllapse f the Assembly, a crss-party Wmen s Caucus was established. UK gender quality architecture Other 3 natins have single architecture f the Gender Equalities Office NI equality mechanism is nt GEO but the Department fr Cmmunities. GEO still respnsible fr CEDAW and CSW

6 NI gvernment is nt functinal (Previusly) Calitin gvernment requiring cnsensus leading t delays and vets Majr hld-up n agreeing a budget in 2015 due t irrecncilable differences in relatin t welfare refrm decisins. Currently, n Assembly, n Prgramme fr Gvernment and n budget NI budgetary prcess: 2011 Budget Budget PFG EQIA (rather than) EQIA - PFG - Budget Very difficult fr NIWBG t intervene in budgetary prcesses. Main bstacles are a lack f plitical cmmitment, current cnstraint n public finance and abslute lack f transparency in the budgetary prcess

7 NIWBG was reinvigrated in 2011 in respnse t the clear and disprprtinate impact f welfare refrm prpsals n wmen Key welfare refrm issues: Recgnitin that the aim was t reduce the scial security and welfare safety net. Particularly cncerned abut the gendered impact f the implementatin f Universal Credit prpsal a) paid int bank accunt f ne persn in the husehld b) paid mnthly rather than frtnightly c.) calculated t incentivise wrk at husehld level and therefre disincentivised secnd earners (wmen)

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9 Wmen have never been in the same ecnmic psitin as men and while the recessin and its aftermath are difficult fr everyne, wmen are less well psitined than men t weather the crisis bth in relatin t its immediate pressure and in the lnger term

10 This reprt examined the impact f the financial crisis and austerity measures f grups f wmen: Yung wmen Older wmen Lne parents Migrant wmen It als examined in-depth the impact f welfare refrm prpsals n wmen prviding a rbust evidence base fr mitigatin advcacy

11 Members f the NI Wmen s Budget Grup and Wmen s ad hc Plicy grup presented strng evidence twice t the Cmmittee n Scial Develpment Attendance at all plitical party cnferences Preparatin and disseminatin f accessible plicy papers n the issues t all MLAs and cuncillrs Raising the issue n plitical media prgrammes finally, thrugh the Reclaim the Agenda grup wmen prtested n the streets

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16 The result f all the verall campaign was: The DSD Minister initiated a range f mitigatins including: Universal Credit can be paid as a split payment Universal Credit will be paid frtnightly rather than mnthly

17 Having a rbust evidence base A wide range f service prviders/advcates lbbying Direct access t pliticians Grassrts invlvement

18 Key issues: Intrductin f reduced crpratin tax Childcare prvisin Apprenticeships and training Scial care Cmmissining research n the changing nature f wrk and advcating fr a Wmen s Emplyment Strategy

19 Thank yu fr listening..