Written submission UK NGO CSW Alliance (SDG0030)
Executive Summary
UK NGO CSW Alliance welcomes this timely enquiry and thanks the Select Committee.
There is no evidence of general awareness of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals. It is not mentioned in the media and in Government language.
The UK Government’s and UK civil society’s contribution to the SDGs framework was integral to their inclusive content. It is crucial that this is continued to ensure the most marginalised voices are heard throughout the implementation process. The UK Government must recognise the value of its work with civil society on gender, drawing on the experience of platforms such as GADN and UK NGO CSW Alliance to ensure the diverse voices of women are heard. The full and properly resourced involvement of civil society is of paramount importance.
The Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), the Cairo Declaration of Population and Development, and the Beijing Platform for Action all acknowledge and recommend specific actions to tackle multiple discrimination that women face. The UK Government must reinforce its commitment to these agreements in its implementation of SDG5.
Goal 5 needs to be robustly implemented with the recognition that it influences the success of all others and the gender targets within all Goals must also be included in the National Action Plan.
Responsibility for implementation needs to be at the highest level possible with a specific Minister as part of the Cabinet. Departmental Ministers should champion the Goals for their area of responsibility and there must be focal points in each Government Department.
A national indicator framework is required as soon as possible to assist in identifying those furthest behind.
The UK should report, as a matter of priority, to the HLPF in 2018.
The Women and Equalities Select Committee should be established on a permanent basis.
It is vital that the media and Government give voice to the reality that gender equality needs to be at the heart of any democratic, just society. There is significant evidence that the greater the equality between women and men, the more prosperous and successful the country.
Brief introduction
Established in 2011, the UK NGO CSW Alliance is an affiliation of organisations with an interest in the UN Commission on the Status of Women and the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women. Bearing in mind that the mandate of CSW includes monitoring the implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action, the themes covering the 12 critical areas of concern plus emerging issues, there is a broad span of topics. The mandate of CSW also includes raising public awareness on these issues. Thus the Alliance is interested in the implementation of international legal instruments for women and girls, at national and international levels; public awareness of all of these; and the recognition that the work of the CSW Alliance is part of a continuing process. Its work includes the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals especially in relation to women and girls.
All the organisations involved have a strong interest in the promotion of human rights, particularly for women and girls and in the advancement and equality of women of all ages. Members include GADN, EVAW, GAPS and NAWO, domestic facing and international development organisations, thus the CSW Alliance represents a large number of organisations with massive expertise and a huge number of women and girls. Zarin Hainsworth is the elected Chair of the Alliance. There are four Vice-Chairs and a Core Group, elected by members, which acts as the Executive. NAWO acts as Secretariat for the UK NGO CSW Alliance.
The UK NGO CSW Alliance is submitting this evidence based on the range of expertise and experience gained in following the process for the development of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development by member organisations, including that of its Chair and Vice Chairs all of whom have been following this process since the closing years of the MDGs.
Q.1. How well understood are the Goals in the UK and what more can be done to promote them?
There is a lack of knowledge across the UK about the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs. There is little understanding of the universality of all the Goals and of the importance of gender mainstreaming across all the goals and throughout the 2030 Agenda.
The media have focused on other issues and there has been little lobbying of MPs by their constituents on the importance, scope and potential for transformative action through these goals.
The UK played a leading role in the development of the SDGs and 2030 Agenda, however it appears now to be well behind other European countries, including Finland and Germany, in regard to implementation, follow up and review.
There is little awareness of the global indicator framework and the need for a national indicator framework. It has been challenging to find any information or gain any reasonable response from Departments on UK specific indicators. The Government is not leading the way in raising awareness or requiring statutory bodies to lead on 2030 Agenda and the SDGs.
The UK Government needs to give a clear and understandable commitment to implement the 2030 Agenda, including the SDGs, domestically as well as in its overseas development activities and foreign policy.
Implementation, follow up and review must be located in the Cabinet Office. DFID is the natural home for overseas development activities and is not the correct place for domestic implementation. Each Department and Ministry, should have a Minister in charge of implementation, follow up and review, as well as a designated focal point.
The Office of National Statistics (ONS), needs to complete and publish the national indicator framework to complement the IAEG-SDGs developed Global Indicator framework, urgently.
Q.2. Is there consensus across Government about what the terms used in Goal 5 mean in the UK context?
It appears there is little consensus on the SDGs in general. There seems to be little understanding of Goal 5 and its targets or of any gender-related targets. It appears there is insufficient knowledge of the 2030 Agenda in its totality including about the follow-up and review processes. This will inevitably have a direct impact on the implementation of Goal 5 and gender mainstreaming across the UK.
Consultation across Government is required on the targets included in Goal 5 and other gender-related targets and what these means in the context of the UK in addition to which targets have been implemented and to what extent; what more can be done; and who has been left behind.
Q.3. What action is the UK Government taking to implement Goal 5 to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls in the UK by 2030? What more can the UK Government do to achieve this?
It appears the main focus of the UK Government on gender equality is in its overseas development where “leave no one behind” is driving aspects of its work on adolescent girls, including their education and addressing concerns such as child, early and forced marriage and female genital mutilation.
Despite questions to Ministers and offices, it has not been possible to ascertain any information of a National Action Plan either for the implementation, review and reporting of the SDGs as a whole, nor for the gender targets, nor for Goal 5.
Alliance members have suggested that the GEO should, in consultation with parliamentarians and selected civil society actors through existing groups such as the NGO CSW Alliance, begin a process to identify the extent to which each target has been implemented to date (including those with gender implications under other goals) and an action plan developed to see what more can be done with special emphasis on reaching those furthest behind first. Implementation should be measured annually against the national and global indicator framework.
There is urgent need for high quality, timely and reliable data disaggregated by income, gender, age, marital status, race, ethnicity, migration status, disability and geographic location.
In the collection and publication of this data, the key learning on what is assisting in closing the gaps must also be included.
As the issues surrounding the advancement of women and girls are inter-related, an intersectional approach is required.
The Government should sign up for the voluntary national review (VNR) process of the HLPF in 2018 and take a leadership role.
The Government needs to lead on public awareness campaigns especially using media and social media. Civil society can also play a part in ensuring that Agenda 2030 and the SDGs become more known across the UK. HMG can highlight the work it is doing, and why, through all its information channels.
To fully comply with UK obligations under CEDAW and the BPFA, an institutional mechanism for gender equality is required in the UK. This would assist in the implementation, review and reporting processes in regard to Goal 5 and the gender targets across the SDGs.
In the British Council report on how the UK Government is meeting the challenge of the SDGs, it is said that the Government machinery for women's engagement has reduced since the abolition of the WNC in 2010 and since then there has been no unified voice to government. Members are of the view that it is essential that this vacuum is filled. Members of the CSW Alliance have asked that it be accorded recognition as this entity.
The world’s population is ageing at an unprecedented rate, presenting new opportunities and challenges. Ensuring wise implementation of SDG 5 will ensure the capacities of older women are contributed to the common good.
Gender-based discrimination intersects with discrimination on the grounds of other characteristics, including age. Gender-based inequalities also compounded in older age, creating new and distinct forms of discrimination. Addressing gender-based inequalities throughout the life course will help the UK Government to achieve SDG targets. For example, the provision of social protection including universal social pensions is key to the economic empowerment of women of all ages, and will help to meet goal 1 to eradicate poverty.
The UK Government needs to ensure the SDGs’ pledge of implementing nationally appropriate social protection floors is enshrined in UK policy and practice. This should include non-contributory social pensions which do not discriminate according to labour market patterns or contributory records.
The UK Government should extend the Equality Act 2010 to bringing claims on multiple grounds of discrimination. Section 14 should be brought into force immediately, enabling people to bring combined discrimination claims. It should repeal prohibitive tribunal fees for discrimination claims.
Action to end violence against women and girls must respond to violence at every stage of women’s lives.
The UK Government must reiterate its commitment to the Step It Up Campaign and confirm how it will contribute by early 2017.
The UK Government needs to establish mechanisms to engage with the devolved administrations and local government including co-ordination of SDG implementation, review and reporting.
Q.3 (i) What more do individual government departments need to do to prioritise Goal 5 targets? What practical steps need to be taken?
Each government department should identify all targets related to gender equality and women’s empowerment that are within its remit, including those in Goal 5 and develop their action plans for their implementation and achievement. Civil society organizations should be involved in this process, including making commitments to implementation.
An integrated strategy is required as the goals are interrelated for women and girls. For example, violence against women is a health issue but it also falls within the remit of the Justice Department. In addition housing, poverty, employment, education, skills, culture and stereotypes, portrayals in the media, all impact the increasing violence against women and girls. If 5.2 is to be reached, all policies and programmes regarding ending violence against women and girls need to be dovetailed.
The Department for Education could create and implement strategies to generate greater understanding of the goals and why they are important in formal and informal education channels.
The Department of Work and Pensions and those relating to women and work need to ensure 5.1 and 5.a are implemented especially in relation to older women. While the UK gender pay gap is closing for younger women, it starts to widen around the time that many women have children and then persists. Women in their 50s experience the highest pay gap compared to men of the same age and this affects their financial security both while working and in retirement.
DFID and FCO need to continue and develop their excellent work with civil society and ensure the implementation of SDG 5 and the gendered targets in the other Goals. The power of women to act transformatively in relation to the eradication of poverty and the development of peace and avoidance of conflict needs to be recognised, with Government Departments actively seeking collaboration with civil society experts in pursuance of a more peaceful and prosperous world for all.
Q.4. What resourcing is in place for the implementation of Goal 5? Is further resourcing required?
We are unaware of any resourcing currently in place for the implementation of Goal 5.
Resourcing is required for a strong institutional mechanism with civil society as well as the establishment of the Women and Equalities Select Committee on a permanent basis. Resources will be required to implement the action plan for Goal 5 and other related gender targets and the action plan should be costed, recognizing as a priority to reach those further behind first.
UK indicators should include funding for women’s organisations as a means to implementing aspects of Goal 5 plus gendered targets in all the other Goals.
Q.5. How effective is coordination and leadership across UK government departments on implementing Goal 5? Is a single point of responsibility preferable to delegated responsibility across departments, and who should lead?
It appears the current mechanisms in place are ineffective. It has not been possible to obtain a plan for implementation of Goal 5 or the gender aspects of Goal 10 from GEO. It has not been possible to obtain the names of the Departments responsible for the gender targets of any of the Goals. Letters to Ministers on the SDGs remain unanswered. It appears Government Departments are unable to draft a plan as they do not yet know on what basis success will be measured as no indicator framework is in place. As it is now more than a year since Agenda 2030 was launched, and as other countries do have plans, it would seem that the UK has lost leadership in this area.
A suggestion from our members is that there should be a Cabinet Office Minister, as well as Ministers in all Departments with responsibility for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. There should also be a focal point in each Department of Government. There must be robust communication between Departments to ensure gender mainstreaming and accountability, as well as with civil society. An example of good practice is the work of the GEO in regard to CSW and its interaction with civil society through the UK NGO CSW Alliance.
Q.6. What monitoring mechanisms are in place to measure progress in the UK against Goal 5 and how can these be improved?
Globally there is a good monitoring process through the work of the HLPF and the global indicator framework. This system of reporting through the voluntary national reports is strengthened through other existing mechanisms such as to the Human Rights Council Universal Periodic Review (UPR), CEDAW and other human rights instruments. This could be augmented by an Annual Report on Goal 5 and gender mainstreaming of the 2030 Agenda in the UK. The report should be developed with the full involvement of civil society who should also be involved in its presentation. One example is Finland at the 2016 HLPF.
Q.7. Which targets under Goal 5 are the most difficult to measure progress against? How can the Government ensure that the hard to measure targets are not neglected?
A national indicator framework will ensure that no targets are neglected.
Target 5.6 is hard to measure. Sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights is an important target for gender equality and women’s empowerment and consultations should be undertaken by the National Statistical Office to consider how it can be measured robustly across the UK.
Members of women’s organisations globally are certain that qualitative measures need to be used to fully understand the lived experience of women and girls. The use of real case studies is an important tool in ensuring that hard to measure targets are not neglected.
Combatting one issue may not succeed if another is left unquestioned. For example: the gender pay gap. In order to reduce the pay gap, there is a need for a number of consecutive measures including: quality, affordable child care; part-time work well paid work; improved power relations within the family and household affecting whether men take parental leave; ensuring women returners do not fall behind in seniority and training resulting in fair pension prospects; stereotypes reinforced in all media etc. Thus an integrated NAP is required.
Target 5.2. requires leadership and vision and a real belief in equality. Recent changes in global politics indicate the hidden feelings of xenophobia and misogyny have found a voice and there has been an immediate increase in violence. Unless society, through its leaders and the media, exhibit zero tolerance for discrimination, women and girls will suffer violence. A symptom of the gains of the profit motive can be seen in the rise of pornography. Ever more readily accessible pornography is adversely influencing the understanding of young people (and adults) to sexual relations, with growing serious outcomes for girls at school as well as all women. Full protection of women from the violence of sexual exploitation is essential.
Q.8. Which targets/issues under Goal 5 have been hardest to make progress on and why? Which require a greater emphasis?
The UK has made progress on targets under Goal 5 and other gender-related targets, in comparison to many countries. The question is on what criteria to judge success. If the criteria is “what is possible in the UK” then there is much still to be achieved.
There is a need for full disaggregated data, including marital status. UK relevant indicators are urgently required so that assessments can be carried out, after which, the greatest gaps will become evident- where first focus should be given.
Considering the UK demographic, it is vital that the needs of older women are recognised. As the younger generation will be bearing the most burden of supporting an aging population, it is also vital that they be made aware of the SDGs and provided with the best capacity building education and training to face the challenges of the future. Widows and female headed households and women and girls from BME communities continue to face multiple discrimination.
Members of the youth caucus undertook research among young women on Goal 5 and gender related goals and provided the following feedback -
(5.2.)Proportion of women and girls (aged 15-49) subjected to sexual violence by persons other than an intimate partner, since age 15: “Refugee women and girls face big risks of gender based violence, therefore this target must be used to lower these risks. We think this could be helped by having increased safety and security for displaced women in refugee camps, such as female staff they can turn to and talk to.”
(5.6.) Proportion of countries with laws and regulations that guarantee all women and adolescents access to sexual and reproductive health services: 'We believe that goal 5.6 is really important for stopping violence against refugee women as these women and girls face dangers such as FGM, trafficking and rape. Refugee women must be able to get physical and mental help in refugee camps. If governments tell these women their sexual and reproductive rights and allow them to access them, then refugee women will be able to start building new lives.”
(Goal 6.2.) Percentage of population using safely managed sanitation services: “Governments must make sure that refugee camps have flushing toilets, private toilet and shower cubicles and access to sanitary products. Refugee women can be at risk of violence if sanitation facilities are shared, and if they don't have access to products like tampons then they won't be able to get involved in normal day to day life.”
Members raised concerns on 5.1. WPD stated, “Our UK policies must be evaluated and monitored to ensure that they do not have a negative impact on the status of women in overseas. This means foreign and aid policy, trade and industry, and administration of our asylum and immigration processes.” There is concern that female migrants in the UK suffer from discrimination especially where they are survivors of sexual violence. Implementation of the SDGs must be dovetailed with other international legal instruments. The adoption of the SDGs provides a renewed focus on the rights of migrant women in the UK especially those experiencing violence and torture, many of whom are widows.
In regard to 5.2, the SDGs offer an opportunity to take a new approach to tackling gender-based violence that recognises the diversity of women and their experiences. The International Violence Against Women Survey (up to the age of 69) and the European Fundamental Rights Agency (up to the age of 74), shows that physical and sexual violence against women continues across the life cycle into older age.
Some members are of the view that 5.3 is the most difficult as it requires a changing of mindset. More work needs to be done to change attitudes of, for example, men and boys, institutions and corporations.
In regard to 5.4. Global trends have left many older people, especially women, caring for other family members. Austerity measures hit women harder. Funding for social care services has decreased. Due to the tendency for women to take on the bulk of care responsibilities, it is women who will pick up the shortfall by providing unpaid care. As in other countries, older women in the UK are overall more likely to be carers than older men; most informal carers are women aged 50 and over and they tend to provide care for longer hours.
Age caps have now been removed from target 5.6.2 to monitor progress of sexual and reproductive healthcare. It is essential to communicate information on healthcare to women of all ages and to ensure that older women are able to access it.
In regard to 5.a., many women (and men) continue working long into older age because they do not have a sufficient income from their pension. As women live longer than men, they need to maintain their income streams for longer. Pension system designs can have serious consequences for gender equality. For example, the equalisation of the UK state pension age has a disproportionate impact on women, and particularly those born in the 1950s. There are particular concerns for widows, single women and people who have not worked formally, including carers, due to new rules around the number of qualifying years of work.
In summary – all the targets are important and interlinked.
Q.9. What role do the private and third sector have to play in achieving Goal 5 in the UK and how effectively are these roles supported by the Government?
The process for the development of the 2030 Agenda and its follow up and review call, through the HLPF, for the full involvement of civil society in all aspects. Civil society organisations therefore should be involved proactively and be fully engaged as well as producing shadow reports. This will require proper resourcing of groupings such as the NGO CSW Alliance. Finland, for example, is integrating CSOs in Government led implementation and follow up as well as in the review and presenting of their report.
There are numerous examples of the reach and effectiveness of civil society in implementing global goals. One example is that of the NAWO YWA that has been raising awareness of the SDGs, focusing on Goal 5, and enabling young women to raise capacity in their peers and those younger than themselves too.
One member met with a district youth council. As a result not only do those young people know about the SDGs but are taking that information to share with all the schools in the region. They have a femsoc in their school where they have researched Goal 5 and they are encouraging the formation of such entities in other schools across the region.
One member held an event on 5.3. She said, “Discussion about these issues in school highlighted the lack of general understanding on these topics…The tendency to ‘other’ people, and classify those from certain groups within society as inherently different, is extremely obstructive to the achievement of the SDGs. Prevention rather than prosecution: improved statutory gender-based violence training for public sector workers -particularly social services, education, policing and NHS staff is required. It was inspiring to see how passionately my peers will support an end to harmful misogynistic practices when they understand them. Socially, Britain is often considered to be post-sexism, however accounts of harassment and violence embedded in the British female experience acts to disprove this…”
Another member said of 5.2: “Schools have a responsibility to include detailed content on consent and abuse as part of the curriculum for all students. If the population had a better understanding of what constitutes abusive behaviour, this would significantly reduce the proportion of violence against women which takes place within a relationship. Schools should also take seriously educating young people on how to campaign for what they feel is important.”
One member undertook a survey of students in regard to 5.2.: “Whilst 77% of respondents knew of someone who had experienced domestic violence, nearly half of them did not know where to get help if they were victims themselves…A large problem is that many young people just simply do not have access to information about domestic violence. A third of those who responded to my survey said that they had received no information about domestic violence at school. Whilst it is compulsory for schools to provide 2 ½ hours of PSHE teaching a fortnight, there is no requirement to talk about domestic violence.”
Partnerships between all sections of society are key to the SDGs being transformative. In general members of the Alliance, whilst valuing the close engagement with GEO in regards to CSW and, in the past, the GADN with DFID, GAPS with FCO/DFID etc, are concerned that there is a prevalent attitude to silo issues in regard to women and girls. Different departments will consult or meet with very specific groups; women of faith, business women, development women etc. This does not take into account the intersection of issues and the need to work in a holistic way. If there is to be an effective and sustainable collaboration between civil society and Government, an integrated strategy is required and this does not appear to be the current thinking. The role of civil society is not well supported across Government. With more funding GEO would be better positioned to work across the year with groupings such as the CSW Alliance and others, on implementation of all the aspects of Agenda 2030 in regard to women and girls in addition to funding for women’s organisations as previously mentioned.
Q.10. What examples of good practice are there in the UK or abroad, for implementing and monitoring progress against these and other global targets? How effectively does the UK Government learn from such practice?
Implementation, follow up and review in Finland and Germany, includes civil society and can be considered by the UK Government in the context of the 2030 Agenda. They can use existing groupings as the Bond SDG Group, and the UK Stakeholders Forum and the UK NGO CSW Alliance.
The Canadian Immigration Board requests information from international CSOs who focus either on a particular category of women, or have, through their partners overseas, capacity to obtain specialist information on the status and treatment of women in their communities. (They have sought expertise from WPD on widows for example in cases where they have widows applying for asylum on the grounds of actual or threatened violence, as is so common in across Africa, South Asia, the Middle East). The CIB determination of such cases then cites the source of the information, thus helping to raise awareness of issues relating to women's status hitherto hidden and ignored. Using the resources and knowledge of UK based international women's NGOs would greatly improve the Government procedures and its reputation for fairness and gender sensitivity.
Other European countries have ratified the Istanbul Convention. This will achieve comprehensive legal protection against violence to women and girls and assist in 5.2. The Joint Committee on Human Rights has stated that the UK Government could harm its international reputation as a leader on tackling violence against women by failing to ratify the Istanbul Convention. The UK Government should confirm that this issue is now a priority, set out a timetable and outline how it will co-ordinate its activity with the devolved administrations on the issue of extraterritorial jurisdiction.
It is not clear if the UK Government learns from examples of best practice.