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| Women disproportionately affected by austerity, charities warn | Women disproportionately affected by austerity, charities warn |
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| The UK risks widening gender inequality because of austerity policies that disproportionately affect women, a coalition of charities has warned. | The UK risks widening gender inequality because of austerity policies that disproportionately affect women, a coalition of charities has warned. |
| Cuts to social security, the public sector and legal aid will only worsen women’s position in British society, the charities say, while proposals for a five-year lock on tax rises will benefit men over women. Those factors in combination mean that women will bear the brunt of measures to pay off the deficit, they argue. | Cuts to social security, the public sector and legal aid will only worsen women’s position in British society, the charities say, while proposals for a five-year lock on tax rises will benefit men over women. Those factors in combination mean that women will bear the brunt of measures to pay off the deficit, they argue. |
| The warning comes from A Fair Deal for Women, an umbrella group of 11 women’s rights charities, including Women’s Aid, the Fawcett Society, the Women’s Resource Centre and Rape Crisis . | The warning comes from A Fair Deal for Women, an umbrella group of 11 women’s rights charities, including Women’s Aid, the Fawcett Society, the Women’s Resource Centre and Rape Crisis . |
| They point out that last year Britain fell to 26th place on the World Economic Forum’s Gender Gap Index – lower than almost all its European neighbours. “Without swift action to address women’s inequality in all areas, we could see the UK falling even lower,” said Florence Burton, a spokeswoman for the group. | They point out that last year Britain fell to 26th place on the World Economic Forum’s Gender Gap Index – lower than almost all its European neighbours. “Without swift action to address women’s inequality in all areas, we could see the UK falling even lower,” said Florence Burton, a spokeswoman for the group. |
| A Fair Deal for Women raised the alarm after Wednesday’s Queen’s speech launched the first stage of the Tories’ austerity agenda. | A Fair Deal for Women raised the alarm after Wednesday’s Queen’s speech launched the first stage of the Tories’ austerity agenda. |
| Caroline Lucas, the Green party MP for Brighton Pavilion, said: “What we are increasingly seeing is that austerity perpetuates gender inequality. We ought to be tackling inequality head on to build a strong, fair and successful economy; indeed equality and economic policy should go hand in hand. | Caroline Lucas, the Green party MP for Brighton Pavilion, said: “What we are increasingly seeing is that austerity perpetuates gender inequality. We ought to be tackling inequality head on to build a strong, fair and successful economy; indeed equality and economic policy should go hand in hand. |
| “Nobody who advocates the kinds of public-spending cuts we’ve been served up, with their disproportionately negative impact on women in particular, can justifiably claim to be an advocate of equal rights for men and women or of an economy that works for all.” | “Nobody who advocates the kinds of public-spending cuts we’ve been served up, with their disproportionately negative impact on women in particular, can justifiably claim to be an advocate of equal rights for men and women or of an economy that works for all.” |
| Related: These children of Thatcher are free to cut, cut, cut – and they’re loving every minute | Polly Toynbee | Related: These children of Thatcher are free to cut, cut, cut – and they’re loving every minute | Polly Toynbee |
| Money-saving proposals in the Queen’s speech included reducing the household benefits cap to £23,000 a year, freezing most benefits and tax credits for two years, and removing housing support from 18- to 21-year-olds. | Money-saving proposals in the Queen’s speech included reducing the household benefits cap to £23,000 a year, freezing most benefits and tax credits for two years, and removing housing support from 18- to 21-year-olds. |
| The government sweetened the pill with a five-year lock on tax rises including VAT, income tax and national insurance, as well as the extension of the right-to-buy scheme to housing association tenants. But Burton said the government had put forward economic policies that did not work for women. | The government sweetened the pill with a five-year lock on tax rises including VAT, income tax and national insurance, as well as the extension of the right-to-buy scheme to housing association tenants. But Burton said the government had put forward economic policies that did not work for women. |
| “Putting a five-year lock on raising taxes is a policy that benefits men over women, whilst further austerity measures – like cutting benefits – are detrimental to women and their children, placing them in high risk of poverty,” she said. | “Putting a five-year lock on raising taxes is a policy that benefits men over women, whilst further austerity measures – like cutting benefits – are detrimental to women and their children, placing them in high risk of poverty,” she said. |
| “Choosing to repay the deficit from cutting spending, rather than increasing taxation, serves to further entrench inequality and led to women paying off 79% of the deficit in the previous government. | “Choosing to repay the deficit from cutting spending, rather than increasing taxation, serves to further entrench inequality and led to women paying off 79% of the deficit in the previous government. |
| “We worry that freezing child benefit, tax credits, and lowering the household cap on benefits will further cement women’s poverty – especially as there was no commitment to instate a living wage.” | “We worry that freezing child benefit, tax credits, and lowering the household cap on benefits will further cement women’s poverty – especially as there was no commitment to instate a living wage.” |
| Cuts to government spending and services by the Tory-Liberal Democrat coalition government had already hurt women, said Fair Deal. Half of housing benefit recipients are single women, while one in four women are in low-paid and insecure work. | Cuts to government spending and services by the Tory-Liberal Democrat coalition government had already hurt women, said Fair Deal. Half of housing benefit recipients are single women, while one in four women are in low-paid and insecure work. |
| The number of lone parents claiming jobseeker’s allowance rose from 7,000 in 2008 to 159,000 in 2013. Nine out of 10 single parents are women. Those factors leave them particularly vulnerable to spending cuts. | The number of lone parents claiming jobseeker’s allowance rose from 7,000 in 2008 to 159,000 in 2013. Nine out of 10 single parents are women. Those factors leave them particularly vulnerable to spending cuts. |
| In 2014, the UK slipped eight places down the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) gender gap index. At 26, it is now placed below most European countries, the United States and even the Philippines. | In 2014, the UK slipped eight places down the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) gender gap index. At 26, it is now placed below most European countries, the United States and even the Philippines. |
| The WEF said the UK’s slip was down to a falling score on “economic participation”. But the UK also failed to reach the top 20 in any of the report’s four categories – economy, education, health and politics. | The WEF said the UK’s slip was down to a falling score on “economic participation”. But the UK also failed to reach the top 20 in any of the report’s four categories – economy, education, health and politics. |
| Fair Deal argues that women remain under-represented in the top levels of British society and are still well under-represented in parliament despite record numbers recently coming to office. “Perhaps it is women’s woefully low representation in the top positions in our society that means they have become the load bearers of austerity,” Burton said. | Fair Deal argues that women remain under-represented in the top levels of British society and are still well under-represented in parliament despite record numbers recently coming to office. “Perhaps it is women’s woefully low representation in the top positions in our society that means they have become the load bearers of austerity,” Burton said. |
| Prof Danny Dorling from Oxford University, whose work includes research on inequality, said: “The pain has not been spread evenly and the pain to come will not be. Women suffer disproportionately from the way the cuts have been chosen. Other choices could have been made and still could be made.” | Prof Danny Dorling from Oxford University, whose work includes research on inequality, said: “The pain has not been spread evenly and the pain to come will not be. Women suffer disproportionately from the way the cuts have been chosen. Other choices could have been made and still could be made.” |
| A government spokeperson said: “Social justice is at the heart of this Queen’s Speech and it will allow the government to continue its work in eradicating gender inequality. | |
| “There are more women in work than ever before, and the gender pay gap has fallen to its lowest level on record. As part of our long-term economic plan we are taking difficult decisions in the fairest way possible, protecting services for the most vulnerable and focusing resources where they are most needed and most effective. | |
| “Doubling the amount of free childcare available to working parents will help more women back into work while four million couples will benefit from a £1,000 transferable tax allowance from 2015, with stay-at-home mothers and women who work part-time being the main beneficiaries.” |