· Community Engagement Manager, Housing and Neighbourhood Services, Neighbourhood and Adult Services Directorate, to report.
Minutes:
Consideration was given to the presentation of the Community Engagement Manager (Community Engagement, Housing and Neighbourhood Services, Neighbourhood and Adult Services Directorate) relating to the Council’s Women’s Strategy.
The presentation provided an overview of the Strategy, the achievements made, areas for improvement and the progress from a stakeholder seminar that had taken place. The presentation ended by opening the area up for discussion about future developments.
The information shared included: -
· Context: -
o Many policies and frameworks were ‘gender blind’ and did not include an assessment of the different needs of men and women;
o Issues including the Government’s Welfare Reform programme were expected to have implications for women and children;
o The Women’s Strategy was a framework devised to guide and influence the Council’s Partners;
o It was intended that the Women’s Strategy would add value to existing policies and frameworks;
o The EoC report (2006) stated that: ‘Women are frequently disadvantaged by policies and practices that do not recognise their greater caring responsibilities, the different pattern of their working lives, their more limited access to resources and their greater vulnerability to domestic violence and sexual assault.’
· Achievements: -
o Events championing women;
o Bespoke support for women to facilitate business and entrepreneur opportunities, pre-employment advice and training to help women to access employment opportunities;
o Financial inclusion;
o The annual International Women’s Day conference;
o Rotherham Women’s Network, including maternity provision and town centre accessibility;
o Support to make environments safer;
o Contribution to Adult Safeguarding policies and procedures;
o Training in relation to Domestic Abuse;
o RMBC policies now included the following provisions where appropriate: - the facility to access the same gender interpreter, women-only sessions for major consultation sessions and mandatory training/e-learning.
· Areas for improvement: -
o Working with the Private Sector to encourage adoption of policies within the Women’s Strategy;
o On-going work on adoption of safety enhancing measures;
o Existence of some information gaps, including baseline and impact measurements;
o Funding for projects;
o Communication of the project and securing ownership by all partners.
· Three priorities of the Women’s Strategy: -
1. Provide opportunities for women to participate in learning and employment;
2. Make Rotherham a place where women feel safe and are safe in all situations;
3. Providing opportunities for women to achieve a healthy lifestyle and physical and mental wellbeing.
· Five cross-cutting actions: -
1. Ensuring women’s voice and influence in local decision making;
2. Promoting equality for all women;
3. Building women’s self-esteem and self-confidence;
4. Providing women only space and events;
5. Improving communications and information.
· Next steps: -
o Follow-up actions from the working-group held as part of the International Women’s Day Conference;
o Continue to pursue funding streams to support the aims of the Women’s Strategy;
o Continue with the Women’s Network to create an action plan.
Discussion ensued on the information presented: -
· Councillors had attended events arranged by the Women’s Network;
· Engaging with all members of the community;
· Utilising existing networks within Rotherham, including sporting networks.
Resolved: - (1) That the presentation be received and the information noted.
(2) That the actions of the working group held as part of the International Women’s Day conference be followed- up.
(3) That funding streams be pursued in support of the aims of the Women’s Strategy.
(4) That an action plan be produced to inform the next steps of the Women’s Strategy.