The women and girls’ sector is incredible. Women-led organisations deliver critical work which supports individual women and girls and benefits wider society every day. They do this with insufficient funding, inadequate support, and too little recognition.
Rosa exists to support organisations that are led by women to improve the lives of women and girls. We are expert funders of the women and girls’ sector. We are experts because we listen to the women’s and girls’ organisations who make up our sector; we strive to raise up their voices.
Today we are publishing a report from Pro Bono Economics that Rosa commissioned to better understand the challenges facing our sector. Our previous research revealed just 1.8% of charitable funding goes to organisations run by and for women and girls. We know our sector is running on fumes while delivering vital support to women and girls at every stage of their lives. This report shows there is growing competition for funding at a time of increased need; 91% of organisations said that demand for their services had increased over the past 12 months.
The women and girls’ sector is under strain. We need to see investment in women-led organisations prioritised. Small, specialist organisations with fewer than ten employees make up more than half of the women and girls’ sector (53% compared to 25% for the wider charity sector). However, the commissioning process for valuable Government grants and public service contracts favours larger, generalist organisations. This forces small, expert organisations to compete for income from Trusts and Foundations.
This incredibly competitive environment means organisations whose resources are already stretched are spending disproportionate amounts of time applying for small amounts of short-term funding. This keeps them from their vital frontline work and creates an environment of scarcity.
Women’s and girls’ organisations have the power to drive systemic change. Change that will not only improve the lives of women and girls but that will create a more just and equitable society for everyone.
The report shows that:
- 45% of women’s and girls’ organisations would expand their influencing and advocacy work if they had more resources or funding. This priority came second only to a desire to support more women and girls by expanding service delivery (67%). Service delivery cannot be separated from advocacy and campaigning. These two strands “work hand in hand”, to address immediate needs while striving for long-term system change.
- Almost one-third (32%) of respondents indicated that the increasing complexity of need is a sector-wide concern. Many noted worries that complexity of need requires sustainable resources and well-equipped staff. Funding shortages and resource constraints threaten the ability of women and girls organisations to deliver vital support for the welfare and wellbeing of services users, including those facing additional disadvantage such as domestic abuse survivors, refugees, and asylum seekers.
It also showed us that Black and minoritised women and girls’ organisations are among the hardest hit.
- 26% of Black and minoritised women and girls’ organisations cite rising costs as a top concern, reflecting the disproportionate challenges they face. Many Black and minoritised women and girl’s organisations already operate with limited resources, and the additional financial strain threatens their ability to continue providing essential services to their communities.
Building alliances and improving shared understanding of the women and girls’ sector is essential. Responses throughout the survey highlighted the interconnected and holistic nature of the work undertaken across our sector. There is a clear appetite to build partnerships, gather data and share information to ensure the women and girls’ sector can make the biggest impact with its limited resources. Our work at Rosa is key to delivering not only funding but also unifying and amplifying the women and girls’ sector.
Rebecca Gill, CEO of Rosa said: “Women’s and girl’s organisations are vital to our society. Every single change that has benefited women over the last 200 years has been pioneered by women and girls organising and mobilising. Yet the organisations we run and rely on remain chronically underfunded. This lack of investment puts our sector at risk. And it puts women and girls at risk. Now, more than ever, the women and girls’ sector needs investment to ensure its sustainability and impact for the future.”