Sexual harassment – and the fear of it – are significant factors putting young women off considering careers in some male-dominated professions. Now four UK women’s organisations are working to tackle the power imbalance with a grant from The Justice and Equality Fund’s Now’s the Time programme, managed by Rosa and supported by TIME’S UP UK.
Welsh charity Chwarae Teg has joined forces with England’s The Fawcett Society, Scotland-based Close the Gap, and Women’s Resource and Development Agency from Scotland. Together they have formed a coalition founded on the belief that inequality creates a culture in which sexual harassment is normalised and can go unchallenged.
The focus of Now’s the Time is on preventing sexual harassment, rather than relying on victims coming forward to report sensitive and traumatic experiences which leave them vulnerable. Speaking to the South Wales Argus, Chwarae Teg’s Cerys Furlong explained the group’s work would provide “real, tangible tools for employers to use” with a view of eliminating the problem.
Another goal of theirs is to make it easier for women to report issues and look at the challenges that leave women targets of sexual harassment, such as ethnicity. They will also research how employers, managers, and employees view current experiences, promote a proactive and responsive culture, and positively develop workplace environments.
Chairwoman of the project’s steering committee, Marai Larasi, said it was about putting “building blocks” in place for a more equal society.
“In the last two years we have seen unprecedented attention being given to violence against women and girls, including sexual harassment,” she added.
“We are determined to not lose that momentum. If we are to end sexual harassment, we need widespread cultural change.”
This month, government ministers announced plans to survey thousands of victims of sexual harassment to strengthen protections for workers. Victims of sexual harassment are being urged to share their experiences in what the Government Equalities Office has described as one of the largest surveys of its kind ever to be carried out. Its aim is to allow victims to have an impact on government policy, and ensure those policies are targeted in the right places.
Victoria Atkins, minister for women, said: “Sexual harassment is wrong and survivors must be able to share their stories. This survey will help us build a clear picture of who is affected and where. Working together with business, we can stamp it out.”
Rosa exists to amplify the voices of women and girls in the UK, and through its Health & Wellbeing pillar aims to tackle the most pressing issues faced by those from a cross-section of backgrounds. Ahead of Everywoman Day on September 3 – which draws attention to everyday women doing extraordinary things to manage the challenges of reproductive health conditions – Rosa asked ovarian cancer charity Ovacome to spotlight the disease’s symptoms and dispel its myths.
As rates of ovarian cancer diagnoses increase (they’re predicted to rise by 15 per cent between 2014 and 2035), so funding diminishes for clinical studies into the disease. Ovarian cancer’s share of funding for clinical studies by The National Cancer Research Institute has dropped by half, from 3.2 per cent in 2003/4 to 1.6 per cent of all cancer research in 2016/17.
Equally shocking is that almost six in 10 cases in England are diagnosed at a late stage – often down to symptoms being confused with those of less serious health conditions, such as irritable bowel syndrome. There is also currently no routine screening test for ovarian cancer, which makes the disease even more difficult to detect.
For women living in poverty, BAME women, those for whom English is a second language, and members of the LGBTQ+ community, the need for representation and reliable information is more prevalent than ever.
“I was diagnosed with stage 4 ovarian cancer after several months of what I thought was irritable bowel syndrome. I had never heard of ovarian cancer.”
This is all too often the message that we hear from women who were diagnosed once their cancer had spread and was at an advanced stage. Despite the fact that over 40,000 women in the UK are currently living with the disease, research has shown that just 4 per cent of the female population are very confident about naming a single one of its symptoms.
Yet, we know that women’s ability to recognise their symptoms can be key to increasing their chances of early diagnosis. Survival rates rapidly decrease between stage 1 and stage 4 of the disease.
This is why it is so important that we open up the conversation surrounding ovarian cancer and work with community groups and organisations to raise awareness of its signs and symptoms. If the disease is found at an early stage, treatment can have far better results. UK ovarian cancer survival rates rank 45th out of 59 countries across the globe, according to research published in The Lancet. Data from 2010-2014 found that only 36.2 per cent of women in the UK survive beyond five years, compared with 43.5 per cent in France. Of course, this is not just due to late diagnosis, but also due to lack of investment in treatment options. That said, early diagnosis is a good place to start effecting change.
Every year, Ovacome supports around 18,000 people who have been affected by ovarian cancer. The good news is that we have seen real progress being made in treatment for those diagnosed and in public awareness of the disease. However, we are acutely aware that there are certain groups who are less well-represented among those we support and we need your help to reach them with this important health education message.
First, let’s dispel a few myths:
There is no effective screening tool for ovarian cancer; smear tests do not detect the disease
About 15 to 20 per cent of women diagnosed with the disease have an inherited gene fault, which can cause ovarian cancer. This genetic mutation can be inherited from the father or the mother’s side
Ovarian cancer is sometimes mistaken for irritable bowel syndrome, although IBS rarely occurs for the first time in women aged over 50
It is a less common cancer, but even so, 1 in 52 women will be diagnosed with the disease
It is diagnosed most often in women over the age of 55 who have been through the menopause; however it can be diagnosed at any age
There are more than 100 types of ovarian cancer. Treatment, diagnosis and survival rates vary widely between the different types of the disease.
There is no screening tool for ovarian cancer, but there are some common symptoms that many women experience before diagnosis.
Symptoms can include:
Changes in bowel movements and frequency
Extreme tiredness or fatigue
Backache
Vaginal bleeding
We need your help to improve outcomes for women with the disease. We want to work with community groups across the UK to ensure that there is a greater awareness of ovarian cancer, of its symptoms and of the support available to those affected by the disease. We are especially keen to work closely with those representing people who are:
BAME
LGBT+
Women aged 70 and over
Those living in rurally isolated areas of the country
Those with English as a second language
Those living in poverty/under financial pressures
Ovacome has been working to develop resources for these communities, to ensure that we reach and support them in the best way possible. However, we know that with your help, we will be able to raise awareness much faster. We can provide expert speakers for groups or events and can offer a variety of different resources, both printed and electronic. We also have funds available to work with you to develop our resources, as we know that you will be best placed to help us tailor our information and make it accessible to your communities. This will ensure that more women are aware of the early symptoms of the disease and know where to seek support should they need it.
If you are able to work with us to open up the conversation about gynaecological health and ovarian cancer, please do get in touch via support@ovacome.org.uk or by calling Victoria on 0207 299 6654.
If you have any questions about ovarian cancer or would like to discuss our work, please phone our support line on 0800 008 7054, Monday to Friday between 10am and 5pm and until 8pm on Tuesdays.
Seven specialist women’s organisations will receive grants from The Justice and Equality Fund to strengthen their communications activities over the next 18 months, and to create a network of women’s organisations who will work together to shift the dial on public conversations about sexual harassment and abuse in the UK.
The Justice and Equality Fund, managed by Rosa and supported by TIME’S UP UK works to tackle the culture of impunity that has existed in communities for too long. This tranche of grants from the JEF crowdfunding campaign will focus on strategic communications, and the network of women’s organisations will work to develop innovative approaches to shifting public perceptions of sexual harassment in the UK.
Agenda Agenda is an alliance of trusts, foundations and voluntary sector organisations which promotes public understanding of women and girls at risk from poverty, inequality and violence. The grant will enable Agenda to hire a Senior Communications & Campaigns Officer, ensuring the voices of the most disadvantaged women are part of the conversation on harassment and abuse.
Centre for Women’s Justice The Centre for Women’s Justice brings together specialist lawyers, academics and other experts in the field of violence against women, with those working on the front line as activists, survivors and service providers. Its aim is to bring strategic law challenges and ensure access to justice for victims of male violence. The funding will enable CWJ’s Founding Director to directly participate in the communications network, work with other women’s organisations and to work with a specialist communications agency.
Imkaan A London based black and minority ethnic women’s organization, Imkaan is dedicated to addressing violence against women and girls. Since its inception it has worked in partnership with women’s organisations across the country to improve UK national and regional policy and practice responses to violence against BME women and girls. The grant will partially support a new Policy & Communications Coordinator, to lead on the design and delivery of Imkaan’s communications output across traditional and digital media.
Rape Crisis Scotland Rape Crisis Scotland is a well-established umbrella organisation for Rape Crisis Centres across Scotland, supporting survivors of sexual violence. It runs a national, daily helpline for survivors of sexual violence, offering initial support and access to a wide range of information resources. With its grant, the organisation will fund a Press and Campaigns Officer who will work two days a week to support RCS’s sexual harassment campaign.
Rights of Women Rights of Women works to increase women’s understanding of their legal rights and improve their access to justice, so they can live free from abuse and oppression and are able to make informed choices about their safety. The funding will enable a Communications Officer to support the communications network which will help shift the public narrative around sexual harassment.
Welsh Women’s Aid As the national umbrella body in Wales, Welsh Women’s Aid works to end domestic and sexual abuse and all forms of gender-based violence. The organisation will work alongside a specialist communications agency and other women’s organisations to develop the strategic communications network.
Women for Refugee Women London-based Women for Refugee Women supports women seeking asylum in the UK and challenges the injustices that they face. The funding will enable a Communications Executive to support asylum-seeking women to speak out about their experiences of sexual violence, as well as educate the public and promote change.
This year, 26 groups and organisations fighting for gender equality in the UK will receive grants of £500 to £5,000 from the fourth round of Rosa’s Voices from the Frontline grants programme. Each organisation works in one of Rosa’s four pillars – leadership and representation, safety, health and wellbeing, and economic justice – and the grant will support their work in everything from campaigning for abortion rights to supporting BME victims of domestic violence.
These are the bold, brilliant women advocating for those who face intersecting disadvantages including race, class, sexuality, disability, poverty and migration status. Read on to find out what they’re all about, and why their work is so vitally important.
Economic Justice
Deaf Ethnic Women’s Association Encouraging deaf ethnic women to take part in society and address economic injustice is central to DEWA, a national organisation run by deaf women from ethnic minority groups. The £5,000 grant will fund accessible, shareable videos with BSL and subtitled, designed to empower deaf women to make positive changes in their lives and speak out for fair pay.
Women’s Budget Group The Women’s Budget Group monitors the impact of government policies on men and women, puts forward policies for a gender equal future and encourages women’s groups to participate in economic debates. The £5,000 grant will help to transform its research and analysis into digestible tools, paying for content creation that blends statistics with real women’s stories.
Women’s Resource Centre As the leading national support organisation for the women’s sector in the UK, the Women’s Resource Centre strives to link up all aspects of inequality faced by women and girls. The £5,000 grant will support 600 members to launch the second phase of its tampon tax campaign, with a pack that will enable members to engage with local decision makers, MPs and the media.
The Growing Club CIC The Growing Club CIC helps women to become more economically active and build sustainable businesses through training and workshops. With the £4,500 grant, the organisation will promote self-belief among older women and change societal perceptions through two days of multimedia workshops for women aged over 50.
The Motherhood Plan Community Interest Company Motherhood creates myriad challenges for women in their careers — and the Motherhood Plan Community Interest Company plans to launch a campaign to create a culture shift in the way flexible working is viewed and implemented. The £4,000 will fund a petition, a video aimed at businesses, and a FlexAppeal flash mob with influencer Anna Whitehouse of Mother Pukka.
Health and Wellbeing
Girls Friendly Society Since 1875, Girls Friendly Society has boosted girls’ self-esteem, confidence and emotional wellbeing through weekly group sessions. With its £5,000, the society will launch a campaign and training project in the North East to fight gender equality and increase girls’ aspirations. The grant will also fund a new Campaign Coordinator to help girls to amplify their voices.
Chester Sexual Abuse Support Service Chester Sexual Abuse Support Service is a friendly team of women that helps survivors of sexual abuse feel safe and supported. The £5,000 will fund a campaign to raise awareness of sexual violence and the rights of survivors in the deaf community, through sexual violence awareness workshops and the creation of three short videos.
Alliance for Choice Belfast Pro-woman and pro-choice, Alliance for Choice Belfast campaigns tirelessly for abortion rights in Northern Ireland. The group will use £4,750 to fund a video and workshop campaign that challenges the misinformation and stigma around abortion in Northern Ireland, with two focus groups developing key messages that will become the focal point of three short films.
Rivers LPC Breaking down the barriers women face when asking for support — particularly for those who are excluded for health, language, social or economic reasons — is the core focus of Rivers LPC. Its Validating Voices project, funded by the £5,000 grant, aims to identify barriers and end the social stigma connected to BME women accessing support services.
Leadership and Representation
Women’s Voice Run by and for women in Hastings and St Leonards, Women’s Voice aims to empower local women, encourage respect across all cultures and promote gender equality. With its £5,000, the organisation will develop an initiative and evidence-based report to highlight and remove the barriers faced by migrant women trying to access the NHS in East Sussex.
FTWW (Fair Treatment for the Women of Wales) FTWW is a patient-led organisation for women and girls living in Wales who need practical advice, help and support dealing with their local health services. The £5,000 grant will enable FTWW to continue its community groups, lobby government to ensure women’s health is a priority area, and push for the new education curriculum to include menstrual wellbeing.
Excel Women’s Association From youth projects to vocational training, Excel Women’s Association provides advice and support in Somali and English for women living in Barking and Dagenham. The £4,800 grant will fund a project to reduce the lack of representation of BME women in the local area, through practical workshops including public speaking, letter writing and self-confidence.
Muslim Women’s Sport Foundation At the heart of the foundation lies the need to increase the involvement of Muslim women and girls without compromising religious or cultural values. A social media campaign funded by the £5,000 grant will launch alongside the foundation’s new all-star Muslim basketball team, helping to create strong female sports role models within the Muslim community.
The Happy Baby Community From antenatal care to English lessons, The Happy Baby Community supports women who have fled from violence or traffickers, and are pregnant or with young children. The £5,000 grant will help to fund a national network of support for refugee and asylum-seeking women in the UK, including training for community representatives in advocacy skills and public speaking.
The Magpie Project The Magpie Project supports mothers and children under five in temporary or insecure accommodation in Newham. With its £5,000 grant, the group will launch a grassroots activism project to challenge injustice experienced by families with no recourse to public funds. It will also fund training in parliamentary processes, advocacy and public speaking.
Rape Crisis Tyneside and Northumberland The organisation provides confidential counselling to women and girls over the age of 13 who live, work or study in Tyneside and Northumberland. The £5,000 grant will fund a project by RCTN’s activist group to raise awareness of the policing of women’s bodies in the North East, engaging with young women to create their own campaigns to bring about change.
The Empower Project Supporting communities to end gender-based violence is at the core of The Empower Project, an intersectional feminist organisation with a focus on responding to violence and abuse in the digital age. The £4,640 grant will fund a mentoring and campaigning programme enabling marginalised young feminists to take the lead in challenging tech abuse.
Safety
Phoebe Phoebe is a BME specialist women’s charity supporting victims of domestic violence, with a particular focus on migrant women who are newly arrived in Suffolk. With £4,800, Phoebe will launch a campaign comprising of a workshop series, information books and a conference, to raise awareness of the specific challenges faced by migrant women suffering domestic abuse.
Bright Futures By working with young women in their communities, Bright Futures aims to build self-esteem around issues including education, sexual health, friendships and alcohol abuse. A grant of £4,800 will help to launch a ‘Future Hope’ campaign that addresses discrimination, physical and sexual abuse experienced by sex workers.
La Dolce Vita Project La Dolce Vita Project is a therapeutic counselling charity that supports women impacted by domestic abuse, violence and sexual violence. It will use a £4,200 grant to launch a campaign targeting policy makers in Northern Ireland to bring in a parental alienation bill, and will support and train 10-12 survivors of domestic abuse to share their stories with policy makers.
Women’s Aid South Lanarkshire and East Renfrewshire Needs-led services including refuge accommodation, support and information are part of this group’s aim to support and empower women who are experiencing — or have experienced — domestic abuse. With £5,000 of funding, WASLER’s art group will launch a series of events to challenge harmful attitudes that devalue and endanger the lives of women and girls.
Devon Rape Crisis and Sexual Abuse Services The belief that no-one should have to cope with rape or sexual abuse alone is at the core of Devon Rape Crisis and Sexual Abuse Services. The £3,110 will develop a project to tackle sexual harassment experienced by women in Devon, with informative and empowering workshops, a craft event and protest events.
BAWSO (Black African Women Step Out) Since 1995, BAWSO has provided everything from training to temporary accommodation for those affected by domestic abuse and violence including FGM, human trafficking and forced marriage. The £4,900 grant will fund a campaign to ensure women with insecure immigration status have the right to domestic abuse services.
Baobab Women’s Project C.I.C Baobab advises and assists women on immigration, health, financial and housing issues. Over the course of a year with its £4,920 grant, it will support a group of women to document their stories in a photo-filled book. Once published, the book will be shared with policy makers and the public to help tackle the injustices faced by undocumented women in the UK.
Glasgow and Clyde Rape Crisis Centre With its £4,500 grant, Glasgow and Clyde Rape Crisis Centre aims to change how the media reports gender-based violence, ultimately encouraging more survivors to report abuse. Focus groups, research surveys, campaign videos and a media checklist will culminate in a launch event to promote the campaign and its findings.
Argyl and Bute Rape Crisis Centre Language that reinforces gender stereotypes damages women and girls, and Argyl and Bute Rape Crisis Centre’s ‘As Good As Your Word’ campaign seeks to draw attention to it. Using £5,000 of funding, the organisation will create a series of films to illustrate the negative effect of sexist language, and in turn show how positive language can foster change.
The pioneering Justice and Equality Fund managed by Rosa and supported by TIME’S UP UK, awards five new grants to women’s organisations on International Women’s Day
The Fund is backed by film industry professionals including Andrea Riseborough, Emma Thompson, Emma Watson and many more
Friday 8th March 2019, London UK: Today, on International Women’s Day, Rosa – the UK’s only fund for women and girls, and TIME’S UP UK announce the latest tranche of grants awarded from the Justice and Equality Fund. Five women’s groups have been awarded £463,825 to address sexual harassment and abuse in the UK.
The new grants bring the total funding distributed to women in the UK to £1.77 million, with further announcements to be made. The five women’s organisations receiving funding are:
Against Violence and Abuse (AVA) were awarded £99,294 and are focused on tackling sexual misconduct and harassment in universities.
The Birmingham Rape and Sexual Violence Project were awarded £64,612 and are working in partnership with West Midlands Police and other community groups to prevent sexual harassment and sexual violence among the workforce to improve outcomes for all survivors of sexual violence seeking criminal justice.
The Good Night Out Campaign were awarded £99,944 and will support the night time economy to better understand, respond to and prevent sexual harassment in London and Birmingham’s nightlife, focussed on the LGBTQI communities and supporting through training, policy and community advocacy.
The Latin American Women’s Rights Service was awarded £99,995 for working in partnership with two grassroots unions representing migrant women workers in precarious employment to increase their capacity to prevent and respond to sexual harassment.
The Women’s Resource and Development Agency were granted £99,980 and will work in partnership with a network of women’s organisations in Northern Ireland to challenge sexism and misogyny.
“No one should suffer sexual harassment or abuse in their workplace or community, which is why we are delighted to have been funded by the Justice and Equality Fund. We will work with IWGB and UVW, two powerful grassroots unions, to enable their members to speak up against sexual harassment at work. This grant will help us drive long term change and tackle the issues that migrant women in precarious employment have for too long faced.”
Lucila Granada, Director at the Latin American Women’s Rights Service
The Justice and Equality Fund was launched in February 2018 by a group of UK-based women from the entertainment industry coming together to challenge the culture of sexual harassment, assault and discrimination that persists across all industries and sections of society.
“For too long women and girls have faced barriers, from harassment and abuse at work to lack of representation in senior roles. The Justice and Equality Fund throws a spotlight on the issues that have previously been dismissed or ignored and challenges all workplaces and communities to ensure no woman is left behind.
“This Fund is directly supporting women to call out the challenges they face, to arm them with the tools they need to tackle sexism, harassment and abuse, and to support them to reach their full potential, so that together we can create a more balanced society.
“We have the power and responsibility as storytellers to tell more balanced stories and that is why the industry needs to be more representative. That is why today I am announcing my commitment to the #4PercentChallenge – a commitment to work with a female director in the next 18 months, as only 4% of the top studio films are currently directed by women.”
Andrea Riseborough, acclaimed British actor, producer, and initial donor donor to the justice and equality fund
“The Justice and Equality Fund was born of a desire to stamp out the culture of abuse and impunity around sexual harassment and abuse that has existed in our workplaces and communities.
The organisations we’re supporting today are preventing future harassment and abuse from taking place by raising awareness, supporting women to call out and challenge behaviour and working in partnership with allies to make work and social spaces better for all of us. It takes courage to stand up against injustice and the Justice and Equality Fund donors have done just that by showing solidarity through their generous gifts.”
Samantha Rennie, Executive Director at Rosa
Media contacts: Rosa: Alex Delaney Alex@rosauk.org 020 3687 2745 | 07709 832 453
Time’s up UK: Rebecca Ladbury Rebecca@ladburypr.com 07941 224 975
Notes for Editors: About the Time’s up UK Justice and Equality Fund The Justice and Equality Fund is a unique collaboration between Rosa, the UK Fund for Women and Girls, TIMES UP UK and activists fighting against gender violence in the UK to help bring an end to the culture of harassment, abuse and impunity by resourcing an expert network of advice, support and advocacy organisations and projects.
Inspired by the campaigners of #metoo, TIME’S UP, Ni Nunca Mas, the #lifeinleggings movement and others, a group of UK-based women from the entertainment industry came together to challenge the sexual harassment, assault and discrimination that persists across all industries and sections of society – from media and politics to business and transport. The actors reached out to women’s activists, who’d been working on these issues for decades, and to Rosa, the only UK-wide fund for women and girls, and together, set up and launched the Justice and Equality Fund on 16th February at the 2018 BAFTAS.
With a £1m kick-start from Emma Watson, funds poured in to the crowd-funding site. Gemma Arterton, Kiera Knightley, Tom Hiddleston, Gemma Chan, Sophie Okonedo, Emma Thompson and scores of other actors followed suit, demonstrating their solidarity with those less able to speak out against harassment, through donations to the fund. So far, over 400 donors have contributed £2.7m million towards 41 grants, with further grant announcements to be made.
The fund has reached a diverse range of communities, both rural and urban as well as a cross section of women from many backgrounds. The JEF is supporting thousands more women in the UK, but gaps remain:
Women of colour are still missing out. Their organisations are small and fragile and need more support.
Government cuts continue to bite, more services are closing, and access to local help is a lottery for those who need it.
Most grants are for one year only. Women’s organisations need longer term funding.
New data shows that girls as young as eight are being groped and harassed in public spaces (Plan International research)
Anti-harassment work is losing the spotlight (Fawcett)
About Rosa Rosa is the first and still the only UK-wide fund for women, with a mission to leverage gender equality and social justice. We mobilise resources, make grants, champion better funding for women and convene partnerships to tackle issues facing women and girls.
Set up in 2008, we’ve distributed over £3.5m in grants to almost 350 organisations run by and for women, led the multi-million pound Tackling FGM Initiative, published evidence of inequality and reports on the case for change, as well as running the innovative Voices from the Frontline programme to support activists.
In addition to funding, Rosa also provides step up support for women’s organisations through the mentoring programme, Inspire Together, and through a series of training webinars and grantee events.
Rosa is pleased to open the fourth round of our flagship grants programme, Voices from the Frontline. Voices from the Frontline supports women’s organisations to shine a light on their fight for gender equality in the UK. It resources advocacy, campaigning and activists with lived experience of injustice and inequality – giving voice especially to women facing intersecting disadvantages including race, class, sexuality, disability, poverty or migration status.
The programme offers grants of £500-£5,000 to support charitable campaigning work across Rosa’s four pillars (leadership and representation, safety, health and economic justice).
Together we can make change happen faster.
The first three rounds of Voices from the Frontline have supported organisations and campaigns like The Parliament Project which aims to encourage women to run for political office in the UK; the Good Night Out Campaign, an organisation working to change how licensed organisations deal with gendered violence and sexual harassment; and Yorkshire Sound Women to lobby the music industry to campaign for better opportunities for women.
To date, Voices from the Front Line has supported more than 60 grassroots and national women’s organisations across the UK.
