We the undersigned welcome the recent Labour Group motion calling on Brighton & Hove City Council to introduce a wide-ranging Gender Equality Strategy, to target the inequalities faced by many in our city, particularly women and girls, and petition the Council to ensure this strategy:

• Explores new ways to tackle period poverty
• Enshrines in Council policy a Night Time Safety Charter for vulnerable people in the night time economy, and to work with the industry to improve safety for women and girls in particular, as well as with Student Unions and local universities
• Outlines ways to work with the NHS on public health awareness campaigns to drive up cervical and breast screening rates, in recognition that the low rates in Brighton & Hove may be down to lack of awareness, fear, and embarrassment as well as NHS demand pressures
• Leads directly to the rollout of gender equality training in our schools, colleges and further education institutions
• Is trans and non-binary inclusive
• Seeks to improve women’s refuge services in Brighton & Hove
• Looks to empower women to get involved in the design of places to ‘design out crime’
• Addresses gender inequality issues faced by older and single women, including childcare costs and burdens
• Explores what issues we should be lobbying government on, such as classifying misogyny as a hate crime

Lead Petitioner: Bella Sankey, local resident and Labour Party member

Background:

Recent studies show that Brighton & Hove as a city ranks as the worst in the country for period poverty, with almost half of women and girls unable to afford basic sanitary protection, that over a third of women missed smear tests and cervical screenings last year despite cervical cancer killing hundreds annually, and that despite close to 1800 rapes reported in Sussex last year only 22 men were convicted. It is clear that the gender inequalities, faced not only by women but also trans and non-binary residents here in Brighton & Hove, are not only reflective of the national picture, but are acute in our city.

We need the Council to work with women’s groups and organisations in Brighton & Hove in introducing a cross-cutting Gender Equality Strategy, that focuses on addressing gender inequalities in key areas such as health, economic disadvantage, VAWG and safety in night economy, education, and more. Crucially, this needs to be a collaborative process, undertaken with women and girls in the city who have lived experience of the inequalities we are seeking to address.

– New ways to tackle period poverty could include working with charities running red boxes in schools to distribute free sanitary products in youth clubs and community centres across the city, as well as food banks, council buildings and more, as well as the council putting money forward for period bags

– A Night Time Safety Charter should include better signposting to raise awareness of the support that is out there already for vulnerable people in the night time economy, and to work with the industry to improve safety for women and girls in particular, as well as with Student Unions and local universities

– A Night Time Safety Charter could explore some form of accreditation or incentive to businesses, particularly in the night time economy, that promote women’s safety, by advertising ‘Ask Angela’ or similar campaign posters, train staff on awareness of harassment, spiking and abuse, have sufficient lighting and CCTV to make people safe and other criteria worked up with relevant organisations in the city

– Gender equality training in education can be based on the model provided by the anti-racist training currently being rolled out in our schools, in recognition that whilst it’s crucial we help women, girls, trans and non-binary people feel safe and secure in our city, we must tackle the root causes behind gender inequalities which is the behaviour of men, which can be learned in early formative years

– It’s crucial any strategy is trans and non-binary inclusive, in recognition that not all people who suffer from period poverty or cervical cancer are women, and not all victims of sexual assault and abuse identify as women

– Improving women’s refuge services could include ensuring phonelines are open, fully staffed and people in need who are calling for help are being answered

Data sources:
https://www.theargus.co.uk/news/20238423.period-poverty-at-worst-brighton-hove-study-reveals/
https://www.mirror.co.uk/lifestyle/health/period-poverty-sanitary-products-women-27322268
https://www.theargus.co.uk/news/20237411.third-brighton-women-miss-smear-tests-nhs-data-reveals/
https://www.brightonandhovenews.org/2022/07/14/brighton-women-shun-smear-tests/
https://www.brightonandhovenews.org/2022/07/22/tens-of-thousands-of-brighton-and-hove-women-miss-smear-test/
https://www.england.nhs.uk/south-east/2018/01/22/brighton-and-hove-cervical-screening-rates-lowest-in-south-east/
https://www.brightonandhovenews.org/2022/06/29/women-reported-1700-rapes-last-year-but-just-22-men-were-convicted/

Labour launches gender equality campaign