All women have the right to inclusive and equal participation in decisions that affect their lives. It could be assumed that anti-discrimination law and high-level policy commitments such as The Equality Act 2010 liberate women in a way that means there is no difference in the experiences that men and women encounter day-to-day, and that the voices of women in public consultation are therefore not necessary. However, equality of opportunity does not equate to equality of outcome.

The goal must be a community-initiated approach with broad and diverse participants, whereby results and decisions are shared with communities to maintain meaningful continuous engagement.

To achieve a sustainable future, expectations must be raised across both sides of the conversation, including political representation and within communities. Organisations must address the obstacles faced by women in their engagement activities, noting intersectional barriers like poverty, disability, race, sexual orientation, and gender identity, which greatly impact the discussion involved in gender inequality.

At tCI, we are committed to IWD’s mission to #EmbraceEquity, both at an operational level and in our work with our valued clients. We also offer training on Practical Equalities, developing participants skills and knowledge on practical approaches to equality analysis.

To learn more about the work we are doing, please feel free to contact us or call 01767 318350.