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> Consider whether the issues on the table
will motivate both men and women to attend.
> Choose a venue with safety and security
in mind, as well as transport accessibility.
Women are less likely to have access to a
private car and are more likely to be fearful
of going out at night.
> Consider holding single sex meetings,
or creating single sex subgroups for
certain activities.
> Use inclusive language so that neither sex feels
alienated. Avoid jargon, which is off-putting for
women and minority groups in particular.
> If a meeting appears dominated by one sex,
the chair could actively invite people from
the opposite sex to participate and express
their views.
> When conducting surveys and interviews,
ensure equal numbers of male and female
respondents, or at least that the ratio does
not exceed 60:40.7
Training for all
> Training is needed for councillors, public
servants, voluntary organisations and local
Resources
The Gender Equality Duty Code of Practice for England and
Wales [2007] (www.eoc.org.uk/PDF/GED_CoP_Draft.pdf)
Strong and Prosperous Communities The Local
Government White Paper [2006]
(www.communities.gov.uk/index.asp?id=1503999)
Into The Lions Den, Oxfam UK Poverty Programme [2004]
(www.oxfamgb.org/ukpp/resources/intothelionsden.htm)
GEM reports Gender and Community Engagement in
Manchester, Asian Women and Community Engagement
and Community engagement indicators GEM snapshot
[2004] are available at caec@mmu.ac.uk
Authors
Hannah Berry is a researcher and
journalist. Carolina de Oteyza is
associate lecturer at Manchester
Metropolitan University and a consultant
on gender, participatory research
and training.
Oxfam GB is a registered charity, no 202918
people on how gender inequality impacts
on their area of work.
> Community empowerment practitioners
and community organisers require training
in participatory and gender-sensitive
methodologies.
> Local women can benefit greatly from
programmes aimed at building their
confidence and skills to take up
decision-making positions.
Conclusions
Combining gender and participatory
approaches is essential to enable
mens and womens voices to be heard
and included in programme planning
and policy-making processes. The
complexity of womens and mens
social roles needs to be recognised
and the systematic barriers that keep
women out of decision-making addressed.
The process of devolving power to
local people must incorporate a gender
approach if it is to guarantee community
empowerment and social inclusion.
References
1 Councillor Census, IDeA/LGA, 2006
2 Resolution on women in international politics,
European Parliament, 2006
3 South Manchester Healthy Living Network Audit
phase 2, 2005
4 The GEM Project, 2003-2005
5 The GEM Project 2003-2005
6 www.togetherwecan.info/action/black_country_womens
_development_network.html
7 Some of these recommendations, developed by the GEM
Project team, are now part of the Gender Equality Duty
Guidance to Local Authorities. See www.eoc.org.uk
Oxfam
This briefing was commissioned by Oxfam as part
of the ReGender project which trains regeneration
practitioners, and influences decision makers to
include womens voices, and use a systematic
gender analysis in regeneration programmes.
Email: ukpoverty@oxfam.org.uk for more information.
www.oxfam.org.uk/uk
Not seen and not heard?
Gender, Community Engagement and Representation
A ReGender Briefing Paper
Local people have a right to participate effectively in decisions that affect
their lives. They are the most important stakeholders when it comes to
improving neighbourhoods. But as a result of our different gender roles,
men and women experience our communities differently, and may also
have different aspirations and mobilise around different issues. Gender
difference needs to be taken into account in order to avoid under-
representation of either sex in decision-making and to guarantee social
inclusion in regeneration and local governance. Based on the findings
of the Gender and Community Engagement in Manchester (GEM) Project
and other recent studies, this paper argues that a gender approach is
essential if community engagement is to harness everyones views and
achieve the best outcomes for all. It links gender equality responsibilities
to policy areas and outlines key steps for the integration of gender into
decision-making processes.
A new political will to create A central requirement for
inclusive communities democracy: more women in
Recent policy initiatives aim to improve local decision-making
access to decision-making processes and Women are under-represented at most levels
institutions, and to promote citizen involvement of government and formal decision-making.
in the improvement of local services. Strong Although they demonstrate considerable leadership
and Prosperous Communities The Local in community and informal organisations, political
Government White Paper aspires to give
decision-making remains largely the
people greater influence over local issues domain of men. Only 20% of
that affect their lives. The Gender Equality Only 20% of UK Westminster MPs, 29.3% of
Duty makes gender equality central to the MPs, 29.3% of local local councillors and 13%
functions of public bodies, including policy- of council leaders are
councillors and 13%
making, service provision and decision- women.1 In 2004, the
of council leaders
making. These two opportunities can open GEM study found significant
are women
up wide and balanced participation, responsive gender inequalities in formal
services and decision-making that reflects partnership decision-making
the needs and concerns of men and women structures. For example, in Manchesters Local
equally, for the well-being of the whole Strategic Partnership Steering Group meetings,
community. just under one in three of those attending were
female, and this pattern is common across the UK.
continued overleaf
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Not seen and not heard?
Under-representation in higher level engagement
forums is often starkest with regard to BME Seen but not heard? Lessons
(and other minority) women: within Manchesters from the Gender Empowerment
Community Empowerment Network, for example, in Manchester (GEM) Project
nearly half of white British people attending were
female, compared to only just over a quarter of Between 2003 and 2005, Manchester Womens
those from ethnic minorities. As men and women Network (MWN) conducted a gender analysis
do not always share the same needs and of the ways in which local people engage with
decision-making about neighbourhood-renewal
perspectives, a gender balance in representation
schemes. GEM analysed the gender dynamics
is essential to ensure that the interests of both
of 16 community engagement structures,
sexes are adequately addressed. Women in GEM
from small area forums to strategic city-wide
focus groups expressed their frustration with the
decision-making bodies. It found fewer women
status quo We make up 51% of the population
at the top levels of decision-making and fewer
of Manchester!
men at community level. It found that even
when women were present, they did not
The Gender Equality Duty calls on public
always use their voices. It investigated the
authorities to set strategic targets for increasing
reasons why, and gathered community
the representation of women in decision-making
indicator information by gender, race and
bodies. However, other policy frameworks so
age. Focus groups with men and women
far lack explicit guidelines for ensuring gender-
of different ages, classes and ethnicities
balanced representation. This needs to
and with people from the LGBT community,
be addressed. Womens full and equal
assessed how gender inter-related with other
representation is both a question of social factors. The results challenged the assumption
justice and a requirement of democracy. 2 of equal participation, and demonstrated
significant barriers to the involvement of
Community engagement: the whole community.
is it working for everyone?
The Local Government White Paper sees
At the household level, womens
engaged citizens as key advocates and,
role as primary carers in the family
sometimes, deliverers of improved even when
and responsibility for domestic work
public services. This makes it even present in equal
reduces their flexibility for participation.
more important to understand how numbers at
Meetings are often arranged with
services are used by and impact on meetings, women
little consideration of the practical
men and women differently, through
speak less often needs of parents and other carers,
gender impact assessments required
and for less time or of those who lack confidence and
by the Gender Equality Duty, and
than men have little experience of formal meeting
taking measures to ensure equality of
procedures.
opportunity in engagement. From Local
Strategic Partnership Thematic Forums, and When gender auditing a regeneration meeting
Citizen Panels to Tenant Management Schemes, she was attending, a member of the Tea in the
there are few systematic mechanisms to ensure Pot Womens Group in Glasgow said I felt
that women are engaged, equally represented, invisible. It felt very much like being at a
and using their voice in local governance, or play. Discriminatory attitudes and practices,
service design and delivery. stereotyping and a male-dominated style of
politics can also marginalise the female voice.
What stops women
At the community level, particularly in areas
and men participating? like health and caring services, more women
Women and men face different barriers to tend to participate. This can lead to the needs
participation at different levels of decision- and perspectives of local men being overlooked.
making. These can be amplified by their An audit conducted by the South Manchester
ethnicity, age, religion or belief, disability Healthy Living Network found that women were
and sexual orientation. much more likely to be involved in health and
Gender, Community Engagement and Representation
well-being promotion activities: separate subgroups of men and women;
86% of participants were female.3 There are too meetings with groups or individuals with
There may be more women few systematic particular needs or risks; engaging
existing community organisations;
involved at a local level, but mechanisms to
structured and semi-structured
their perception of influence ensure that women
focus groups, forums, citizen
over local decision-making are engaged,
panels, and open surgeries.
is very different. During the GEM equally represented
project 82% of women asked felt and using their The simultaneous use of a variety of
that they had no or very little methods is important, as different groups
voice
influence over decisions regarding will respond to different activities and
their communities. Womens sense of engagement approaches.
influence was overall more negative than mens.4
The Black Country Womens Development Network
Numerical attendance isnt the only issue, as the
has established four Womens Forums across the
GEM Project discovered. Its findings clearly show
area, offering women a chance to identify common
that even when present in equal numbers at
areas of concern and work for positive change
meetings, women speak, on the whole, less
within their communities. They ensure that
often and for less time than men.
the views of women are represented on local
Gender and age can interact to give a complex
regeneration agendas, through the Community
pattern of participation. Among under 18s, more
Empowerment Networks and Local Strategic
young men said they belonged to a community
Partnerships.6
group than the women (23% compared with 9%).
Some young women felt intimidated participating Practical steps to ensure
with males in discussions and activities. Not being inclusive community
experienced in debating and giving their opinions,
engagement
they lacked confidence to do so in mixed groups.5
The Local Government White Paper aims to secure
Women from ethnic minority groups face
citizen participation through information provision,
the same obstacles as other women, and
consultation, involvement and devolution of
in addition may have other barriers related
services. All such mechanisms need to consider
to their position as women within their culture.
gender issues.
First generation Pakistani women who attended
a GEM focus group regretted their isolation > Work towards equal attendance, by
from civic processes. A solution was offered targeting the sex less likely to participate.
by their Ward Forum, which set up a women-
> Publicise events using both men and
only sub-group linked to the main meeting
women to promote them.
via a bilingual representative who felt at
> Women may require different information
ease with speaking in front of men.
from men; girls from boys; adolescents
What being inclusive from the elderly (etc).
means in practice > Provide childcare so that those with young
children can participate, and provide
P romoting equality of opportunity between
information about childcare provision
men and women (GED 2.5) should not be
in advance.
interpreted as a need for equal treatment.
> Plan events for times of day when all
Where one sex has been under-rep resented
can attend people with family and
or disadvantaged in a policy area, service
work commitments, as well those working
or employment issue, public authorities may
outside the area.
need to make special effo rts to encourage
participation (GED 3.31). Equal opportunities > Try having female and male Co-Chairs
in this context means different methods of or rotating Chairs.
engaging with men and women within the > Avoid very formal meetings, which can
community to express their views and articulate intimidate those not initiated into relevant
their realities on their own terms. Examples are: procedures.
continued overleaf