This is an excerpt from WRDA Briefing on TEO Engagement with the Women’s Sector and the TEO Covid-19 Recovery Plan
The original WPG COVID-19 Feminist Recovery Plan (FRP) was published in July 2020 and provided evidence and recommendations relating to the disproportionate impact of the pandemic on women in Northern Ireland. The Plan received far-reaching media engagement and was widely disseminated to public officials, public agencies and the general public. The WPG sent the Plan to Government officials, including TEO Ministers, and received a co-ordinated response from the Northern Ireland Civil Service (NICS) by each of the Government Departments. TEO did not directly respond.
The response from the NICS to the WPG Feminist Recovery Plan was extremely disappointing. Responses by individual Departments within the NICS response varied significantly, with some Departments denying responsibility for issues related to gender and others denying the existence of issues raised in the WPG Feminist Recovery Plan. Of particular concern was the denial by the Department for the Economy that a gender pay gap exists in Northern Ireland.
Bespoke briefings, reports and presentations on the WPG Feminist Recovery Plan were also developed and disseminated to public officials, public agencies and the general public. Bespoke departmental reports were sent to each of the nine NI Government Departments in January 2021. These reports were sent along with requests by the WPG to meet with Government Ministers to discuss the WPG Feminist Recovery Plan. In most instances, these requests did not receive a response or were rejected. The only Government Minister to meet with the WPG to discuss the Feminist Recovery Plan, since July 2020, was the Minister for Justice in May 2021.
The WPG relaunched the WPG Feminist Recovery Plan in July 2021 with updated evidence and recommendations. This updated Plan was published alongside a Supplementary Research Report titled ‘Putting Women’s Voices at the Core,’ which compiled findings from Women’s Policy Group primary research on the impact of the pandemic on women in Northern Ireland.
Since September 2020, women’s sector representatives have continued to lobby political representatives to promote recommendations made in the WPG Feminist Recovery Plan. In particular, women’s sector representatives have used the All-Party Group on UNSCR 1325 to get written and oral questions asked in the Northern Ireland Assembly. Through this APG, several written questions were submitted to the Executive by MLAs such as Paula Bradley, Mike Nesbitt, Emma Sheerin, Sinead McLaughlin and Rachel Woods. MLAs from this APG have repeatedly asked TEO to meet with the WPG to discuss the Feminist Recovery Plan.
The WPG has also made consistent efforts to highlight the disproportionate impact of the pandemic on women and promote the WPG Feminist Recovery Plan by attending meetings with elected officials, giving 4 presentations at public events, responding to consultations and providing evidence submissions to Assembly Committees.
This is an excerpt from WRDA Briefing on TEO Engagement with the Women’s Sector and the TEO Covid-19 Recovery Plan
