Women’s Policy Group warns Health budget decisions risk deepening inequality for women
02 June 2026 – The WRDA led Women’s Policy Group (WPG) has raised serious concerns about the Department of Health’s draft Budget 2026–2029/30 Equality Impact Assessment (EQIA), warning that current proposals risk exacerbating gender inequality and placing further strain on women across Northern Ireland.
In its official response to the consultation, the WPG highlights that women are already disproportionately affected by poverty, the cost-of-living crisis, and unequal caring responsibilities, and that proposed budget decisions could significantly worsen these pressures. The Group emphasises that women often act as “shock absorbers” of poverty within households, going without essentials to protect their families, a reality that is having serious consequences for both physical and mental health.
Key concerns raised by the WPG include:
Potential cuts to domiciliary care, which would have a severe disproportionate impact on women as both unpaid carers and employees in the care sector
Lack of transparency around how budget decisions and priorities have been determined
Insufficient mitigation measures to address the identified equality impacts
Failure to adopt a fully intersectional approach, overlooking how gender intersects with poverty, disability, age, and ethnicity
Gaps in key policy commitments, including no clear mention of the Women’s Health Action Plan
The WPG also raised alarm about pressures on cancer services, noting that delays in diagnosis and treatment, particularly for breast cancer, represent a significant gendered impact that must be addressed within the EQIA.
Call for gender-responsive budgeting
Central to the WPG’s response is a strong call for the introduction of gender budgeting, ensuring that spending decisions actively promote equality rather than entrench existing inequalities. Gender budgeting is not an optional extra, it is essential to delivering fair and effective public services. Equality considerations must be embedded at every stage of the budget process.
-ENDS-
Enquiries:
Elaine Crory
Women’s Sector Lobbyist, WRDA
elaine.crory@wrda.net