Feminist Score Card 2024
On Monday, November 25 2024, the new biennial edition of the Feminist Scorecard, produced in partnership with Oxfam Cymru, was released and presented to members. The report details startlingly slow progress and a rallying call to action to improve services and access for women in Wales.
Victoria Vasey, Director of WEN Wales, said: “The 2024 Feminist Scorecard tells us that the Welsh Government must urgently address the painfully slow progress toward gender equality. While some positive steps have been taken, the lack of concerted effort to protect women from rising costs and the erosion of services is deeply concerning, particularly for the most marginalised. The Government needs to prioritise the gendered impact of its policies and commit the resources needed to create meaningful change now.”
Campaigners say both finance and caring responsibilities themes highlighted in the report are on red alert, having fallen from amber to red, demonstrating alarming backsliding. Economic inactivity remains high, compounded by cuts to vital services that disproportionately affect women. Inadequate childcare provision and a lack of respite care for unpaid carers exacerbate inequalities, leaving many women unable to balance work and caregiving.
The report highlights limited progress on tackling VAWG, including the success of long-fought campaigns for better provisions for migrant women. However, this remains overshadowed by alarmingly high levels of violence against women and girls in Wales.
Global women’s rights scored amber, boosted by initiatives like the 2023 Social Partnership and Public Procurement (Wales) Act. Yet, urgent gaps persist in support for women who are seeking asylum, refugees, and migrants, with barriers in language education and housing threatening to undermine Wales’ aspiration to be a Nation of Sanctuary.
The Scorecard also emphasises significant setbacks in leadership and local representation. Despite the appointment of Wales’ first female First Minister, equal representation and leadership remain firmly amber. Campaigners say a troubling drop in female leaders at the local government level, coupled with the withdrawal of the Electoral Candidate Lists Bill, has stymied progress toward diversity in public office.
To read the report, follow this link here for Cymraeg / English.