WRC response to "no immediate injection of funding" for charities from Labour government Women's Resource Centre CEO Vivienne Hayes responds to a news article published by Civil Society (20 February 2024) that there will be no "immediate injection of funding" from a Labour government for charities. We very much welcome what the Labour Party is saying about resetting the relationship with charities and working in partnership with us. Now more than ever, our sector—the women’s sector—really needs those in government to listen to us; we have developed solutions and services for decades that address the impact of inequality. Our members across the country work tirelessly to build solutions to entrenched problems which have been exacerbated over the last decade. Local community-based women’s orgs enable women to survive and sometimes thrive against all odds. We want Labour to make a few pledges that don’t involve extra money. The first is dismantling the current public procurement system, which provides no value for money and locks most of our members out due to inaccessible processes. It also does not deliver long-term change. If Labour hopes to achieve its goal of halving violence against women and girls in ten years, then a total overhaul of procurement practices is a must. The second pledge is to accept our invitation to Labour to work in partnership with our sector and Women’s Resource Centre to build a framework to bring women’s voices into the heart of government. We have the reach and solutions, and we dare to push through barriers. As half the population, providing the lion’s share of unpaid labour, women hold up families, communities and society. It’s time to put us front and centre for the sake of all in our country. Vivienne Hayes MBE CEO, Women's Resource Centre Manage Cookie Preferences