Real Change Now! 

Please sign our petition if you agree that women should get a fair share of the pie.

Too many women are living in poverty, unable to feed their children, their families or themselves. 

Too many women experience violence and abuse, unable to find refuge or to get the support they need. 

Too many women continue to be disproportionately affected by the cost-of-living crisis and struggle to find affordable housing. 

We come together as organisations and individuals who believe that real change for women is both needed and possible. We are speaking up for women and the women’s organisations and services that support them. 

We are calling for a National Women’s Fund to support the women and children most affected by the cost-of-living crisis. 

As carers, mothers, heads of family and communities, women are facing unprecedented levels of poverty and hardship. In-work poverty has greatly increased, with more women being forced to turn to foodbanks to feed their families. And as childcare, social care and disability support dry up, women are forced to give up opportunities and work to care for their loved ones. 

The women’s sector and women’s organisations have always played a critical role in supporting women and children, and never more so than during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

COVID-19 had a devastating impact on the health and economic outcomes of women and children in many communities. We know that incidents of domestic and sexual abuse increased, with many women and children trapped indoors with their abusers. 

Women’s community and grassroots organisations led the way in setting up an infrastructure to support women through this time and continue to do so amidst rising inflation. 

We come together as a coalition of organisations, concerned individuals and citizens asking for a further investment, financially and socially, in women.  

Women’s organisations are reporting much higher demand for their services but continue to face funding inequalities. For every £1 of investment in the women’s sector, a further £3 is saved by the state. In 2021, women’s organisations who support the women and children most impacted by poverty received less than 2% of grant funding in the UK, despite making up over 50% of the population. 

This is why we are asking for women, and for women’s rights, to be at the centre of the national agenda. 

• We demand that violence against women and girls be considered a public health matter, and for there to be the resources available to prevent further harm to women and children.
• We demand that women’s voices are listened to, that policy and legislation truly reflect the needs of women and that research addresses gaps in data and evidence.
• We demand that the women’s sector and women’s organisations be given a seat at the head of the table when it comes to political decisions being made about women and children in all areas of public and social life.
• We demand that community-based organisations are funded to do their life-saving work, providing critical support to women and children who face abuse, poverty and homelessness.

This is why we are asking for a National Women’s Fund. 

A world without violence against women is possible. A world where women’s safety and full self-expression can be realised is possible. Let’s act together to make our voices heard. 

If you agree, please click here to sign this petition.