NEWomen’s Network is primarily concerned with strengthening the women’s sector and ensuring the survival of women’s organisations. It is about building partnership and collaboration between women’s organisations so that they can develop and raise the profile of issues facing women in the North East.

The North East Women’s Sector Network is organised regionally, with leads for each four sub-regions (Durham, Tees Valley, Northumberland and Tyne and Wear) and across six diversity strands (young women, lesbian and bisexual women, black and minority ethnic women, women with disabilities, older women and women of different faith groups).

To join contact Sue Robson email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or ring 07813109215

Look at Latest News page...

•  for the NE Women's Network submission to the Equality Duty review

•  for more about new guidance to help employers support staff experiencing domestic abuse

Look at the Events page...

• more about the NE Women's Network Fundraising Event We're for the Women!' - this weekend...

•  CEDAW Awareness Raising and Lobbying Training for Women - Friday 7th June, 10am - 2.30pm, Radisson Blu Hotel, Durham

• a special meeting in Tees Valley on 27th June to discuss strengthening the women's sector in the area     

• details about the programme of focus groups on Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) with managers and practitioners in women's organisations across the region - to inform and shape the Police Commissioner's strategy to tackle VAWG in the NE.

Women and the Economic Agenda of the North East

The North East Local Enterprise Partnership (NELEP) has commissioned a Government-supported Independent Economic Review, led by Lord Andrew Adonis. Lord Adonis is being supported by a high-profile review team to take forward this task. NEWomen’s Network has submitted evidence to the review to highlight the economic importance of the women’s sector.

Read the evidence here

Report_to_NELEP_independant_economic_review_-_NEWomens_Network.doc.pdf

The Health of the Women’s Sector in the North East of England: January 2013.

For the fourth year in succession NEWomen's Network has carried out a survey on the health of the women’s sector in the North East of England. The findings reveal that in the face of increasing demand arising from escalating poverty, issues such as domestic violence and homelessness and a lack of availability of other services there has been declining investment in the women's sector over a sustained period from 2009 to 2012. More than half of women’s VCOs are dealing with the cumulative effects of losing funding year upon year. The situation is attributed to the combined impact of economic recession and the Government’s Austerity measures, for example Freedom of information requests reveal that local authority spending on Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) services in has decreased by 9.2% and in North Tyneside by a staggering 40.6%. Also of particular mention are decreases in funding to the Supporting People Programme (SPP) which in one local area is 25%, more than double the cut imposed by central Government.

In 2012 there were seven reported closures of women’s VCOs and services, the most notable being Bridge Women's Education Project, a charity that provided specialist training and support to women in the NE, which went into administration in August 2012 with the loss of more than 100 women’s jobs, around 1,800 learning places and support services that helped 600. There is grave concern for the women’s sector and the impact lack of investment in the sector will have upon women’s lives.

Despite the gloom, there is a growing commitment to develop women-only services, routes to empowerment and stronger voices for marginalised women in the North East and to continue to develop NEWomen’s Network to further these purposes. NEWomen’s Network is the only funded regional network for women’s voluntary and community sector organisations in the country and receives minimal funding. Like the other organisations reported here, it spends a considerable amount of its resources trying to raise funds for its activities. As stated by one survey respondent ‘Its role in collating information annually about the state of the women’s sector in the NE is invaluable. Read the report here....

January_2013_-_Health_of_the_Womens_Sector_in_the_North_East_report.doc.pdf

Benefits of Joining NEWomen's Network

If you join NEWomen’s network your women's group/ organisation/ project will enjoy the following benefits

Regular infomails with details of research, policy events, campaigns, funding and training

Free access to NEWomen’s network events and training with travelling expenses and childcare provided wherever possible

Access to NEWomen’s Network and all of the skills, knowledge, experience and resources it brings

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