Women and girls’ organisations are struggling with rising demand that is outpacing resources and funding beyond that experienced by the social sector overall, according to a new report from Pro Bono Economics (PBE), commissioned by Rosa, the UK fund for women and girls.
- 91% rise in demand and only 52% expect to meet demand.
- 65% rise in demand overall in social sector
The report, titled ‘Underfunded, under resourced and under the radar: the state of the women and girls’ social sector’, is a comprehensive survey of over 200 organisations covering service demand, funding and staffing, as well as hopes for the future.
Accounting for at least 3.5% of charities, an estimated 7,400 registered charities and 300 community interest companies are run by and for women and girls. Ending violence against women and girls and women’s health are among the most common areas of their work. They offer a wide range of vital services including emergency refuge, shelter and counselling for survivors of domestic abuse; training and mentorship to girls; and clinical services for menopause. Often with important focus on the communities they serve – many of which are neglected by mainstream service provision.
Key findings:
The women and girls’ sector is under strain.
- 91% of those surveyed report an increase in demand for their services over the past year, with 93% anticipating further growth.
- Overall, the social sector has reported a 65% rise, according to figures from PBE analysis of VCSE Sector Barometer Survey 2024.
- Funding shortages and resource constraints threaten the ability of women’s and girl’s organisations to deliver vital support for the welfare and wellbeing of services users, including those facing intersecting disadvantages such as domestic abuse survivors, refugees, and asylum seekers.
An increasingly competitive funding environment is damaging the women and girls’ sector.
- Small, specialist organisations of up to ten employees make up more than half of the women and girls’ sector (53% compared to 25% for the wider charity sector).
- However, the commissioning process for government grants and public service contracts favours larger, generalist organisations. This forces small, expert organisations to compete for income from Trusts and Foundations. This highly competitive environment means organisations whose resources are already stretched are spending disproportionate amounts of time applying for relatively small amounts of short-term funding. This keeps them from their vital frontline work and creates an environment of scarcity.
Black and minoritised women and girls’ organisations are among the hardest hit.
- 26% of Black and minoritised women and girls’ organisations cite rising costs as a top concern, reflecting the disproportionate challenges faced by these organisations.
- Many of these groups already operate on limited resources, and the additional financial strain threatens their ability to continue providing essential services to their communities.
Building alliances and improving shared understanding of the women and girls’ sector is essential. Responses throughout the survey highlighted the interconnected and holistic nature of the work undertaken across the sector. There is a clear appetite to build partnerships, gather data and share information to ensure the women and girls’ sector can make the biggest impact with its limited resources.
Despite these pressures women and girls’ organisations have the power to drive systemic change. Organisations across the sector are determined to continue delivering specialist services and strengthen their advocacy and influencing work. However, their potential is threatened by increasing pressure to operate on shoestring budgets. 45% of organisations would expand their influencing and advocacy work if they had more resources or funding. This priority came second only to a desire to support more women and girls by expanding service delivery (67%).
“Stop making us compete with each other and expend so much of our time clamouring for piecemeal funding,” said one of the organisations surveyed.”
Jan MacLeod, Women’s Support Project, said:
“The findings in this report are depressingly familiar to Women’s Support Project and we know we’re not alone in our sector. Applying for funding leaches resources away from our essential frontline work. This is particularly hard to bear when there is growing demand for our services but no increase in our income. In fact, Local Authority cost savings have actually meant we’ve had to cut some of our services for migrant women in Glasgow.”
“We have years of experience of successfully securing funding for direct services, but since 2022 our success rate has plummeted. Trusts seem to have less money to distribute and they are hugely oversubscribed; feedback for every single unsuccessful application has been a version of ‘good application but unsuccessful on this occasion’. At a time of growing need how can we be forced to compete with other essential women’s and girl’s organisations for smaller and smaller pots of funding? It just isn’t sustainable.”
Rebecca Gill, Executive Director at Rosa, said:
“Women’s and girl’s organisations are vital to our society. Every single change that has benefited women over the last 200 years has been pioneered by women and girls organising and mobilising. Yet the organisations we run and rely on remain chronically underfunded. This lack of investment puts our sector at risk. And it puts women and girls at risk. Now, more than ever, the women and girls’ sector needs investment to ensure its sustainability and impact for the future.”
Dr Beth Kitson, Research and Policy Analyst at PBE and report author, said:
“The government’s priority to halve violence against women and girls within a decade relies on women and girls’ charities. Right now, these often small but vital organisations are underfunded, under-recognised and are at considerable risk. Black and minoritised women’s organisations face disproportionate challenges, struggling with both rising costs and increased demand for their services. These organisations risk being unable to continue their vital work, leaving some of the most vulnerable women and girls without the support they need.”
The report findings will be discussed at an online event on 29 April featuring Rubina Ahmed, Director of Research, Policy and Services, Blood Cancer UK as Chair. Panelists will include:
- Beth Kitson, Research and Policy Analyst, Pro Bono Economics
- Lola Olaore, Founder, bloss.m
- Cecily Mwaniki, Founder and CEO, Utulivu Women’s Group
- Rebecca Gill, Chief Executive, Rosa
- Sam Smethers, Chief Executive, Surviving Economic Abuse