The women and girls’ social sector plays a vital role in supporting women and girls at every stage of life. This diverse sector encompasses organisations of all sizes, from local community groups to women’s healthcare providers, as well as education and empowerment programmes for young women and girls.
Many of these organisations focus on supporting women who experience additional disadvantage, including survivors of domestic abuse, refugees and asylum seekers. Despite differences in size, location and focus, these organisations share a common overarching mission: improving the welfare and wellbeing of women and girls.
There are an estimated 7,400 registered charities in the UK run by, and for, women and girls, as well as over 300 community interest companies (CICs). Even though this is likely an underestimation of the sectors’ wider activities, it still suggests that women and girls’ charities account for at least 3.5% of registered charities. As women-led organisations, they bring expert knowledge and experience to their cause. And yet, as this report highlights, they often operate at full capacity and with limited resource.
In the summer of 2024, Rosa, the UK funder for women and girls, commissioned Pro Bono Economics (PBE) to conduct a comprehensive survey to help them better understand the depth and breadth of challenges currently facing the women and girls’ sector. This report captures key findings from the survey and offers insights into the sector’s operations, challenges and aspirations.
The survey reveals a sector that is underfunded, under resourced and under the radar. Women’s and girls’ organisations face considerable pressures, often disproportionately so, compared with the wider charity sector. Demand for services has surged, with 91% of the organisations that completed the survey reporting an increase over the past year, and 93% expecting demand to continue to grow. However, financial constraints are a critical barrier to meeting increased need. Over half (52%) of respondents identified funding sources as their top concern. Worryingly, 44% of respondents predicted they might not meet future demand. A funding environment that fosters competition over collaboration has further exacerbated these challenges, with 43% of respondents citing competition for funding as a major issue for their organisations. Pressures around costs and demand have already forced more than a quarter (26%) of respondents to reduce services, reflecting the strain on capacity across the women and girls’ sector.
Despite significant challenges, the sector remains committed to making meaningful and lasting progress in the lives of women and girls. Organisations across the women and girls’ sector are determined not only to continue delivering specialist services, but also to strengthen their advocacy and influencing work. Respondents highlighted the importance of funding and data to better amplify the sector’s work and impact.
The future of the women and girls’ social sector will depend on forging strong partnerships. Survey responses highlighted that working in collaboration, rather than in competition, organisations – from grassroots community groups through to large national charities – can better meet the needs of women and girls. Crucially, achieving systemic and long-term change requires that the sector is fully heard, and its expertise is properly valued. This means ensuring that the voices of women-led organisations are central to policy discussions and that funding reflects the scale and significance of their work. The women and girls’ sector must be recognised as vital to tackling the inequalities that persist for women and girls across the country, and that outcomes, ultimately, improve.