- £20 million to tackle domestic violence and abuse
- £5 million fund to celebrate 100 years of voting
rights for women.
- £5 million for returnships – to support people
returning to work after long breaks
Today’s (8 March 2017) Budget announcements build on the
government’s strong record supporting women and includes
£20 million for organisations that tackle domestic
violence and abuse, as announced by the Prime Minister
this morning.
A further £5 million fund will be made available for
‘returnships’ – to help those returning to work after
long career breaks. Returnships will be open to women and
men, with the aim of giving people who have taken lengthy
career breaks the opportunity to refresh their skills and
build professional networks. The government will work
with business groups and public sector organisations to
identify how to boost further the opportunities for women
returning to work.
The Prime Minister said:
When I stood on the steps of Downing Street and said I
wanted this to be a country that works for everyone – I
meant it.
That’s why – on International Women’s Day – I’m pleased
to announce £5 million to help mothers returning to
work after a long career break.
Women are driving our economy forward, securing 77% of
new jobs last year – and now represent a higher
percentage of FTSE Board membership than ever before.
Returnships are open to both men and women but we
should acknowledge that, more often than not, it is
women who give up their careers to devote themselves to
motherhood, only to find the route back into employment
closed off – the doors shut to them.
This isn’t right, it isn’t fair and it doesn’t make
economic sense. So I want to see this scheme extended
to all levels of management and into industries where
women are underrepresented.
On the new domestic violence fund, the Prime Minister
said:
Tackling domestic violence and abuse is a key priority
for this government. I attach a personal importance to
this issue, through my time as Home Secretary and now
as Prime Minister.
Our work in government has the potential to completely
transform the way we think about and tackle domestic
violence and abuse.
There are currently thousands of people across Britain
who are reading this right now and who suffer at the
hands of abusers. I know they feel isolated and do not
know where to turn for help. Raising awareness as well
as strengthening the law will prove crucial in the
fight against this life shattering and abhorrent crime.
The Chancellor has also announced today a £5 million fund
to mark the upcoming centenary of the ground breaking
legislation, which gave women the right to vote. This
money will support projects to celebrate the 100 years
that have passed since the Representation of the People
Act coming up in 2018, and will educate young people
about its significance.
The 1918 act gave some women the vote for the first time
and paved the way for the introduction of universal
suffrage ten years later, which finally saw women win
equal voting rights to men.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer said:
It is important that we not only celebrate next year’s
Centenary but also that we educate young people about
its significance. It was the decisive step in the
political emancipation of women in this country and
this money will go to projects to mark its significance
and remind us all just how important it was.
