Action Needed For Women and Girls During Third National Lockdown

“For me, being instructed to stay at home and told that you can’t see anyone has taken away the  purpose in my life and disrupted my entire routine.” - Hannah*, who has struggled with her mental health, on life during the first lockdown 

As the third national lockdown comes into force today, we are extremely concerned about the impact on the most disadvantaged women and girls.

For women and girls who are living with trauma, who face abuse, poverty, addiction and homelessness – hardship is already part of daily life. The added pressure created by a global pandemic makes things much worse and, without access to appropriate support, can set a devastating course.

Lockdowns have hit women and girls particularly hard – with domestic abuse soaring, mental health deteriorating and increased poverty and homelessness.

Girls and young women are at risk of being overlooked, with few specialist services catering for their needs. Women from Black and minoritised backgrounds have also been hit particularly hard during pandemic.

It is vital that women and girls at the very sharpest end of inequality are not overlooked as the government continues to respond to this crisis.

Many rely on smaller, specialist services that make a hugely positive impact but can struggle to compete for government funds against larger, better-resourced organisations.

Agenda’s Voices From Lockdown interim report revealed that the first lockdown led to increased demand for support, and women and girls were reporting much more complex problems. Many organisations, particularly smaller services, worried about how they would cope as funds ran low and pressure on staff increased.

As we enter the third lockdown of this lingering crisis, the need for gender and trauma-informed support is more critical than ever.  The impact on women and girls will reverberate for years to come.  This is the time to respond to both the immediate challenge and develop a sustainable co-ordinated approach to mitigate the worst potential effects.

Specialist women and girls’ services have led the way in responding to pressing and emerging needs. They are the experts in delivering tried and tested approaches and innovating in response to the ongoing crisis.

They must be valued, invested in and listened to by decision-makers on both a local and national level so that the women and girls they support are able to survive the coming challenges of this lockdown and beyond.

Failing to take action now will lead to dire long-term consequences for women and girls. Urgent investment in specialist frontline organisations is essential, delivered through a fair and transparent funding process. It must be followed by a long-term strategic funding plan to reduce the impact of the crisis on women and girls.