The Women and Work APPG provides a forum to constructively examine and debate the role that policy makers can play to deliver gender balance within the economy.
About the Group
2020 Theme
In 2020 the Women and Work APPG’s theme will be women’s wellbeing in the workplace. Throughout our work, the APPG has recognised that wellbeing is so much more than physical health alone. We have seen a change in the way UK businesses are approaching this issue. Whereas historically, there was a focus on the physical and psychological health of employees, there is now a greater understanding that wellbeing is multi-faceted and interlinked. In 2020, the APPG will take a holistic approach to women’s wellbeing: recognising the different factors which impact an employee’s happiness, health and safety in the workplace. This will include discussion around issues such as financial security, mental health and menstrual wellbeing. It is clear that this is an issue that employers should be increasingly concerned about as ultimately, ensuring that employers support women’s wellbeing will help improve recruitment, retention and overall employee satisfaction.
Previous work
In 2019 the APPG examined inclusivity and intersectionality in the workplace and how a better understanding of the concept can help to support a more inclusive workplace for all women, regardless of their individual characteristics. The report and employer toolkit can be found here.
In 2018 the APPG looked at How to Recruit Women for the 21st Century, examining proposals to improve female recruitment across the employment and labour market, and has published a report on the topic.
In 2017 the APPG conducted an inquiry looking at how the Government’s Industrial Strategy could help to deliver gender balance within the UK economy, and published its second report, Making the Industrial Strategy Work for Women.
The APPG’s first annual report, Women Returners, summarises the findings of the Group’s 2016 programme of activity. The recommendations helped to shape policy with the introduction of £5m funding for returnships in the Spring Budget.
The Women and Work APPG provides a forum to constructively examine and debate the role that policy makers can play to deliver gender balance within the economy. It also allows Members of Parliament and interested stakeholders to examine the responsibilities of employers and explore what more is required from the private, public and third sectors to deliver the Government’s ambitions for women and work.
Group chair
Chair Jess Phillips MP Labour, Birmingham Yardley
jessphillips.net
@jessphillips
Jess Phillips has been the Labour MP for Birmingham Yardley since 2015. She has committed her life to improving the lives of others, especially the most vulnerable, and spent five years working for Women’s Aid supporting and defending women. Jess became a councillor in 2012 through the Labour Future Candidates Programme. In this role she worked tirelessly to support residents, with her work being recognised when she became Birmingham’s first ever Victims Champion.
Information on all the group’s officers can be found here.
Women and Work APPG launches 2019 annual report and toolkit: Inclusivity and Intersectionality
The Women and Work APPG has launched its 2019 annual report and toolkit: Inclusivity and Intersectionality. The group co-chaired by MP for Chichester Gillian Keegan and MP for Birmingham Yardley Jess Phillips, is calling on employers to take action to recognise the different experiences of women in the workplace based on their individual characteristics. This includes factors such as race, religion, class, disability and sexual orientation. Our work this year has shown that a focus on gender alone can sometimes be misleading and it is only through acknowledging and recognising these different intersections that a truly diverse workplace will be able to be built which supports and empowers all women.
The report summarises our findings, drawing on contributions from politicians, employers, business and other key stakeholders to make ten recommendations to Government. The toolkit equips employers with easy to implement tips on how to cultivate a more inclusive work culture which supports all employees, regardless of their characteristics.
The report was launched in Parliament by Minister for Women, Victoria Atkins MP; CEO of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, Rebecca Hilsenrath and Co-Director of Deeds and Words, Baroness Ruth Hunt.
Gillian Keegan MP, Co-Chair of the Women and Work APPG said
“Our work this year has shown that viewing women as a singular group often fails to recognise the variety of barriers that women face in the workplace. One woman’s experience at work can be hugely different to another’s and it is important to understand these differences. The Women and Work APPG’s report provides businesses with practical tips to recognise intersectionality and in doing so, make their organisations more inclusive, whilst providing the Government with recommendations to support this ambition.”
Jess Phillips MP, Co-Chair of the Women and Work APPG said
“Too often, we see marginalised women overlooked by mainstream discourse on how to support women in the workplace. It is clear that the key to building a more inclusive workplace is to recognise these intersections: there is much more to our identities than just being women. Whether it’s supporting carers, new mothers, BAME women, the self-employed or women with disabilities, this toolkit equips employers with the tools necessary to cultivate inclusive work practices, which ultimately benefit everyone.”
Campaign Updates
Women and Work APPG announces 2020 Theme: Women’s wellbeing in the workplace
The Women and Work APPG is proud to announce that in 2020 our theme will be women’s wellbeing in the workplace. Traditionally, wellbeing in the workplace has been concerned with the physical and psychological health of employees.
Women and Work APPG announces 2019 Theme: Inclusivity and Intersectionality
The Women and Work APPG is delighted to announce its 2019 theme Inclusivity and Intersectionality. Throughout our work over the past three years the we have sought to recognise and highlight the fact that women are not a homogenous group, and that a focus on gender alone can sometimes be misleading.
MPs demand action on fair recruitment
A cross-party group of MPs and Peers is calling on businesses and employers to review their recruitment process and have suggested changes to make it fairer.
View the The Women and Work All Party Parliamentary Group Updates Archive »
Future of the workplace – how has COVID-19 changed the way we work?
We are pleased to invite you to a virtual meeting of the APPG on Women and Work, which will take place on Tuesday 14 July at 2pm. The meeting will discuss the future of the workplace and how COVID-19 has changed the way we work.
We would be delighted if you could join us for what will be a compelling discussion. The meeting will be held via Zoom and further joining instructions will be sent closer to the time.
The meeting will involve a question and answer session. If there is a specific question or case study that you wish to raise, please let us know before the meeting. We will put these questions to our speakers in the meeting for them to answer and elaborate on.
Register to attend
Group Sponsors
The Group is supported by a range of organisations across the business world who help fund the running of the Group via its secretariat, Connect. Information on all the Group’s sponsors can be found here. If you are interested in becoming a sponsor of the Group please contact womenandworkappg@connectpa.co.uk.
Group materials
Inclusivity and Intersectionality – the Women and Work APPG annual report and toolkit 2019
How to Recruit Women for the 21st Century – the Women and Work APPG Annual report and toolkit 2018
Making the Industrial Strategy work for women – the Women and Work APPG Annual Report 2017 Women returners – the Women and Work APPG Annual Report 2016 Coverage of the report launch
Minutes
2019
Accessible Workplaces – April 2019
Inclusivity and Intersectionality – March 2019
Outreach Programmes and Skill Development – March 2019
2018
Building the Pipeline – March 2018
Getting Women Through the Door – February 2018
Doubly Disadvantaged – May 2018
Occupational Segregation – July 2018
Getting Women out the Low-Pay Cycle – October 2018
Successful Second Careers – November 2018
Open call for evidence on the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on women in the workplace
The Women and Work APPG has launched an open call for evidence on the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on women in the workplace. The deadline is 6 July 2020.
We welcome submissions from any interested stakeholder on the impact of lockdown and recovery efforts on women’s work. This evidence will be used to inform recommendations the APPG makes to Government. We therefore welcome concise responses that focus on policy recommendations as well as key facts and figures.
Please limit your submission to one side of A4 and send with the subject line: ‘Women and Work APPG – COVID-19 Call for evidence’, to womenandworkappg@connectpa.co.uk.
The key themes we seek evidence on are:
- The impact of COVID-19 on the labour market and how this affects women
- The support the Government has put in place and whether this may have a gendered impact
- How different sectors have been re-opened (and how they might be opened in the future) and the impact that has on women
- The burden of childcare/housework responsibilities and the potential impact on women’s careers (including on their wellbeing)
- What the Government can do to ensure women are not financially disadvantaged during lockdown and recovery
- How COVID-19 has changed the way we work and how we can embed flexible working moving forward
Contact the Group
If you have any questions or would like to find out more about the Group, please contact Florence Woodrow at the Group’s secretariat on womenandworkappg@connectpa.co.uk. This is not an official website of the House of Commons or the House of Lords. It has not been approved by either House or its committees. All-Party Parliamentary Groups are informal groups of Members of both Houses with a common interest in particular issues. The views expressed in these webpages are those of the group.
Group Sponsors
The Group is supported by a range of organisations across the business world who help fund the running of the Group via its secretariat, Connect. Information on all the Group’s sponsors can be found here. If you are interested in becoming a sponsor of the Group please contact womenandworkappg@connectpa.co.uk.
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