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July's News Roundup

The end of the month sneaked up on us in July; like an end-of-semester pop quiz on feminist economics, it was suddenly upon us and we were entirely unprepared (only kidding, we're *always* prepared for that kind of pop quiz). So, even though it's August already, we have pulled together all of the most interesting news and views of the last month for your perusal. Just in time for that Monday afternoon biscuit break you were hankering for. We'd recommend a Nice biscuit (remember those?). Go on.

In politics and business, women are usually left to clean up the mess

BACS become first payment scheme to sign charter on gender equality following the Gadhia Review

More women needed at the top: What the UK can learn from Canada

A professional’s perspective on sexism in the music industry

Scottish Government commissions research to build a picture of the role women play in agriculture across Scotland

Nicola Sturgeon’s open letter to EU citizens living in Scotland

What employment law might look like under the new Prime Minister

Equality impact assessment ‘a formality’ as UK Government moves to impose new junior doctors’ contract which will unfairly impact women

25% of current female science students will not/may not pursue a career in science - that 33,000 fewer women a year

What happened when Close the Gap and Engender visited the UN

New group set up by Scottish Government to tackle pregnancy and maternity discrimination in the workplace

Dr Katharina Sarter awarded prestigious Rhonda Williams prize in economics

And most exciting opportunity of the month goes to:

Our friends at Engender are recruiting!

June's News Roundup

You'll have to wait until tomorrow for the actual weekend, but you can get that Friday feeling now with our women and work news roundup for June. Extra added bonus for all those suffering newsfeed fatigue - this post contains 0% Brexit. but we can't promise it won't inspire consternation for other reasons. Choice topics include the insidious impact of gender stereotyping on girls, and advice being given to employers to allow their employees to work flexibly so they can watch the football (who knew those trying to balance work and caring responsibilities had their priorities so wrong?). No need to break out the wildfire yet, as there are *some* things to be cheerful about, with HE pay rises to tackle the professorial gender pay gap, and Police Scotland introducing the hijab to their uniform. Refill your favourite slogan-emblazoned mug and have a read.

Scottish Government publishes report on gender pay gap

Higher education institutions in Ireland to risk funding penalties if they fail to address gender inequality

Storify of the review of the UK by the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights

Engender’s shadow report to CESCR

Scottish Women’s Rights Centre launches new website

Do we give girls a real choice?

SPICe briefing on Universal Credit

Engender launch new joint report 'Securing Women’s Futures: Using Scotland’s new social security powers to close the gender equality gap'

Call for Holyrood to use new social security powers to mitigate impact of austerity on women

New report reveals women comprise 23% of boards, but just 14% of exec board seats

Council ordered to pay pension costs of hundreds of women it underpaid

MPs announce inquiry into women's workwear after woman sent home for refusing to wear high heels

Police Scotland introduce hijab to uniform to address low number of female Muslim police officers

Because football is the REALLY important reason why employers should support their staff to work flexibly

University of Essex hikes salaries for female professors to reduce pay gap, as existing policies had failed to make impact

Stop telling women they need to negotiate harder

And our favourite this month, this smashing piece:

Uncovered: the forgotten stories of Scotland's trailblazing female scientists

Events: Scotland & UK

In this post you will find a selection of up and coming events and programmes relating to gender equality and women's participation in the labour market.

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Close the Gap

She works hard for the money - how gender budgeting can promote women's equality in Scotland

Tuesday 7th June 10am - 4pm

Venue: The Glasgow Women's Library, Glasgow

FREE

In partnership with Engender and the Scottish Women's Budget Group, Close the Gap Over will be co-hosting an event about gender budgeting. This event will give participants the chance to find out more about the work of the Scottish Women’s Budget Group, and the opportunity find out how they can get more involved.

Speakers include, Dr Angela O’Hagan, convenor of the Scottish Women’s Budget Group, and Emma Ritch, Executive Director of Engender.

Book for this event

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Engender

Women and the EU: discussion workshop

Tuesday 14th June 12.30 - 14.30

Venue: North West Women's Centre - Glasgow

FREE

Join Engender, learn more about how staying in or leaving the EU might affect women in Scotland. This workshop will provide an opportunity for discussion on how women can get involved in the debate over the EU referendum, and what the key issues are for women.

No need to book. Lunch provided.

Women and the EU: Debate

Tuesday 21st June 12.30 - 14.30

Venue: North West Women's Centre - Glasgow

Join the North West Women’s Centre and representatives from the ‘Scotland Stronger In’ and ‘Vote Leave’ campaigns for a debate about whether we should stay in the EU, and what that might mean for women.

No need to book. Lunch provided.

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EQUATE SCOTLAND

Taking positive action to build your talent pipeline

15 June 09.45- 13.00

Venue: Glasgow: Stirling Court Hotel, Stirling University, FK9 4LA

FREE

This half-day seminar aimed at employers in the engineering sector. The day focuses on how you can take positive action to address the gender imbalance in engineering and attract more women into the sector. Participants will hear from employers who have taken action - by offering work-based placements and returnships, the women they’ve supported, and a legal expert will provide guidance.

Find out more about this event or Book for this event

Celebrate National Women in Engineering Day

23 June 19.00 - 21.00

Venue: Glasgow: IET Glasgow: Teacher Building, 14 St Enoch Square, Glasgow, G1 4DB

FREE

To mark this year’s National Women in Engineering Day, Equate Scotland is once again joining forces with WES Scotland and hosting an evening networking event in Glasgow. ‘Be Inspiring, Be Inspired’ will give you the chance to hear from a panel of invited speakers, with opportunities for networking.

Find out more about this event or book this event

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Center for Gender History

Who Cares? Gender, care-provision and inequality.

3 June 09.00 - 17.00

Venue: Glasgow Women's Library - Glasgow

FREE

One-day public engagement workshop,exploring the links between gender, care-provision and inequality, past and present. It will bring together academics, representatives from the public sector and the voluntary sector, and women's rights campaigners, in order to combine historical and current perspectives on the range of possible arrangements for fulfilling one of society’s basic human needs: care.

Book for this event

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Napier University

Tackling inequality in the labour market: what works

10 June 10.00 - 13.00

Venue: The Rivers Suite, Edinburgh Napier University, Craiglockhart campus - Edinburgh

FREE

This workshop will hear from a range of speakers about the important role employers can take in tackling these inequalities in the labour market and some of the approaches currently being adopted by a variety of employers in Scotland. It will give insights as to which approaches work best and why in terms of achieving sustained change. These discussions will be underpinned by research on a range of key sectors in the economy, which has been undertaken by researchers at Edinburgh Napier University.

Speakers will include: KPMG; Business in the Community Scotland; Flexiworkforce; City of Edinburgh Council; Oxfam; and the Fair Work Directorate at Scottish Government.

Book for this event

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Glasgow Rape Crisis Centre

 

40th Anniversary fundraising night

1st July 19.30 - Late

Venue: Blackfriars Bar - Glasgow

Cost - £5

Glasgow Rape Crisis Centre will be celebrating its 40th anniversary. There will be a DJ, raffle prizes and special prize draw on the night.

More information here.

Mammoth fundraising book sale

30 July 11.00 - 16.00

Venue: The Spoon Cafe, Albion street- Glasgow

FREE

Glasgow Rape Crisis Centre will be hosting a fundraising book sale to help mark their 40th anniversary. The sale will be opened by GRCC patron and award winning author Denise Mina. All kinds of books will be on sale from children’s books to gardening to thrillers to politics. Come along to browse and buy – and the café will be open so you can stay for tea and cake. Please share to show your support and to help GRCC raise funds! All welcome.

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Scottish Refugee Council

International women groups presents 'Open hearts, open doors'

4 June 11.00- 16.00

Venue: Bishopbriggs Free Church of Scotland, 13 Auchinairn Rd - Glasgow

FREE

Part of the Refugee Festival Scotland, this event includes stories and photos of the high rise flats, and the welcoming of the Jewish refugees after the Second World War. Celebrating the contribution of women to history, all women welcome.

Book this event

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WISE - Women in Science and Engineering

A wide range of events across the UK from small workshops through training courses to major conferences. See more information

May's news roundup

There's a lot to talk about in this month's news roundup. We've had gendered expectations around clothing, from the playground to the workplace; concerns around the lack of progress towards gender diversity in the boardroom, the police force, and government; and the latest ONS data has revealed the value of unpaid work in the UK economy (overwhelmingly done by women) to be a staggering £1trillion! We've pulled together all of this month's stories relating to women and employment just in time for your Tuesday teabreak.

Consulate fined £2000 for discriminating against mother during job interview

Despite more women studying STEM than ever before, industry sexism is keeping them out of STEM careers

New report warns current initiatives & targets not enough to tackle ingrained barriers to workplace gender equality

UK could add £10.1bn to economy by tackling the challenges women face to starting a business

Police Scotland chief 'worried' as two new senior posts attract no female candidates

New research from Highlands and Islands Enterprise on attitudes & aspirations of young people in H&I

Scottish Enterprise hold roundtable event on improving boardroom diversity

Women and Equalities Committee launches sexual harassment and sexual violence in schools inquiry

UK has one of the worst records on gender equality at work, with women with children facing worst pay gaps

EHRC launches its new campaign to help young pregnant women know their rights at work

Everything you wanted to know about gender budgeting but were afraid to ask

Work dress codes, high heels, and patent sexism

Calls for quotas in candidate selection following disappointing result for gender equality in Scottish election

The language we use both reflects and constructs gender stereotypes: it's time to drop gendered job titles

Women are a huge part of the international development workforce and agenda, so why the #allmalepanels?

Female temp worker sent home from PwC office without pay for not wearing high heels to work

Close the Gap’s blogpost on our latest gender pay gap statistics paper

New ONS data calculates value of unpaid work, overwhelmingly done by women, in the UK economy at a staggering £1tn!

Citizens Advice records 25% rise in pregnancy & maternity discrimination

Trio of lawyers who broke glass ceiling hit out at culture of inequality still persisting

And topping the 'ugh' charts this month

Magazine for girls aged 8-12 encourages them to ‘add curves’ & ‘draw the eyes down’ through swimsuit choice

Everything you ever wanted to know about gender budgeting but were afraid to ask

Have you ever wondered who benefits from public spending decisions? Women use public services to a greater degree than men, but does that mean they benefit in equal or greater measure from the public purse?

Historically, government spending decisions are viewed as gender-neutral, and it is often assumed that women and men benefit equally. We know, however, that structural inequalities are still embedded in society and women do not enjoy equal access to resources. As a result, budget decisions more often than not have an unintended, differential impact on women and men.

Gender budgeting aims to raise awareness of the different impacts on women and men of publicly funded policies and programmes. It seeks to integrate gender analysis into economic policy and government spending plans.

This means examining how the allocation of public funds affects the economic and social opportunities of women and men; a process which provides strong evidence to support a more gender equal budgetary process, and equality of outcomes for women and men.

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