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NWC Policy Updates – Election Edition: Summer 2024

The year 2024 brought with it local and general elections across the country. For people in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire, this included a unique opportunity to elect the first ever Mayor for the East Midlands Combined County Authority, and a Police and Crime Commissioner. A hugely important local election that will shape the lives of local communities for decades to come!

Nottingham Women’s Centre is excited to bring you this Election Edition of our policy updates, featuring our election campaign and current issues on our radar!

1. What We’re Working On

Prosecution for School Non-Attendance and Impact on Women

Prosecuting parents for their children’s non-attendance in school is yet another government intervention that has failed to consider and support the intersecting needs and experiences of women. In previous research by the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies, 71% of the 16,406 people prosecuted for truancy in 2017 were women, 74% of those convicted were women, 80% of those given a suspended sentence were women, 83% of those given a community order were women, and nine of the ten people sent to prison were women.

Recently, through our Ministry of Justice project, Nottingham Women’s Centre has seen several women prosecuted and fined with huge sums of up to £2500 for their children’s absence from school. These women are often single mothers with no previous prosecutions. Our preliminary findings show significant negative impact, evidenced in the experiences of these women. These impacts include enormous financial pressure in the current high cost of living, damaged parent-child relationship, negative barriers to work due to a criminal record, and separation from children due to prison custody.

In the words of one woman:

I was trying to change jobs during the time and my new employer asked me, ‘What were you sentenced for?’

Another woman told us:

My daughter is being bullied in school and I have to choose between watching her get bullied and self-harm as a result, or face prosecution.

Research shows that reasons for school absences – which includes bullying, and lack of support for children’s mental health – are often beyond the control of parents/mothers and require a holistic and supportive approach, rather than the current punitive stance.

Our Actions

We have steered strategic meetings with Nicholas Lee (Director of Education, Nottingham City Council) and Councillor Cheryl Bernard (Executive Member for Children, Young People and Education), Councillor Georgia Power (Bestwood ward) and MP Nadia Whittome towards driving crucial change to support women and parents towards improving school attendance.

Following this, in February MP Nadia Whittome submitted two written parliamentary questions regarding school places and the waiting times for Special Educational Needs (SEN) Assessment which impacts on school non-attendance.

As part of our campaign on school non-attendance, we will be running listening sessions with women who have experience of this issue to learn what works and how to support parents, children and schools to improve school attendance.

Your Voice

We would like to hear from you (or if you are a group / organisation that works with women) if you:
• Have experience of prosecution or fines for children’s school non- attendance.
• Are passionate about this issue and would like to contribute to this campaign.
Please email ezinwanne@nottinghamwomenscentre.com.

WOMEN’S HEALTH MATTERS Project

We’ll soon be launching our Women’s Health Matters (WHM) project! Women’s Health Matters will run as a series of workshops aimed to raise awareness about gynaecological conditions and reproductive health issues, to educate and empower women on health issues, and to celebrate women’s health and bodies.

Your Voice

If you have specific topics on women’s health you’d like to hear about or would like to be involved in the project, please email ezinwanne@nottinghamwomenscentre.com.

2. What We’ve Achieved


The Impact of Alcohol Tags on Women

Since March 2021, courts in England have introduced Alcohol Abstinence and Monitoring Requirements (AAMRs) where drinking was a factor in a crime. An alcohol tag is imposed within an AAMR for adult offenders as a requirement of a community order or suspended sentence order for an alcohol-related offence, or an associated offence that is alcohol-related.

AAMRs ban offenders from drinking alcohol for up to 120 days and offenders must wear an alcohol monitoring tag as part of their community sentence. Compliance is monitored electronically through the alcohol tag which monitors the presence of alcohol in offender’s sweat. A recent report shows high compliance rates, however there is yet no evidence of their impact on offenders. It is reported that 70% of persons recovering from alcohol addiction will relapse during the first year, particularly the first three months.

Our Actions

Through its case work, Nottingham Women’s Centre has identified a case on the adverse impact of alcohol tags on women’s health and wellbeing. We submitted a request for a written parliamentary question on alcohol tags to MP Nadia Whittome. On our behalf, she asked the Secretary of State for Justice whether the Department conducted a women-specific impact and health needs assessment prior to the roll out of the use of alcohol monitoring tags.

Read the response from the government here

Your Voice

If you’ve worked with women undergoing alcohol tag monitoring, or would like to feed into our briefing to the government please email ezinwanne@nottinghamwomenscentre.com.

Our Letter to Nottingham City Council on Budget Cuts

Nottingham Women’s Centre wrote a letter to Councillor David Mellen, the previous Leader of Nottingham City Council, and Mel Barrett, the previous Chief Executive of Nottingham City Council stating the collective stance of women and women’s organisations on the proposed budget cuts. We expressed a deep concern for the disproportionate impact of budget cuts on women and women’s organisations, and emphasized the importance of considering gender equality implications in budgetary decision-making processes, urging the Council Leaders to prioritise the needs of women and marginalised communities.

3. What’s On Our Radar

Shortage of Refuge Spaces: Shortage of refuge spaces can put survivors of domestic abuse at risk. In addition to the lack of available spaces, refuge providers face significant challenges in resettling women with no recourse to public funds as they do not have access to housing benefits and therefore tend to stay longer in refuge spaces.

Lack of support for parents who have experienced child removal in Nottingham. Pause Practices that work to improve the lives of women who have had – or are at risk of having – more than one child removed from their care, closed their service in Derbyshire due to no further funding from the local authority. Other support organisations that serve England and Wales are Family Rights Group, and Post Adoption Centre.

Lack of school places for child survivors of domestic abuse. In a 2023 report from The Domestic Abuse Commissioner, “five key themes emerged from the discussions with frontline practitioners about the challenges they face while supporting child victims of domestic abuse. These were (1) a lack of professional understanding of domestic abuse, (2) a lack of co-ordinated multi-agency working, (3) a high level of local variation in approach, (4) a lack of knowledge and consensus regarding best practice and (5) a lack of support and funding.” According to Nottinghamshire Police, earlier this year, “an amendment to the Victims and Prisoners Bill was made which once enacted will make it a legal requirement for all forces in the country to participate (with Operation Encompass). The hope is that the initiative will help reduce the long-term impacts of domestic abuse on children through providing them with early intervention and will enable teachers to gain a better understanding of the impact of domestic abuse on young people. It may also help partner agencies to direct resources where they are most needed, reducing risk to children and families.”

Women released from prison with no fixed abode are often assessed as not having priority needs, increasing the likelihood of their reoffending. This is despite recognition by The Prison Reform Trust that “appropriate accommodation for people who offend is the foundation of successful rehabilitation(… and) can provide the anchor for a previously chaotic life and act as a springboard for other crucial steps – such as getting and keeping a job, and accessing health care or drug treatment.” Despite this recognition, “an inspection of Through the Gate resettlement services for short-term prisoners by HM Inspectorate of Probation and HM Inspectorate of Prisons, found that 13% of women were released from prison to no fixed abode and only 22% were released with secure permanent accommodation. Social housing can often not be applied for while the women are still in prison which means it has to be resolved at short-notice on release.”

4. Women’s Voices & Votes

Political Engagement Workshops

This March, we hosted two workshops to encourage women to be more politically engaged!

We Vote! Women in Nottinghamshire! was a brilliant workshop to celebrate the power of women’s voices & our right to vote! There was discussion on how Parliament works, voter registration, and how to vote.
Get to Know Women Councillors in Nottinghamshire was an inspiring and insightful event, where women could connect with local women councillors to discuss the experiences of being a politician and the different pathways to starting a political career.

Councillors in attendance at the second workshop were Councillor Audrey Dinnall (Leen Valley), Councillor Neghat Khan (Dales), Councillor Kirsty Jones (Mapperley), Councillor Faith Gakanje-Ajala (Bilborough), Councillor Shuguftah Quddoos (Berridge), Councillor Linda Woodings (Basford), Councillor Helen Kalsi (Bilborough) and Councillor Georgia Power (Bestwood).

Get to Know Women Councillors in Nottinghamshire
Get to Know Women Councillors in Nottinghamshire

Check out this great blog about this event written by Penny, one of our volunteers…

Read Penny’s blog piece!

LOCAL ELECTIONS: EAST MIDLANDS COMBINED COUNTY AUTHORITY AND POLICE AND CRIME COMMISSIONER (PCC)

In May, Nottinghamshire had two important elections. That of the Police and Crime Commissioner and the new East Midlands Mayor for the Combined County Authority.
Nottingham Women’s Centre would like to extend our congratulations to Claire Ward for her recent victory in the mayoral election for the East Midlands Combined County Authority and Gary Godden for his win as the new Police and Crime Commissioner for Nottinghamshire. We look forward to collaborating with the Mayor and Police and Crime Commissioner to bring about meaningful change for women in our communities.

She Votes: Nottingham Women’s Manifesto for the Mayor & PCC
Nottingham Women’s Centre launched a manifesto, aimed at ensuring that women’s needs were not only heard but also prioritised at the Mayoral and PCC elections. Being our first Mayoral election, it was an opportunity to ensure that the voices of women fundamentally shape the policies and operations of the new Mayor and Combined Authority.

This manifesto is a reflection of the diverse challenges and aspirations of women in our communities, on issues that fall within the powers of the Combined Authority: housing, transport, skills and economic development, and net zero.

Our Overarching Asks to the EMCCA Mayor & PCC

  • Establishment of mechanisms through which women’s voices in all their diversity are heard and consulted in decision making across the region with representation from a diverse range of women’s groups and organisations.
  • Funding for specialist women’s organisations and groups who provide valuable support to women across these policy areas and are often best placed to deliver the right services, at the right time to those who need it the most.
  • Transparency and accountability through the publication of comprehensive equality impact assessments for all decisions, especially where investments are being made, and collection of disaggregated data across gender, ethnicity, religion, disability, sexual orientation, and other protected characteristics.

Read our full Mayor/PCC Manifesto for Women here:

Read the #SheVotes Manifesto

She Votes Women’s Hustings in April

Nottingham Women’s Centre was delighted to welcome candidates standing for Mayor and PCC from across the political spectrum to our She Votes: Women’s Hustings on 24th April. This included: Claire Ward (Labour), Frank Adlington Stringer (Green), Helen Tamblyn-Saville (Liberal Democrats), Alan Graves (Reform UK) and Matt Relf (Independent), for the East Midlands Mayor Election, and Caroline Henry (Conservative), Gary Godden (Labour) and David Watts (Liberal Democrats) for the Police Crime Commissioner Election. It was a well-attended event that provided a space for women to question the candidates on issues that impact their lives. Those who could not attend sent questions in advance through the Centre.

Read about the Hustings here:

Read about the #SheVotes Hustings

THE GENERAL ELECTION

Nottingham Women’s Centre would like to extend our heartfelt congratulations to the elected Members of Parliament (MPs) in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire. We are keen to work with the new government to ensure the needs of women are at the centre of policy. The 2024 General Election brings us closer to the goal of 50/50 representation as women now make up 40% of the House of Commons. Now the election is over, we ask the elected MPs to take tangible steps to address the Women’s Organisations Network Manifesto asks for women in Nottingham and ensure that the needs of women and girls are at the heart of policy making.

Nottingham Women’s Organisation Network (WON) Women’s Manifesto

The Women’s Organisations Network (WON) is the largest coalition of women’s groups and organisations in Nottinghamshire, with over 100 members. We launched our first combined women’s manifesto before the general election. There are proposals for achievable change to improve the lives of women and girls in Nottinghamshire and beyond. The manifesto was developed by a steering group of five organizations (Nottingham Women’s Centre, Juno Women’s Aid, Equation, Nottinghamshire Sexual Violence Support Services, and POW Nottingham). It incorporates contributions from WON member organisations, survey responses from our wider network of women, and current research on women, by women.

This manifesto includes and supports the policy asks of many other women’s organisations and coalitions nationally that we are connected to – the #SheVotes24 Coalition, the National Women’s Justice Coalition, Agenda Alliance, Women’s Resource Centre, End Violence Against Women Coalition, Women’s Budget Group, and Rape Crisis England and Wales amongst others.

Nottingham Women’s Organisation Network calls on the new Government for a commitment to:

  • A dedicated role for a Secretary of State for Women and Girls in cabinet to champion and prioritise the needs of women and girls, at the highest level of politics as called for by Agenda Alliance.
  • Policy making that centres women through a gendered approach to the design, monitoring and evaluation of policies. Central to this is the collection of disaggregated data at the local and national level.
  • Sustainable funding for community-based women’s centres and specialist women’s organisations, especially those that are run by and for specific groups (such as Black women’s organisations).

Read our WON manifesto asks here

The WON Manifesto & Asks

OUR QUESTIONS TO PARLIAMENTARY CANDIDATES

Nottingham Women’s Organisations Network wanted to know about the commitment of all political parties to the issues affecting women and girls. We asked six questions to all parliamentary candidates in Nottingham/ Nottinghamshire to find this out. Read our six questions and the responses we received from candidates:

Responses from Candidates

COUNCILLOR NEGHAT KHAN & MAYOR CLAIRE WARD AT WON MEETING IN JUNE

June 2024 WON Meeting
June 2024 WON Meeting

Nottingham Women’s Centre congratulates Councillor Neghat Khan on her appointment as the new Leader of Nottingham City Council. We were excited to welcome Councillor Neghat Khan and Mayor Claire Ward to the Women’s Organisation Network Meeting in June. This was an opportunity to hear about the priorities of the two new local leaders, and share perspectives from the women’s sector. We hope to continue this collaborative relationship to ensure that women’s voices are heard in all decision making!

Women’s Organisations Network Manifesto: Responses from Candidates

We sent all candidates standing in the General Election in Nottingham these six questions, about issues that women in Nottingham care about, alongside our Women’s Organisation Network manifesto.

Questions for candidates from the Women’s Organisation Network.  

  1. With the completion of the independent review of the Nottingham Maternity Service, completed, how will you fix the maternal care scandal with attention to the disparity and additional risk for Black and minoritized women during pregnancy, labour and post-natal care?
  2. Trauma can make us more vulnerable to developing mental health problems. Women who have experienced sexual assaults are currently experiencing astronomical waiting time to access trauma related support in Nottingham, leaving them at further risk of developing mental health problems. How do you plan to improve access to these crucial services?
  3. How will you protect and support women’s organisations and groups in Nottinghamshire, who are at constant risk of closures due to funding cuts, increase in running costs, and high demand? Women’s organisations and groups are often best placed to deliver the right service, at the right time, to those who need it most, and need access to long-term ring-fenced funding for this work in order to continue supporting our communities.
  4. How would you ensure women who are at the risk of offending or have offended receive appropriate rehabilitation and support in the community rather than in prisons which do not meet women’s needs or prevent re-offending? Especially for women on short sentences and considering that women are non-violent offenders?
  5. What actions will you take to ensure safety for women across private, public and online? What prevention and support strategies would you advocate for to ensure all forms of violence against women is eliminated and survivors can access appropriate and timely support?
  6. Many women are being prosecuted for their children’s non attendance in schools or experiencing punitive approaches that are shown to cause greater harm. How do you intend to deal with this issue in a way that supports women and their families rather than punishing them? What actions will you take to support families and schools to deal with issues of school attendance for children who are struggling?

Here are responses from candidates we heard back from.

Alex Norris

Labour & Co-operative Candidate for Nottingham North & Kimberley

  1. With the completion of the independent review of the Nottingham Maternity Service, how will you fix the maternal care scandal with attention to the disparity and additional risk for Black and minoritized women during pregnancy, labour and post-natal care?

    The stories that have emerged in recent years following failings in maternity services have been truly shocking. The pain and anguish suffered by so many deserve a proper review and I was glad when Donna Ockenden was selected to lead the inquiry in Nottingham. Donna has been fearless in her pursuit of the facts and the truth of what happened to all of those who have been affected. Along with other local MPs, I am in regular contact with Donna as she provides updates on her work. I think it is important to not pre-empt any of Donna’s conclusions and wait for the full review to be published. The review is in regular contact with the NHS locally to ensure that as the review’s work progresses, lessons are learned and information shared with the NHS ensuring changes are implemented speedily.
  2. Trauma can make us more vulnerable to developing mental health problems. Women who have experienced sexual assaults are currently experiencing astronomical waiting times to access trauma related support in Nottingham, leaving them at further risk of developing mental health problems. How do you plan to improve access to these crucial services?

    After 14 years of mismanagement by the current Government, the NHS is on its knees. Whilst the pandemic placed the NHS under serious strain, waiting lists were at record high even before the pandemic struck. We are seeing the impact of this not just locally but right across the country too. Labour is determined to build an NHS fit for the future. We will reform the NHS so that mental health receives the same attention and focus as physical health. Labour will also bring waiting times down and intervene earlier. We will recruit an additional 8,500 new mental health staff to treat children and adults through our first term. As part of our mission to reduce the lives lost to suicide, these new staff will be specially trained to support people at risk.
  3. How will you protect and support women’s organisations and groups in Nottinghamshire, who are at constant risk of closures due to funding cuts, increase in running costs, and high demand? Women’s organisations and groups are often best placed to deliver the right service, at the right time, to those who need it most, and need access to long-term ring-fenced funding for this work in order to continue supporting our communities.

    In so many ways, after 14 years of the current Government, public services are crumbling. Too often it feels as if nothing seems to work in the country anymore. It will take time to fix these issues so Labour has been clear that if we are elected we will lead a decade of national renewal. To achieve this we have set out five bold missions to restore stability and change the country for the better. I hope this will provide a much better environment for women’s groups to operate in, with well-run public services and support provided where it is needed.
  4. How would you ensure women who are at the risk of offending or have offended receive appropriate rehabilitation and support in the community rather than in prisons which do not meet women’s needs or prevent re-offending? Especially for women on short sentences and considering that women are non-violent offenders.

    Prisons in England and Wales are in crisis. Judges are being advised to delay sentencing. Prisoners are being released early. And fewer dangerous criminals are locked up because of a lack of space.

    Labour will act to reduce reoffending. We will work with prisons to improve offenders’ access to purposeful activity, such as learning, and ensure they create pre-release plans for those leaving custody. We will support prisons to link up with local employers and the voluntary sector to get ex-offenders into work. The children of those who are imprisoned are at far greater risk of being drawn into crime than their peers. We will ensure that those young people are identified and offered support to break the cycle.

    After 14 years of chaotic reorganisations, the national probation service is also struggling to keep the public safe. A lack of co-ordination between prisons, probation and other local services also means prison-leavers are not getting the right support, raising the risk that they go straight back to crime. In some areas of the country, we have seen Labour Mayors pioneering a more joined-up approach to reduce reoffending. In Greater Manchester, probation is linked up with housing and health services to ensure offenders leaving custody receive the support they need. Labour will conduct a strategic review of probation governance, including considering the benefits of devolved models.
  5. What actions will you take to ensure safety for women across private, public and online? What prevention and support strategies would you advocate for to ensure all forms of violence against women is eliminated and survivors can access appropriate and timely support?

    Violence against women and girls is a stain on our society that shames all of us. For too long this issue has been ignored so Labour is determined to tackle it. That is why we have made it part of our mission to halve levels of violence against women and girls.

    That starts with tougher enforcement and protection. With Labour, there will be specialist rape and sexual offences teams in every police force. The most prolific and harmful perpetrators will be relentlessly targeted, using tactics normally reserved for terrorists and organised crime.

    Prosecution rates for rape are shamefully low with many victims dropping out of the justice system when faced with years of delays. Labour will fast-track rape cases, with specialist courts at every Crown Court location in England and Wales.

    Victims deserve better support. Building on the success of the approach adopted by Labour Police and Crime Commissioners, we will introduce domestic abuse experts in 999 control rooms so that victims can talk directly to a specialist, and ensure there is a legal advocate in every police force area to advise victims from the moment of report to trial.

    Violence and abuse against women and girls does not come from nowhere. Misogyny is one root cause, and therefore Labour will ensure schools address misogyny and teach young people about healthy relationships and consent. We will ensure police forces have the powers they need to track and tackle the problem.

    Stalking has not been treated with the seriousness it deserves. Labour will strengthen the use of Stalking Protection Orders and give women the right to know the identity of online stalkers. Spiking is a devastating crime for victims, leaving many women feeling vulnerable when they go out. Labour will introduce a new criminal offence for spiking to help police better respond to this crime.

    We will strengthen the rights and protections available to women in co-habiting couples, as well as for whistleblowers in the workplace, including on sexual harassment.
  6. Many women are being prosecuted for their children’s non-attendance in schools or experiencing punitive approaches that are shown to cause greater harm. How do you intend to deal with this issue in a way that supports women and their families rather than punishing them? What actions will you take to support families and schools to deal with issues of school attendance for children who are struggling?

    As the Chair of the Board of Governors at a local primary school, I know school absence is often a symptom of deeper problems in the education system. It important that we look at this issue in the round to ensure that every child receives the education they deserve.

    For instance, one problem facing children is a lack of mental health support. I therefore support Labour’s plans to provide access to specialist mental health professionals in every school, so every young person has access to early support to address problems before they escalate.

    Breakfast clubs can improve attendance, behaviour and learning. Labour will fund free breakfast clubs in every primary school, accessible to all children. This will also support parents through the cost-of-living crisis.

    By addressing these other important issues, I believe we can develop a holistic approach to tackle school attendance problems and ensure every child receives a good education.

Shaghofta Akhtar

Independent Candidate for Nottingham South

  1. With the completion of the independent review of the Nottingham Maternity Service, how will you fix the maternal care scandal with attention to the disparity and additional risk for Black and minoritized women during pregnancy, labour and post-natal care?

    The biggest scandal in NHS history stands in Nottingham. As a mother of 7 children, I value the vital life saving services during the entire journey of pregnancy. I have faced difficult decisions with very little support during a time, when I was informed to expect a neo natal death or at best a baby that would not expect to survive beyond a few weeks. I share your concerns and would do everything in my power to support all women facing any maternity related issues. I would like to propose a special task force set up for maternity related complaints, these would be picked up at the first point of a distressed call being made and women would not be placed in a queue to jump through many hurdles in order for their complaint to be heard. The Ockendon enquiry talks about professionals not listening to families. There needs to be accountability. Those charged with breaching their duty of care need to be prosecuted. Its as simple as that. Our lives and that of our unborn or newly born child are to be protected at all costs.

    A dedicated hotline number should be available for those using maternity services 24 hours a day, dedicated to listening to those using maternity services and trouble shooting problems.

    The ratio of midwives per patient should also be addressed. So midwives are not understaffed or left rushing around looking after too many patients. I have also spoken with nursing students, who claim that securing a place at university for midwifery is very competitive and many future midwives are prevented from joining the profession.
  2. Trauma can make us more vulnerable to developing mental health problems. Women who have experienced sexual assaults are currently experiencing astronomical waiting times to access trauma related support in Nottingham, leaving them at further risk of developing mental health problems. How do you plan to improve access to these crucial services?

    I have 10 years experience of working on an acute mental health ward. I am on the frontline facing patients and their families. I therefore fully appreciate the concerns you are raising. Many patients and their families complain how difficult it is to access mental health support. This is even more difficult as a female and also if you belong to a minority community.

    I am proposing for GP surgeries to be able to offer in-house mental health services, rather than sending vulnerable women to services where the waiting list is just too long. It is not acceptable that vulnerable women should be waiting as long as they are to access some basic support. I have personally referred women to Nottingham’s women’s centre. The ladies have given me very positive feedback of the support you have offered them. There’s another lady that I’ll be signposting over to yourselves. If elected I will ensure that funds are ring fenced for Nottingham’s Women’s Centre and I will champion all the work that you do. Women suffering from trauma, abuse, discrimination, and violence should be prioritised.
  3. How will you protect and support women’s organisations and groups in Nottinghamshire, who are at constant risk of closures due to funding cuts, increase in running costs, and high demand? Women’s organisations and groups are often best placed to deliver the right service, at the right time, to those who need it most, and need access to long-term ring-fenced funding for this work in order to continue supporting our communities.

    Fundamentally, I will advocate for funds to be ring fenced for women’s organisations who have a track record of delivering on the ground. I have worked with POW during my time at New Deal for Communities as a community engagement worker. I have also signposted ladies that I know to Juno Women’s Aid. I have also been the head of an Asian women’s group consisting of almost 150 ladies. They regularly speak to me about their issues, and I am always signposting them to women’s groups for support. Therefore, I will be making women’s issues at the top of my priorities. I will ensure you get the funding you so need.
  4. How would you ensure women who are at the risk of offending or have offended receive appropriate rehabilitation and support in the community rather than in prisons which do not meet women’s needs or prevent re-offending? Especially for women on short sentences and considering that women are non-violent offenders.

    I believe there is no safe place in prisons for ladies who are pregnant.

    Alternative arrangements need to be made for women to serve their non violent, short term sentences from a place of safety. They should be offered counselling and rehabilitation within a safe place where a working relationship is formed to support them. There should be a medical team, probation and social workers involved in this. The needs of the unborn child also need to be prioritised. Root causes to their issues need to be identified and appropriate and targeted support given in a timely manner. I believe such a package should be known as, “Caring for offenders”. I believe nobody sets out to be a criminal; its their social and economic environment that leads some women to engage in criminal activity. I believe an attitude shift is needed in treating root causes of criminal behaviour, which hopefully will lead to a drop in reoffending. I do believe some women are victims and not criminals, they are acting from a place of desperation, therefore those individuals should be identified and supported, so they do not reoffend.
  5. What actions will you take to ensure safety for women across private, public and online? What prevention and support strategies would you advocate for to ensure all forms of violence against women is eliminated and survivors can access appropriate and timely support?

    Misogyny should be addressed very early in schools; I believe education is the way forward. I believe a new innovative approach is needed, whereby there are male ambassadors right across the public, private and voluntary sector to challenge peer bias and coercive controlling behaviour. For our male ambassadors to be present in the workplace, in the same way we have first aiders. Gender bias and prejudice impact on how safe women feel. Women who suffer from domestic violence need specialist support, which is best provided by women’s organisations. I believe the police should prioritise domestic violence and the courts should hand tougher sentences; the threshold for CPS should be set at a level that cases can be prosecuted and the burden of proof should not be set so unrealistically high, that no prosecution can be made. I will work with the police crime commissioner to look into this.
  6. Many women are being prosecuted for their children’s non-attendance in schools or experiencing punitive approaches that are shown to cause greater harm. How do you intend to deal with this issue in a way that supports women and their families rather than punishing them? What actions will you take to support families and schools to deal with issues of school attendance for children who are struggling?

    Punitive measures should only be applied as a last resort. For parents who consistently show no interest in their child’s education and future, they should face up to their responsibilities and as such I support the measures that are already in place.

    However, we have single mums who are struggling in extraordinary circumstances and desperately need help and support. There are other instances when young children are pushing boundaries, here I believe parents need support and the schools need to show sympathy and work with single mothers to support them through these difficult times. As a former parent governor, I understand the legal duty schools have on enforcing attendance. Having faced these truancy officers myself, I fully sympathise with mothers who are put through this ordeal. We have all been there, there is always one black sheep in the family, who takes it upon themselves to be as wild as they possibly can be. Lets work together and get through this. I am here to support you through these challenges, and will do everything I can to be of real assistance.

Nadia Whittome

Labour Candidate for Nottingham East  

  1. With the completion of the Independent Review of the Nottingham Maternity Service, how will you fix the maternal care scandal with attention to the disparity and additional risk for Black and minoritized women during pregnancy, labour and post-natal care?

    While I don’t want to prejudge the outcome of Donna Ockenden’s review, which is due in September next year, she has been sharing learning and recommendations from her work with NUH as she has carried it out. I have met regularly with both Donna and the senior leadership at NUH to receive updates on the review, communicate feedback from constituents, and hold the trust to account over the improvements that still need to be made – for example, inequality in the provision of care. I would continue to do this if re-elected.

    I want to see the next government implement all the essential actions recommended in the two reports into the Shrewsbury maternity scandal. These must include tackling staff shortages and putting more money into maternity services.

    I also think action on maternal health inequality is a key priority. In April 2023, the House of Commons Women and Equalities Committee’s ‘Black maternal health’ report identified multiple, complex causes for disparities in maternal mortality, including pre-existing health conditions, socio-economic factors like deprivation, and bias and racism in the healthcare system. Action to tackle all of these must take place. I support the Five X More campaign and their calls for more research into maternal health outcomes of Black women. I believe that medical professionals should receive compulsory targeted training that addresses the needs of women of colour.

    I am pleased that Labour has committed to ensuring that trusts failing on maternity care are robustly supported into rapid improvement. We will also train thousands more midwives as part of the NHS Workforce Plan and set an explicit target to close the Black and Asian maternal mortality gap.
  2. Trauma can make us more vulnerable to developing mental health problems. Women who have experienced sexual assaults are currently experiencing astronomical waiting times to access trauma related support in Nottingham, leaving them at further risk of developing mental health problems. How do you plan to improve access to these crucial services?

    Support for those who have experienced trauma is something I care deeply about. I was forced to seek private treatment for PTSD myself due to the lengthy waits for NHS-provided support. As an MP, I regularly received casework from people who have been waiting months or even years to access specialist mental health support.

    Labour has committed to bringing mental health waiting times down. We will recruit an additional 8,500 new staff in our first term. While further details are yet to be set out, it is vital that these should include specialists in sexual violence and trauma-related support.

    I also recognise that specialist women’s organisations are often best placed to provide or host this support, and so sustainable funding for the sector is crucial.
  3. How will you project and support women’s organisations and groups in Nottinghamshire, who are at constant risk of closures due to funding cuts, increase in running costs, and high demand? Women’s organisations and groups are often best placed to deliver the right service, at the right time, to those who need it most, and need access to long-term ring-fenced funding for this work in order to continue supporting our communities.

    I have been outspoken against the cuts to women’s organisations over the last 14 years, especially those that provide support to women who have experienced domestic abuse and sexual violence.

    I support sustainable, long-term, ring-fenced funding being provided to women’s organisations and groups and would advocate for this as an MP.
  4. How would you ensure that women who are at risk of offending or have offended receive appropriate rehabilitation and support in the community rather than in prisons which do not meet women’s needs or prevent re-offending? Especially for women on short sentences and considering that women are non-violent offenders?

    The statistics on prison leavers re-offending speak for themselves: it is clear that prisons are not rehabilitating those who have committed crimes, with many people being sucked deeper into a cycle of re-offending instead.

    Labour has committed to working with prisons to improve offenders’ access to purposeful activity, such as learning, and ensure they create pre-release plans for those leaving custody. A Labour government would support prisons to link up with local employers and the voluntary sector to get ex-offenders into work.

    I would like to see a greater use of alternative sentences to prison, especially for non-violent offenders. I have also supported campaigns against births in prison, for the decriminalisation of sex work, the repeal of laws criminalising those who are homeless, the reform of drug-related offences, the decriminalisation of abortion and against the prosecution of parents for their child’s non-attendance.
  5. What actions will you take to ensure safety for women across private, public and online? What prevention and support strategies would you advocate for to ensure all forms of violence against women is eliminated and survivors can access appropriate and timely support?

    Labour’s landmark mission is to halve violence against women and girls in a decade through a wide range of measures. One of the most important, from my perspective, is about tackling the root causes: Labour will ensure that schools address misogyny and teach young people about healthy relationships and consent.

    A Labour government would also fast-tracking rape cases, with specialist courts at every Crown Court location, to end the scandal of victims waiting years to their case to be heard. We would introduce domestic abuse experts in 999 control rooms and ensure there is a legal advocate in every police force area to advise victims from the moment of report to trial.

    As mentioned in a previous answer, I am also keen that those who have experienced violence are able to get the support they need quickly. This means ensuring that specialist organisations and services have the funding they need and increasing the number of mental health staff working in this area.
  6. Many women are being prosecuted for their children’s non attendance in schools or experiencing punitive approaches that are shown to cause greater harm. How do you intend to deal with this issue in a way that supports women and their families rather than punishing them? What actions will you take to support families and schools to deal with issues of school attendance for children who are struggling?

    I know that almost all parents whose children have low attendance rates believe it is important that their child attends school and would like their attendance to improve. Punitive approaches have been shown to be ineffective and even counterproductive: they fail to address the root causes of why a child might not attend school.

    Crucial for improving many children’s attendance is effective mental health support. Labour will provide access to specialist mental health professionals in every school, so every young person has access to early support to address problems before they escalate. A Labour government would also introduce Young Futures Hubs, to make sure every community has an open-access hub for children and young people with drop-in mental health support.

    Another of Labour’s flagship policies, free breakfast clubs in every primary school, aims to help improve attendance, and I’m pleased that Labour will reinstate the School Support Staff Negotiating Body to help address the acute recruitment and retention crisis in support roles.

    For children and young people with persistent non-attendance, I would like to see a supportive rather than punitive approach, with schools working with parents, mental health professionals, SEND specialists, youth workers and others to develop specialist plans which target the root causes of a child’s non-attendance, rather than prosecuting their parents.
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NOTTINGHAM WOMEN’S ORGANISATIONS NETWORK MANIFESTO

The Women’s Organisations Network presents our manifesto, which contains proposals for achievable change to improve the lives of women and girls in Nottinghamshire and beyond.

We ask all political parties to ensure that women and girls are at the heart of their General Election campaigning and that women’s voices are listened to in policy and practice by Government.

The Women’s Organisations Network (WON) is the largest coalition of women’s organisations in Nottinghamshire. With over 100 members, WON works to foster a cohesive and joined up approach to change the lives and future of women and girls in our communities and beyond. This manifesto was developed by a steering group of five organizations (Nottingham Women’s Centre, Juno Women’s Aid, Equation, Nottinghamshire Sexual Violence Support Services, and POW Nottingham) incorporating contributions from WON member organisations, survey responses from our wider network of women, and current research on women.

This manifesto includes and supports the policy asks of many other women’s organisations and coalitions nationally that we are connected to – the #SheVotes24 Coalition, the National Women’s Justice Coalition, Agenda Alliance, Women’s Resource Centre, End Violence Against Women Coalition, Women’s Budget Group, and Rape Crisis England and Wales amongst others.

We stand in solidarity with all women and girls, who make up 51% of the population and who so far in this election campaign have heard very little about the issues that affect their lives and how the changes proposed will benefit them.

NOTTINGHAM WOMEN’S ORGANISATIONS NETWORK MANIFESTODownload
DOWNLOAD A COMPRESSED VERSION OF THE MANIFESTO

We present our six questions for all General Election candidates from all parties in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire.

Our Questions for GE CandidatesDownload

Essential Election Information 

Have you registered to vote in the upcoming General Election on 4th July? It only takes five minutes to get registered! Five minutes is an excellent investment in time for the change we want to see in government! 

Countdown to the General Election 2024
Countdown to the General Election 2024

Here is our essential checklist of dates and links, counting down to the big day!! 

Need More Help? 

Nottingham Women’s Centre is encouraging more women to VOTE in the upcoming July 4th election, so if you need help registering to vote, please speak to NWC Reception or pick up a paper registration form at the Centre. It only takes five minutes to register!   

You will need: 

  • Your personal details, name, address and date of birth. 
  • National Insurance number (if you have one). 
  • You may also need your passport if you’re living abroad. 

Safety Concerns? 

If you think your name and address being on the electoral register could affect your safety, you can vote anonymously. 

Want to Vote by Post? 

You don’t need a special reason to vote by post. It’s simply your choice. It’s for everyone and can make it more convenient. Busy and don’t want to queue up on the day? Vote by post! No childcare cover on the day? Vote by post! But plan ahead and register to vote by post today! 

First Time Voter?  

Are you a first-time voter, check what you need to know here in this handy guide!  

Want to find your local team?  

Local electoral registration team for Nottingham City:  

Electoral Registration Officer 

Loxley House 

Station Street 

NG2 3NG 

http://www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/ 

0115 8764111 

elections@nottinghamcity.gov.uk 

If you do not live in Nottingham city, you can find your local electoral team here.