Heart of Bucks have published a new report on the status of women and girls in Buckinghamshire.
The report, which was led by Dr Mahuya Kanjilal from Heart of Bucks, looks at the life-long journey of being a female in Buckinghamshire across three developmental stages; childhood, adulthood and retirement.
The findings are based on national and regional data, as well as a community consultation with participants selected from local groups and organisations that are regularly working alongside women and girls.
Peter Costello CEO for Heart of Bucks said:
We hope that this research will become a primary resource for anyone working towards improving the lives of women and girls in Buckinghamshire, and will present an opportunity for community dialogue, more collaborative working and targeted intervention on the identified gaps.
The report highlights:
- 45% of young girls fail to achieve the one hour of exercise each day which is recommended by the NHS and 75% of adults don’t participate in sports at all.
- The latest data from the year 2015-16 shows that 104 children and 101 women used refuges but a further 203 children and 187 women couldn’t be placed due to a lack of spaces.
- Domestic violence offences against women have increased 118% in Walton Court and 175% in Quarrendon compared to the previous year.
- Over 6,000 older women (aged 65+) need help looking after themselves.
- The community consultation has identified that females with a disability, rough sleepers, women aged 75+, those affected by domestic violence, ex-offenders, and South Asian and Eastern European women are the most marginalised groups of our community.
The report includes recommendations for Buckinghamshire as a whole, such as mapping the services already available, facilitating programmes of intergenerational activities, and setting up a women’s social enterprise, which is already underway.
For Heart of Bucks, their next steps are to establish a dedicated women’s fund to help meet the needs of local women and girls. They hope that this will also encourage and empower women as philanthropists.
Click here to access the full report, summary report and a short video on the research
