Women and girls with multiple unmet needs in London are consistently overlooked in policy and practice. The fragmented and siloed nature of public services makes navigating services challenging, and women and girls with interrelated, overlapping needs are likely to be in contact with numerous services simultaneously.
This failure to recognise and respond to their distinct needs/experiences increases the levels of risk, vulnerability and inequality young women with multiple unmet needs face – meaning many ‘fall through the gaps’ - escalating the impact of trauma and harm.
The cost-of-living crisis and local councils’ austerity measures are driving more women and girls to crisis points. We know from our research these systemic failings particularly impact girls or young women at risk of school exclusion, in contact with the criminal justice system, and Black, Asian, migrant and minoritised women and girls.
Yet, there is currently no active cross-cutting strategic approach to ensure consistent, specialist and holistic support to meet their distinct needs is available.
This project will bring together a London-based network of women and girls who have faced multiple unmet need, and the expertise of our alliance members, to ensure those with experience of the challenges women and girls are facing in the city can speak directly to decision-makers.
These networks will be supported to develop their skills in areas such as policy writing, data analysis, research methods, and public speaking. Together, they will co-design and deliver research to measure the issues and develop recommendations.
The lack of earlier support from schools, statutory and health services not only pushes women into more harm, but leaves small, frontline services, like many across our membership, to pick up the pieces.
These charities are overwhelmed by more women and girls needing support, who have increasing levels of need that take more time and resources to resolve.
Women’s charities already receive an unfair share of funding and are now reaching breaking point.
As well as improving lives, Agenda’s emphasis on building effective early intervention and multi-agency work aims to relieve pressure on frontline services, enabling more sustainable and trauma-informed ways of working.
This project is supported by a ten-year grant from City Bridge Foundation.
Are you a London-based organisation working with women and girls with unmet needs? Do you want get involved in or find out more about this programme of work?
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The Transforming Together Network has published a report offering a model for locally led and collaborative systems chance for women experiencing multiple unmet needs.
Overlooked in research, policy and practice, girls and young women facing the greatest forms of inequality and disadvantage are often misunderstood, ignored and disbelieved.
Public sector bodies, agencies and voluntary organisations in local areas need to work together to help improve the lives of the most disadvantaged women, according to new research published today.
