NIC ICTU Women’s Committee

1. NIC ICTU Women’s Committee Austerity and the Impact on Women's Health and Wellbeing

2. What is health? • The World Health Organisation has defined health as a “state of complete physical, mental and social well being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”.

3. Employment in Northern Ireland • A Northern Ireland employment rate of 65.8% compared with the UK average of 70.5% • Increasing unemployment rate with a significant increase in unemployment in 2010 – increase of 6.3% compared to an overall UK decrease of 8.1% • Women have a much higher rate of economic inactivity than males with one third (33.9%) of women of working age economically inactive in 2011 compared to one fifth (20.9%) of men.

4. Public Sector in NI • NI economy traditionally dependent on it’s uniquely large public sector • No OECD member has more than 25% of its workforce employed by the state yet the public sector accounts for more than 30% of all jobs in NI across local government, health, education and the civil service.

5. Northern Ireland Workforce • 78% of all jobs are full time and 22% part time • 37% of women work part time compared with 8% of men • Women account for almost two thirds of the NI public service workforce (63.4%). They are 61.3% of full time and 75.5% of part time employees. • Women therefore likely to be the biggest losers in public sector job losses and pay freezes.

6. Housing • Number of homeless single males more than doubled from 3196 in 1995/6 to 6804 in 2011/12. The number of homeless single women increased by 83% during this period from 2061 in 1995/6 reaching a peak of 3769 in 2011/12

7. Welfare reform and NI • Northern Ireland will be the worst affected region of the UK • With reforms implemented, there will be £750 million a year taken out of the local economy • That’s £650 for every adult of working age • Biggest financial loss comes from: • Incapacity benefit – 230 million a year • Tax credits – 135 million a year • 1% uprating of most working age benefits • Reforms to Disability Living Allowance – 105 million

8. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3ciQhIeFR4&feature=c4-overview&list=UUW9SnLqvf6iLMSTGcnblAfQhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3ciQhIeFR4&feature=c4-overview&list=UUW9SnLqvf6iLMSTGcnblAfQ

9. Health care and family planning • 1967 abortion act does not apply to NI. • No provision for abortions to be legally carried out • CEDAW Committee recommendations

10. CEDAW Recommendations • Recommendation 52 • Disability • Older women • Asylum seeking women • Traveller women • Recommendation 53 • Programmes and policies • Disabled women • Reproductive treatment

11. http://vimeo.com/68204686

12. Childcare provision in NI (or rather lack of!) • NI is the only region of the UK not to have a childcare strategy (although this is currently being consulted on) • Only part of UK where there is no legislative requirement to ensure that parents have access to childcare services • Families in NI are paying 45% of their income for childcare for one child – the highest amount in Europe.

13. Transforming Your Care • Transforming Your Care is a major structural and policy change in the NHS in NI • Closures of: • A&E • maternity services • Threat to midwifery led services • Care of the elderly • Impact on rural areas

14. Health Equality Gaps • Alcohol related hospital admissions • alcohol related mortality • Self Harm • Hospital admissions • Drug related mental health • Behavioural disorders • Teenage births

15. Budgeting in NI Health Care • 6% budget cut to the Health and Social • GDP on health and social • funding per head in Northern Ireland. • mental health of the citizens of Northern Ireland