A DEBATE about how the North-East’s women have borne the brunt of the Government’s austerity measures could be held in The House of Commons in the spring, it has emerged.

Representatives from the NE Women’s Network, which represents a raft of the region’s women’s groups, lobbied MPs after publishing a report which found there was a larger proportion of jobless women in the region than any other in England, and that unemployment amongst the region’s female population was increasing at a higher proportion than elsewhere in the country.

The organisation spoke to North-East MPs including Shadow Minister for Children and Young Families, Catherine McKinnell, who represents Newcastle North; Newcastle Central MP Chi Onwurah; Houghton and Sunderland South MP Bridget Phillipson, in a bid to get the issue debated in Parliament in April next year.

The report, The Impact of Austerity Measures upon Women in the North-East of England, also found cut backs leading to the loss of public and voluntary sector services, such as services for children and older people, public transport and those helping victims flee domestic violence, impacted women in the region disproportionately.

It found that some elements of welfare reform would also impact women disproportionately and increase their financial dependence on men.

With two out of three public sector jobs in the region done by women, the report concluded this was one of the factors making female unemployment in the North-East disproportionately high.

The report is a case study for a paper which will be produced for the United Nations Convention for the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), a body which is next year set to re-examine the UK Government’s efforts to improve gender equality, following an initial assessment in 2008.

Northumbria University’s senior lecturer for social sciences, Dr Ruth Lewis, edited the report.

She said the impact of the recession could have devastating consequences for women.

“There is a real danger we are going to take a step backwards, having made some strides forward in the last few decades.

“It may mean women become more financially dependent on men and lose their independence, which could have devastating consequences for women, particularly in terms of things like domestic violence.”

Sue Robson, one of the report’s authors and co-ordinator for NE Women’s Network, told The Northern Echo it was vital that there was a debate, not just amongst MPs, but also in the wider population, about the status and equality of women in the region ahead of the CEDAW report.

“We want to gather stories about the impact the cuts are having on women’s lives, on their children, their jobs, their families. We want to take them with us to Westminster to lobby. “We want to empower them so that they start to lobby their MPs themselves.

“We want to make sure the voices of North-East women are heard.”

She said the proportion of North-East women claiming Job Seekers’ Allowance, at 5.2 per cent, equating to 29,410 women, was the highest since 1990.

“We know that unemployment amongst women in the North-East is increasing at an alarming rate, she said.

“We know unemployment amongst women is as high now as it was at the height of the last recession in 1990.

“It is growing at a higher proportion and it is much larger than in the rest of the country.”

Ms Robson urged women to become involved with their campaign.

“We want women to write to their MPs, email their MPs, spread the message on Twitter and Facebook and become involved with us,” she added. “We will not give up on this campaign.”