Throughout UK history, affirmative action has been fundamental in advancing gender equality, with our government, communities, and numerous independent organisations each contributing to this cause—a fact deserving of recognition and celebration. Yet, today, government commitment, particularly in funding, appears to be wavering. Such unforgivable negligence will have devastating consequences for women who, despite the significant steps taken toward equality, continue to face significant challenges.

In recent decades, steps toward greater gender equality have been felt across UK society. In the workplace and government, for instance, women’s representation in key positions has risen steadily. The pay gap, also, continues to shrink, especially amongst younger workers, and women continue to achieve better results than men in further education. Breakthroughs in government legislation in recent years have also cemented the struggle against structural limitations and improved the options available for women seeking out help.

Despite these advances, however, women continue to experience significant challenges. For example, while the pay gap has shrunk, progress appears to have stagnated in recent years at 13.5 percent overall, which represents an estimated £55 billion annual difference in national income. This gap is especially pronounced amongst women in older age groups or higher income brackets. Additionally, as of 2020, the pension gap is a staggering 35 percent overall, while other important metrics remain high.

It is also worth highlighting that, as usual, these inequalities have had a disproportionate effect on women from ethnic minorities, lower socio-economic backgrounds, and other minority groups. This disproportionate impact is also true of the consequences of unexpected crises, such as those caused by climate change or global financial shocks.

On paper, the UK government appears to be committed to tackling these issues. Its rhetoric – despite the occasional slip-up – espouses feminist causes and emphasises their ambitious plans to encourage gender equality, both at home and abroad. And, in fairness, its legislative triumphs in this regard seem to reinforce these claims.

Sadly, however, despite evidence suggesting the need for £250 billion annually to foster gender equality, successive governments’ spending cuts have curbed the government’s institutions’ ability to adequately perform their tasks, disproportionately affecting women and girls, and limiting progress in the field.

At home, cuts to councils and public services over the past decades, have stretched resources, creating tricky situations for the professionals in charge of allocating them, and setting the stage for structural biases to take over the decision-making processes. While abroad, changes to international organisations’ funding have had similar consequences, with particularly detrimental effects on women’s healthcare and education. This situation is as unacceptable as it is inefficient. It undermines fundamental liberal values, fails to meet the government’s own equality targets, and represents an important opportunity cost in economic productivity.

Fortunately, despite the shortcomings and lack of funding, charities, and philanthropic organisations have taken up the torch and continue to promote gender equality. For instance, organisations like the Alliance for Gender Equality in Europe (The Alliance), or Equality Now, understand the urgent need to tackle deep structural issues in Europe and seek to progress equality through supporting funding grassroots initiatives to bridge the gender gap.

GirlDreamer, for instance, a Birmingham-based NGO, seeks to broaden opportunities for women from minority backgrounds through targeted financial support and skill development programmes. These initiatives promote financial autonomy amongst women and provide psychologically safe spaces for learning and self-betterment.

Philanthropic organisations serve as catalysts for change, amplifying the impact of government efforts and advocating for increased investment in gender equality initiatives. By prioritising long-term solutions and empowering individuals, they pave the way for a more equitable future.

To close the gender gap for good, we urge the UK government to reaffirm its commitment to equality not only through rhetoric, but by prioritising our public services and investing in gender equality initiatives, allowing them to focus on more targeted interventions. Let us envision a future where gender equality is not just an aspiration, but a reality—a future where every individual can thrive, unhindered by discrimination or injustice.

Kiran Kaur is the Co-founder and CEO of GirlDreamer – a UK non-profit tackling social and economic inequity by creating greater access to leadership and wellbeing opportunities for young diasporic women of colour.