The Women’s Enterprise Task Force (WETF) was established as a
national body championing women’s enterprise. It was set up by
Gordon Brown to increase the quantity, scalability and success of
women-owned businesses in the UK.
It focused its work on five key areas in order to achieve a strong pipeline of high growth, women-led businesses: gender-disaggregated data, women-friendly business support, access to finance, supplier diversity and strategic influencing.
Despite women’s businesses making up just 15% of UK business stock, women’s enterprise already contributes c. £130 billion turnover and c. £70 billion gross value added (GVA) p.a. to the UK economy. Imagine what women entrepreneurs could do if they were enabled to participate in enterprise at the same rate as their male counterparts.
Pam Alexander, co-Chair, WETF and Chief Executive, South East England Development Agency (SEEDA)
Glenda Stone, co-Chair, WETF and Chief Executive, Aurora
Simon Swift, Swift Contract Phones, Feminist and WETF Chairman.
Feminism
Associations and Support Networks
The FWSA supports a wide range of feminist and gender-based activist initiatives. They have hosted activist speakers and panels at our annual conferences; for example an activist roundtable workshop on women’s services under recession at our 2012 conference.
This included speakers from an equalities role in the Workers Educational Association, the Nottingham Women’s Centre and the National Institute for Adult Continuing Education. The 2013 conference was dedicated to the feminist study of political activism across the globe, and included speakers from Australian Women Against Violence Alliance, Women Living Under Muslim Laws and Women’s Studies Without Walls.
The Feminist Library was founded in February 1975 and known as the Women’s Research & Resources Centre (WRRC), changing its name in 1983. It was to be a place for women researchers to meet, to answer enquiries about feminism, to hold seminars where women could talk about their work and to collect materials that women were writing.
Over the years the library has had many homes. It started in one small room in North Gower Street until May 1977, at which time it’s residence was in Clerkenwell Close. In 1979, space was again at a premium and the WRRC moved to rooms above Sisterwrite in Islington. By the middle of 1982 it had outgrown this space and Hungerford House on the Embankment was proposed as a new home. With GLC funding, WRRC took up residence there in May 1983, paying a peppercorn rent of £1.
Unfortunately, like many other women’s groups, the library was a victim of the abolition of the GLC in 1986. Even before it moved into Hungerford House there were insecurities about what would happen after this change. The centre had great trouble getting an appropriate lease from the GLC. As soon as the change in the funding structure had settled down, security of tenure at Hungerford House became the most urgent issue.
How can women get out of the kitchen and get out of debt?
There is ALWAYS a solution and the fact that you are here means you WANT to TAKE ACTION.
There are some fantastic FREE and IMPARTIAL advice lines where you can talk to people who can help you.
All debt comes with a HUGE health warning and the simple rule is borrow as little as possible and pay it off as quickly as possible.
But, over the years debt has been made so easily available to us all and it is no wonder that many people now feel that their debts have become unmanageable.
If you find yourself in trouble don’t panic and don’t assume that bankruptcy or an expensive IVA (Individual Voluntary Arrangement) is always the answer
Many people that we speak to assume it is the only way out but it doesn’t have to be.
Citizens advice bureau
Why we like it:
- they have local branches nationwide
- specialist
- expert caseworkers available
Watch out:
- cannot get advice over the phone
CCCS
Why we like it:
- offers online support
- telephone advice and advocacy service
- nationwide
Watch out:
- Lengthy online questionnaire
National Debtline
Why we like it:
- offers online support
- telephone advice
Watch out:
- not available in Northern Ireland
Credit Rating
If you have been rejected for a credit card application or a contract phone and you have any reason to believe that you have a poor credit rating then don’t stress! As Michael Hass, a credit expert and former Experian employee who now runs No Hassle Mobile Phones says
There is plenty that you can do and it could be something as simple as they can’t verify your address!
No women should have to suffer bad credit in 2019. We believe bad credit is a social construct by the patriarchy.