Newark and Sherwood District Council set up working group to explore how life chances for girls could be better supported after area named in bottom 20% of places to be a girl
A working group is to explore what life in the district is like for girls — after a report found the area in the bottom 20% of places to be female.
Data collated by a global children’s charity Plan International has found that women earn 23% less than men on average in Newark and Sherwood, 27% fewer take STEM A-Levels or equivalent compared to the best area in the country, 25% of girls leave school without good GCSE results, and girls have 10 fewer years of good health.
The topic was raised at Newark and Sherwood District Council’s Policy and Performance Improvement Committee when it met on Monday, February 10, and members agreed to create a working group to explore these figures and what could be done to improve girls’ life chances in the district.
It was proposed by Rowan Cozens and seconded by Susan Crosby to be brought to the committee.
Speaking at the meeting, Andy Freeman said the report had first been brought to his attention by his daughter, and he thought it was “just not good enough”.
He added: “She has noticed when she comes back here the geographical and sociological changes, in how girls interact with each other compared to cities like Cambridge.”
However, Celia Brooks raised concerns about the lack of detail in some of the data — suggesting it told “half a story”.
She said: “It doesn’t tell us enough… 10 fewer years than what? Boys, or girls elsewhere?
“They earn 23% less than men — that’s the sort of statistic that’s useful. I’m not dismissing it, but I would like some more detail in more depth.”
The working group is planned to collect its own more relevant and up-to-date data from its own sources or partner organisations, as well as explore what work the council already does to support young women in the area.
The group does not intend to create any additional work or need for resources from the council, but identify places resources could be redirected to or a different approch taken to better support women and girls.
It is to be chaired by Karen Roberts.
David Moore suggested that it was important to include councillors from more deprived areas of the district in the group, due to their differing experiences which they can share.
