While we're casting our votes today there is one result which is already certain - the number of women elected will fall.  Only 29% of candidates are women and many of them will be in unwinnable seats or low down on their parties regional list.  See our gender breakdown of candidates by party and how the aim of gender balance in our parliament has fared over the years here 

Meanwhile, Anne Johnstone in her comment peice in today's Herald sums up the sense of disapointment that the early promise of an equal number of male and female MSP's has not delivered We women won some battles, but not the war

T he government have launched an online public consultation which offers people the chance to determine which peices of legislation should be changed or be scrapped altogether.  The 2010 Equality Act is on the site and the public are asked if the law should stay as it is or be 'srapped altogether'.  This is a piece of legislation that protects us all from discrimination and to present it a piece of 'Red Tape' that is making life akward for us all is disingenuous.  Please look at the site and vote to keep the Equality law.  See Red Tape Challenge - Equalities  

The Women's Budget Group (England & Wales) in partnership with the Fawcett Society  have published a gender impact assessment of the March 2011 budget.  The report highlights the effects of the spending rewiew on women and calls for the government to reconsider it's economic strategy.  Read report

I n a frightening vision of what the Big Society may mean for equality, the government is to withdraw  funding from the Poppy Project, which has been described as the UK's most experienced support service for victims of sex trafficking, and will now fund the Salvation Army to provide these specialist services. The move has been called ideologically driven and worries have been raised about the ability of the SA to provide advice and access to the services women need without making a moral judgement about their situation. Read more...    and sign the petition against the move at Go Petition

A new policy framework to tackle violence against women has been adopted by ministers of the Council of Europe.  States will sign the Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence on May 11th in Istanbul.  Read more...

Engender are holding four meetings for members around the country, kicking off with an event in Edinburgh on Thursday 2nd June.  The Edinburgh event will feature a talk by Nel Whiting on Women in 18th Century Portraiture - See full details here. 

Other events are planned for Glasgow, the Borders and the north of Scotland and will offer members the opportunity to meet Engender board members, discuss Engender's current work and contribute to consultations and reports such as CEDAW (Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women).