Women’s sector in Derry 'abandoned' by British Government

Figures provided by the Training for Women Network demonstrate that the women’s sector in Derry has been left behind by the loss of the European Social Fund, according to Foyle MLA Sinéad McLaughlin (SDLP).

Ms McLaughlin added that this situation was compounded by the failure of the British Government's replacement fund to meet demand.

She added: "Comparing women-specific initiatives by Council area, the figures reveal that Derry City and Strabane Council area received £0 of funding, compared to Belfast receiving £1.3m and other areas receiving hundreds of thousands of pounds from the new UK Shared Prosperity Fund’s economic inactivity competition."

Ms McLaughlin said she met with the Training for Women Network last week to discuss the issue.

"Our city has some of the highest levels of economic inactivity in the whole of the North and it is well documented that women make up a large proportion of the economically inactive population, in part due to caring responsibilities and the lack of affordable childcare," she said.

“It is therefore extremely disappointing that the British Government’s replacement for European funding has totally failed to direct investment to the people who need it most, despite assurances from the Minister that the funding is designed to tackle economic inactivity across Northern Ireland. For months, I have been raising with the relevant Minister the need to target such investment on a sub-regional level and ensure that it reaches those furthest from the labour market.

“These figures show in black and white how we have been left behind in Derry by the total failure of the Department for Levelling Up. I will be taking this issue forward and working with the organisations affected to make the case for investment in the services that have provided life-changing work for decades in our city. The Government must be held accountable for this appalling state of affairs and organisations in our city must be afforded economic justice.”