List of public consultations, calls for evidence, calls for views and surveys that impact on areas such as the rights of women and girls, the rights of children in general, freedom of speech, and so on. Please get in touch if there are any errors or relevant consultations that haven’t been included in the list.
(Last Updated: 19 June 2022)
JUNE 2022
Public Participation at the Scottish Parliament
Area: Scotland
Deadline:
Programme for Government Survey
In September, the Scottish Government launched its Programme for Government, setting out all its plans for the coming parliamentary year. The Scottish Women’s Convention want to hear your experiences and views so they can feed into the Government about how the plans will affect the lives of women across Scotland.
Area: Scotland
Deadline: N/A
July 2022
National Disability Strategy
A Women and Equalities Committee inquiry to scrutinise the implementation and further development of the Government’s National Disability Strategy, which was published in July 2021.
Area: UK
Deadline: 24 July 2022
March 2022
Police Scotland Survey
Area: Scotland
Deadline: 31 March 2022
Cass Review: Independent Review of Gender Identity Services for Children and Young People
It is crucial that patients, parents and professionals contribute to this review. Those who wish to participate will soon be asked to register their interest. In the meantime, people are encouraged to subscribe to their mailing list to stay up to date with how the review is progressing and of live opportunities to contribute.
Area: England
Deadline: N/A (Entire review may take 12 months)
February 2022
Banning conversion therapy
Consultation to help the development of legislation for banning conversion therapy.
Area: England and Wales
Deadline: 11:45pm on 4 February 2022
You can use the following resources to help you write your response:
Transgender Trend have written about how teachers, social workers etc. will be afraid of how to treat a gender dysphoric child, putting children at risk.
Sex Matters have provided an excellent resource to help people responding to the consultation questions.
LGB Alliance are clear that ‘Sexual orientation’ and ‘gender identity’ are two distinct categories that must not be joined. They oppose any coercive or manipulative attempts to change or “cure” sexual orientation, which can include affirming a child as ‘trans’.
December 2021
Making flexible working the default
Proposals to reform flexible working regulations. This is worth responding to since women are most likely to have caring responsibilities. In 2003, legislation came into force which provided parents and certain other carers with a right to request a flexible working arrangement, which covered work location, working hours and working pattern. In 2014, the right to request a flexible working arrangement was extended to all employees with 26 weeks continuous service. This consultation seeks to go further, and its proposals would affect both employers who receive flexible working requests and individuals who are looking to change their contracted working arrangements.
Area: England, Scotland and Wales
Deadline: 11:45pm on 1 December 2021
The future of Recorded Crime and Police Activity Statistics
The Scottish Crime Recording Board is consulting users on the production and dissemination of Scotland’s recorded crime statistics. Questions are also asked on the possible development of new statistical products covering other types of policing activity. This is a very important consultation as the responses will help inform the long term strategy for the delivery of crime and policing statistics.
Area: Scotland
Deadline: 10 December 2021
CPS – Feedback on Rape and Serious Sexual Offences documents
Feedback is being sought for each of the three documents produced by the CPS.
Area: England and Wales
Deadline: 23 December 2021
November 2021
Education Scotland and the Scottish Qualifications Authority: consultation
A consultation on the replacement of the Scottish Qualifications Authority and the reform of Education Scotland.
Area: Scotland
Deadline: 26 November 2021
Intriguing that on the same date that this consultation was published, there was this piece of news from the EHRC: Scottish Qualifications Authority signs legal agreement to improve equality practices
British Transport Police Survey – Travelling on the Railway network
British Transport Police want to better understand how safe you feel when using the different rail, tube and tram networks across the UK. Your views will help them improve their services, visibility and ensure they keep you safe as you travel.
Area: UK
Deadline: N/A
October 2021
Transvaginal Mesh Removal (Cost Reimbursement) (Scotland) Bill
Area: Scotland
Deadline: 13 October 2021
Safety of women and girls in public places and spaces consultation
West Lothian Council is undertaking a consultation with women and girls in the community regarding their perception of safety in public spaces and places. The findings of the consultation will be analysed to develop a suite of proposed actions to take forward improvements in the recording and analysis of incidents of violence against women and girls in public places and spaces with a view to achieving a reduction in reported incidents.
Area: Scotland / West Lothian
Deadline: 22 October 2021
Women’s experiences of workplace sexual harassment in Scotland
Area: Scotland
Deadline: 22 October 2021
Survey on young women’s experiences of domestic abuse and support services
Area: Scotland
Deadline: N/A
September 2021
Decisions about adult social care or support in Scotland
The Equality and Human Rights Commission in Scotland is working to make sure that equality is a fundamental part of Scotland’s new National Care Service. As part of their programme of work, they have launched a survey to gather the experiences of adults who are accessing or have tried to access social care or support, including unpaid carers requiring support for their caring role.
The survey explores whether:
* the existing ways of challenging decisions are effective and accessible
* people are given enough information about their rights to care and support, and how they can challenge decisions
* people can access high quality advocacy support to help them challenge decisions
* local councils and other bodies learn from challenges to improve decision-making in future
* there are effective systems in place to check that decisions are made well the first time round
Area: Scotland
Deadline: 15 September 2021
Menopause and the workplace
This inquiry examines the extent of discrimination faced by menopausal people in the workplace, and investigates how Government policy and workplace practices can better support those experiencing menopause.
(Probably worth highlighting in the consultation about the use of the term ‘menopausal people’!!)
Area: UK
Deadline: 17 September 2021
EHRC Strategic Plan: Consultation
The EHRC want your views on what they should focus on in their work plan for 2022 to 2025 and how they might achieve this. They want to hear from stakeholders, relevant organisations and people interested in their work in England, Scotland and Wales.
Area: Scotland, Wales, England
Deadline: 30 September 2021
Women’s Fund for Scotland – conversation about your needs
Area: Scotland
Deadline: 30 September 2021 at 23:45
Women’s Experiences of Domestic Abuse, Stalking and the Scottish Criminal Justice System
This study aims to understand the experiences of women who have been involved with the police or other criminal justice agencies having been victims of stalking and/or domestic abuse.
Note: This is another survey that annoyingly refers to those who identify as women, but still worth completing.
Area: Scotland
Deadline: N/A
University Research Project: Investigating The Gendered Impacts of Covid-19 on Working Mothers
Area: UK
Deadline: N/A
August 2021
UN consultation on women
Any individual, NGO, group or network may provide a submission to the Commission about alleged violations of human rights that affect the status of women in any country in the world. They are looking for accurate and detailed information relating to the promotion of women’s rights in political, economic, civil, social and educational fields. Submissions can only relate to a single country, so best to stick to Scotland or UK.
Even if you don’t have time to write something long, just a brief note talking about how you’ve been affected personally (eg, can no longer use rape crisis centre, loss of women’s spaces, intimidation or harassment on social media or at work etc are all worth including).
Email your submissions to the CSW Communications Procedure (cp-csw@unwomen.org). The author’s identity is not made known to the Government(s) concerned unless she/he agrees to the disclosure.
Area: International
Deadline: 1 August 2021
Views on the ‘End Conversion Therapy’ petition
The Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee is inviting your views on a public petition, PE1817: End Conversion Therapy.
Area: Scotland
Deadline: 13 August 2021
Conversion Therapy consultation by Scottish Women’s Convention
Another way to send in your views about the ‘End Conversion Therapy’ petition.
Area: Scotland
Deadline: N/A
Survey 1: Women’s experiences using Glasgow buses
Survey 2: Women’s experiences using Glasgow parks
Area: Glasgow
Deadline: 23 August 2021
Petition 1876: Next steps and further action needed
MBM Policy Group are asking people to send submissions to the Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee as this may make a substantial difference to whether a further investigation is taken forward. Submissions must meet certain rules, be no more than 800 words and must keep to the subject of the petition.
MSP support can be very helpful in encouraging further action. You can write to all your 8 MSPs explaining why this matters to you and asking them to support further investigation into the issue and to attend the Committee meeting.
Area: Scotland
Deadline: 29 August 2021
JULY 2021
Consultation on Sexual Health Standards
Area: Scotland
Deadline: 16 July 2021
Misogyny and Criminal Justice in Scotland Working Group – Lived Experience Survey
Area: Scotland
Deadline: 23 July 2021
Consultation on priorities for Scottish Parliament committees
Area: Scotland
Deadline: 30 July 2021
JUNE 2021
Women in Prison: Call for Evidence
This inquiry seeks to understand the progress made over the past 10 years to address female offending and reduce the number of women in custody. We also seek to understand how well female offenders’ needs are met in custody.
Some useful statistics from Keep Prisons Single Sex can be found here.
Area: England & Wales
Deadline: 7 June 2021
Women’s Health Strategy: Call for Evidence
This call for evidence is seeking to collect views on women’s health. Everyone aged 16 and over is welcome to contribute either via the public survey link or by sending in written submissions.
Area: England
Deadline: 11:45 PM 13 June 2021
Experiences of women in Scottish arts, culture & media
Gender Equal Media Scotland has commissioned some new research to better understand the barriers facing women working in the Scottish arts, culture and media sectors. The project aims to hear from as many women as possible across Scotland, to help understand what mechanisms and initiatives have been successful in improving access and representation in the sector and how change might best be achieved.
Note: Survey annoyingly asks ‘Do you identify as a woman?’ at the start but still worth completing the survey if you have experiences and contributions to help improve women’s representation in these areas.
Area: Scotland
Deadline: 20 June 2021
Our Bodies Our Rights in Lockdown
Engender and People First have developed a survey to find out how the pandemic has affected disabled women. In particular, they are seeking your stories of how services have adapted and how that has affected your access to support systems, whether friends and family, social care, parenting support and schools or health services, including but not only reproductive and sexual health. More information can be found here.
Area: Scotland
Deadline: 30 June 2021
MAY 2021
Rugby Football Union – Transgender Policy Proposal Public Consultation
Following World Rugby’s publication of new transgender guidelines in October 2020, the Rugby Football Union (RFU) is also conducting a review of its transgender policy and eligibility criteria for playing contact rugby union in England. As part of the review process, the RFU has opened an external consultation. Please read the policy and complete the survey at the above link. The survey is open to all – you do not have to be involved with rugby. Please tell the RFU that you “Strongly disagree” with their proposal. There is space at the end of the survey to write a short statement. If you are not sure what to write, you could reference the World Rugby conclusion which was reached after comprehensive research.
Fair Play For Women have explained the issues with the RFU draft policy. The organisation Sex Matters want to hear from any current or former female players who would like to share their opinions or experiences on this issue.
Area: England
Deadline: 5pm 5 May 2021
Combating gender-based violence – protecting victims and punishing offenders
This is an EU public consultation and you will need an EU login to be able to respond to it. Anyone can sign up and there is an option for non-EU citizens. You can leave out some of the country-specific questions.
Area: EU
Deadline: 10 May 2021 (midnight Brussels time)
Nuffield Council on Bioethics – The care and treatment of children and adolescents in relation to their gender identity in the UK: Call for Evidence
Area: UK
Deadline: 14 May 2021
April 2021
OSR Draft Guidance: Collecting and reporting data about sex in official statistics
The Office for Statistics Regulation has published guidance on collecting and reporting data about sex in official statistics. They are accepting views from any interested parties on how the Code of Practice for Statistics applies when thinking about this topic.
To respond, send them an email – regulation@statistics.gov.uk
Area: UK
Deadline: 6 April 2021
British Cycling consultation on transgender participation policy
You can read the policy here and respond to the consultation here. Legal Feminist have a blog post that you can use to help you complete the consultation survey.
Area: England
Deadline: 30 April 2021
Self-referral forensic medical services – retention period for evidence: consultation
Area: Scotland
Deadline: 30 April 2021
March 2021
Keeping children safe in education
The consultation will seek views on revisions to ‘Keeping children safe in education’, the statutory guidance that sets out what schools and colleges should do and the legal duties with which they must comply to keep children safe.
Area: England
Deadline: 4 March 2021
Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Call for Evidence
This call for evidence has reopened to further collect views from those with lived experience of, or views on, crimes considered as violence against women and girls.
Area: England & Wales
Deadline: 11:45 PM 26 March 2021
You can respond by filling in the questionnaire or emailing VAWGStrategy2021@homeoffice.gov.uk
If you are looking for tips on what to say, nia has some recommendations:
- No woman should be unprotected, so extend all protections to all women regardless of immigration status.
- Name the perpetrator – say ‘men’s violence against women and girls’ not ‘violence against women and girls’ (VAWG).
- Name and address femicide, not only domestic homicide.
- Proper funding for specialist, independent, women-led charities that support women, including those led by and for women who are from minority backgrounds.
- Protect and strengthen single-sex exemptions for women who have been subjected to men’s violence.
- The domestic violence and abuse strategy should be within (and not separate from) the men’s violence against women and girls’ strategy.
- Address the failure to prosecute and convict rapists.
- Support for all victims-survivors of sexual and domestic violence and abuse, including prostitution, is important but one-size-fits-all services fail women and girls.
- Recognise the value and contribution of specialist, independent, women-led organisations.
- Recognise that victims-survivors are ‘us’ not ‘other’.
- Clear prostitution related criminal convictions for women of all ages.
- Criminalise men who pay for sex.
- Address sex inequality and the objectification of women.
- Commit to a strategy to end prostitution – include properly funded exiting support for women involved in prostitution. Women and men can never be equal if one sex is a product and one sex is a consumer.
February 2021
Independent Review of Complaints Handling, Investigations and Misconduct Issues in Relation to Policing
The Justice Sub Committee has launched a public call for evidence on the final report of the Independent Review of Complaints Handling, Investigations and Misconduct Issues in Relation to Policing.
Area: Scotland
Deadline: 5 February 2021
The role of the GEO: embedding equalities across Government
The Women and Equalities Committee will examine how the Government Equalities Office (GEO) is delivering on its responsibilities. The inquiry will explore cross-cutting Government equalities strategies and consider recommendations for change to embed equalities across Government.
Area: UK
Deadline: 17 February 2021
Home use of both pills for early medical abortion
We want your views on whether or not the temporary measure introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic allowing women and girls to take both pills for an early medical abortion at home should be made permanent.
Area: England
Deadline: 11:59 PM 26 February 2021
January 2021
The Law Commission: Weddings
If you – or someone you know – has faced coercion, deception and control in having only a religious marriage but not a civil one, please take the time to submit a response. Southall Black Sisters and One Law for All will be happy to help with the submission if you are unable to do this on your own. Or if you think the law discriminates between religions and against minority women, please also respond. Please also send them a copy of any submission made. More information here.
Area: England & Wales
Deadline: 4 January 2021
Consultation on Future Arrangements for Early Medical Abortion at Home
Engender’s response for the continuation of telemedical appointments for Early Medical Abortion at Home
Area: Scotland
Deadline: 5 January 2021
Call for Evidence: Freedom of Expression Online
The House of Lords Communications and Digital Committee is to hold an inquiry to investigate how the right to freedom of expression should be protected online and how it should be balanced with other rights.
Area: UK
Deadline: 11:59 PM 15 January 2021
Toilet provision for men and women: Call for Evidence
Caroline Criado Perez has some notes on this in her newsletter.
Keep Toilets Single Sex is a short but informative YouTube video that explains the problems with mixed-sex toilets and why it is important that we preserve single-sex facilities everywhere, including in the UK.
Caroline Ffiske has written an article on the issue that can be used for inspiration.
Area: England
Deadline: 11:45 PM 29 January 2021
Standards Matter 2: Public Sector Survey
The Committee on Standards in Public Life wants to hear from those working in the public sector. We want to know what you think about the culture, policy and practice in your organisation towards standards.
Area: UK
Deadline: 5pm 29 January 2021
Standards Matter 2: Public Consultation
The Committee on Standards in Public Life is running a public consultation to ask for respondents’ views on current principles, institutions, and arrangements for upholding standards.
Area: UK
Deadline: 5pm 29 January 2021
Call for Evidence: Freedom of Expression
Area: UK
Deadline: 31 January 2021
December 2020
The Law Commission: Reform of the Communications Offences
Reform of the law is needed to protect victims from harmful online behaviour including abusive messages, cyber-flashing, pile-on harassment, and the malicious sharing of information known to be false. The Law Commission is consulting on proposals to improve the protection afforded to victims by the criminal law, while at the same time provide better safeguards for freedom of expression.
Area: England & Wales
Deadline: 18 December 2020
Equality Outcomes 2021-2025
This survey relates to Edinburgh, West Lothian and Midlothian Councils (including their education authorities and Midlothian’s licensing board), NHS Lothian, Midlothian Health and Social Care Partnership and East Lothian Integrated Joint Board.
Area: Scotland (Edinburgh & Lothians)
Deadline: 22 December 2020
The Law Commission: Consultation on Hate Crime
You can use the information here to help you write a submission.
Area: England & Wales
Deadline: 24 December 2020
Women Speak Scotland 