Our final newsletter of the year is out 📩 December’s edition brings together our latest work: • Scotland’s first-ever Care Policy Scorecard • New social care charging research (with JRF & Glasgow Disability Alliance) • Our pre-Budget briefing for the Scottish Budget

Day 2 of @heraldscotland.bsky.social's series sparked by the Care Policy Scorecard for Scotland. www.heraldscotland.com/news/subscri... The Scorecard was produced by @swbg.bsky.social for the #AScotlandthatCares campaign. Read it here ➡️ ascotlandthatcares.org/wp-content/u...

Our review of all 32 Scottish councils found major gaps in understanding how local budget decisions impact women. More detail here: www.swbg.org.uk/content/publications/Local-Authority-Budget-review-2025-26.pdf

📣Our Budget Briefing is live Top asks: invest in care, strengthen social security and embed gender analysis across public services. Details here: www.swbg.org.uk/content/publications/Pre-Budget-2026-27-briefing-.pdf

A huge thank you to everyone who contributed to our AGM this year - and especially to the women who shared their experiences with us.

Are you interested how the budget will impact women and gender equality? Join our discussion tomorrow at 10am online. Tickets still available - get yours now 👇 www.wbg.org.uk/event/autumn...

📢 Event Alert! Gender Budgeting: Scottish Local Authority Budgets 2025–26 🗓 Thu 11 Dec | 🕙 10–11:15am Join SWBG as we launch our local budget review, sharing findings on: • Transparency • Participation • Outcome focus • Advancing equality 📊 Examples of best practice + recommendations!

Our Director will be joining BBC Radio Scotland Drivetime at 16:15 today to share our reaction to the UK Budget — and what it means for women in Scotland. 🔗 Tune in www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000fdlr

📢 UK Budget tomorrow As we await Labour’s second Budget, we’re gearing up to analyse what it means for women across all four UK nations. 📅 Join us on 9 Dec, 10am 🎤 Speakers: Erin Mansell, Alex Brennan, Hannah Griffiths, Sara Cowan 🪑 Chair: Samah Krichah

@swbg.bsky.social is looking for an experienced Communications and Events Officer who is able to help call for a gender equal economy in Scotland tinyurl.com/m2v2dyf7 £28,500 pro-rata Remote #charityjob

Great to see the ‘Tax Us, the Super-Rich’ @patmillsuk.bsky.social bus start its journey across the UK in Edinburgh. Fairer taxes on wealth could help tackle inequality and fund the future we all deserve #TaxJusticeScotland

We’re hiring! SWBG is looking for a Communications and Events Officer to lead our comms and events work. Join our small team working for gender equality in Scotland. More info & how to apply 👉https://www.swbg.org.uk/work-for-us/

🆕 A new report from @jrf-uk.bsky.social @swbg.bsky.social calls for an end to social care charging in Scotland. "There are things that could be done to make the system fairer, but ultimately these charges need to end." 🔗 www.jrf.org.uk/care/time-to...

📢NEXT WEEK! Join us to learn about our participative research in Aberdeen and explore how gender budgeting can help tackle the city’s key challenges of poverty and inequality. 🔗 www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/how-gender-budgeting-can-help-tackle-inequality-and-poverty-tickets-1834696349169?aff=oddtdtcreator

Thank you for organising such a fantastic event! We were delighted to be part of it, and we’re grateful to the audience for their thoughtful comments and questions.

We’re hiring! SWBG is looking for a Communications and Events Officer to lead our comms and events work. Join our small team working for gender equality in Scotland. More info & how to apply 👉https://www.swbg.org.uk/work-for-us/

1/ 📢 Published today: our new research for @jrf-uk.bsky.social with Glasgow Disability Alliance calls for an end to social care charging in Scotland. Disabled people are being pushed deeper into poverty — it’s time for change. 🔗www.jrf.org.uk/care/time-to-end-social-care-charging-in-scotland

Our new analysis shows how many children could be lifted out of poverty by 2029/30 if the two-child limit on Universal Credit would be abolished: England: 626,022 children Scotland: 51,036 children Wales: 54,722 children NI: 9,791 children #EndChildPoverty

Check your inbox for updates on our work, opportunities, resources, and all things women & the economy💜 👉 Haven’t spotted it yet? Check your spam folder. 📧 Changed your email? Get in touch at [email protected] and we’ll update your membership form.

1/ We’ve got a busy few weeks coming up at SWBG! 🌟 Join us at a series of events exploring the themes at the heart of our work — care, childcare, and gender budgeting — and how we can build a fairer economy for all. Read on to see where you can get involved 👇

Tomorrow we’re joining the #ScotlandDemandsBetter march. 📍Assemble: Horse Wynd from 10am 👣March: 11am 📢Rally: The Meadows 12:30–4pm We’ll march for better jobs, better social security & better investment in life’s essentials, the foundation of a caring economy. See you there!

📢 Join us Tuesday 18 Nov, 12–13:30 for an online session on Gender Budgeting! Discover what we learned from our participative research in Aberdeen and how gender budgeting approaches can help tackle some of the challenges identified.

Packed house for our event at this year’s SNP conference on funding the future With @shonarobison.bsky.social MSP, David Phillips @theifs.bsky.social, Sara Cowan @swbg.bsky.social and @lmacfarlane.bsky.social Thanks to the speakers and everyone who came along!

We were pleased to be part of this important discussion. Scotland has opportunities to use tax tools to shape policies and deliver public services that better work for women. #TaxJusticeScotland

1️⃣To mark #ChallengePovertyWeek, we’re launching our first Women’s Survey Briefing focused on women’s finances in Scotland. The findings paint a stark picture of the cost of living crisis and its gendered impact. 🧵 www.swbg.org.uk/content/publications/Womens-Survey-2025.-Finances-briefing.pdf

(1/3) 📢 We’re proud to add our voice to the Women Against the Far Right Scotland by signing the open letter rejecting the far right’s racist rhetoric which only seeks to exploit violence against women to fuel hate and division. #WomenAgainstFarRight #Solidarity #OpenLetter

📊 Have your say on Scotland’s free period products! The Scottish Women’s Budget Group & Period Place UK are gathering experiences to understand the real impact of free provision. 🕒 10 mins to complete 🔒 Anonymous 🗓️ Closes 10 Oct 👉 www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/VH62OW/ #PeriodProducts

💥LAUNCHED TODAY💥 'Investing in Women, Transforming Communities': Engender's Manifesto for Holyrood 2026. Read it here: www.engender.org.uk/holyrood-2026/

Last week our Director, Sara Cowan, gave evidence to the Equalities, Human Rights & Civil Justice Committee as part of their Pre-Budget scrutiny. Watch here 👇 x.com/SP_EHRCJ/sta...

📢 Have your say! We’re running a survey with @ThePeriodPlaceUK to understand the impact of Scotland’s free period products. 🕒 10 mins to complete 🔒 Anonymous responses 🗓️ Deadline: 10 Oct 2025 👉 Take part: smartsurvey.co.uk/s/VH62OW/ #PeriodDignity #FreePeriodProducts

1/2🍲What if everyone in Scotland had access to affordable, nutritious meals in their community? Join @nourishscotland.bsky.social ’s Public Diners Conference 16 Oct. Explore how state-supported restaurants can boost local economies, create community spaces & support a #GoodFoodNation.

📩 Our August E-News is out! After a July break, we’re back with updates, opportunities + resources on all things women & the economy 💜 👉 Didn’t get it? Check your spam. 📧 Changed email? Contact [email protected] ✨ Not a member yet? Sign up today! www.swbg.org.uk/content/membership/

(1/2) 🧵 📢 We’ve published our response to the Social Justice and Social Security Committee’s Budget Scrutiny 2026-27 inquiry. Key messages: 🔹 Social security can be a preventative measure with long-term benefits 🔹 Thresholds risk creating cliff edges that harm those just above them

Another school term and another year of barriers, challenges and misery for some children and families and a blatant disregard for children's rights news.stv.tv/west-central...

Our colleagues at @sccscot.bsky.social show why governments must step up on climate action 👇 🌍 Care about the impacts of climate change? Join us at the Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh, on Thurs 18 Sept to demand urgent, fair action. 📝 Sign up here: bit.ly/3TuWT4s

🧵Why is it vital to apply a gender lens when tackling Scotland’s long-term financial pressures? We’ve shared our insights in response to FPA's pre-budget scrutiny for 2026-27.

📣 There's still time to complete this year's State of Caring survey! Are you an unpaid carer? Take part and make your voice heard. 🧡 🔗 Know someone who provides unpaid care? Share the survey with them. 📋 Link to the survey here: www.surveymonkey.com/r/QN67HSN #StateOfCaring #UnpaidCarers

It’s a key moment to push MSPs to act on climate. Join the Mass Lobby at the Scottish Parliament on Thurs 18 Sept. 💜 Travel/care bursaries available ✅ Training provided 📝 Sign up: bit.ly/3TuWT4s #ActNowChangeForever

Today's report from the ‪@metoffice.gov.uk‬ shows that our climate is already changing significantly, bringing serious impacts on our health, jobs, homes and nature. Every fraction of a degree of heating matters - we urgently need leadership and proper plans to build a fairer, climate-safe future.

📢 Unpaid carer? Your voice matters. Our colleagues at @carersscotland.bsky.social are running their annual State of Caring survey — and they want to hear from you. Share your experiences and help shape the support carers need and deserve. 💬🧡 👉 Take the survey: www.surveymonkey.com/r/QN5QWF7

🧱 "Everything just seems to have barriers and people send you pillar to post." In Aberdeen, women face daily obstacles to health & wellbeing — not because of individual choices, but because of how systems are built.

🍏Healthy food costs £8.80 per 1,000 calories — more than double unhealthy food. The poorest eat 42% less fruit & veg than recommended. We're urging @AberdeenCC to use the Good Food Nation plan to: ✅Improve access ✅Go cash-first ✅Support community growing ✅Include gender analysis

🧵1/Our research in Aberdeen showed: 🏠 Only 37% of people living alone report getting 25% Council Tax reduction they’re entitled to 💸 65% of respondents had debt — 17% owed Council Tax arrears 👵 75% of pensioners feel worse off than last year, with many dipping into savings

📢 This is a big moment. Launching the Scotland Demands Better campaign. @oxfamscotland.bsky.social is proud to back the call for action to deliver a fairer, greener future for all of us. Join us: scotland-demands-better.com #WeDemandBetter @povertyalliance.org

Better homes. Better services. A thriving natural environment. Join the march for all of us. Edinburgh - 25 Oct. #WeDemandBetter scotland-demands-better.com

🚨 The MIG Expert Group has launched its final report 🚨 A #MinimumIncomeGuarantee is key to women's equality, recognising: 💬 Unpaid care's impact on poverty 💬 Disability, income insecurity & extra costs 🔗 www.gov.scot/publications...

📢New briefing from shows childcare in @abshirecouncil.bsky.social is already stretched,yet nursery closures were proposed last month. 329 parents told us: ❗The current offer isn’t enough 👩‍👧‍👦Women are cutting work to cope 📝Read more: www.swbg.org.uk/content/publications/SWBG-Aberdeenshire-Briefing.pdf

🧵1/ Care and childcare in Aberdeen: According to our survey data, women spend 4.5hrs/day on unpaid care. 24% have left work because of it. 💷 Over half struggle with costs 🏫 Holiday wraparound care? Limited, expensive, hard to access

📝 New Guest Blog Arantxa, a Steering Group member, shares her reflections on our Aberdeen Poverty & Inequality report. After this week’s Council meeting, she urges decision-makers: don’t let this report be ignored. 📖 Read it: www.swbg.org.uk/news/blog/dont-let-the-wind-blow-our-mandala/