14 Jun 2023
A new report from the Women’s Budget Group – Gender Gaps in Access to Civil Legal Justice – highlights that women are disproportionately affected by lack of Legal Aid.
The report, based on results of a survey, and funded by the Community Justice Fund, highlights that:
85% of respondents said vulnerable women are unable to access civil legal aid and 77% said a major consequence of the legal aid changes is ‘women reaching crisis point or problems escalating’ before they receive any legal help or advice.
The most widespread employment law issue women seek help with is pregnancy/maternity discrimination.
48% of respondents reported domestic violence as a key issue.
Stakeholders highlighted the “double whammy” disproportionately impacting women: the reduced scope of what is covered by legal aid and the reduced amount of legal aid available.
The full report is available to download here: https://wbg.org.uk/analysis/reports/gender-gaps-in-access-to-civil-legal-justice/