Our values and principles

Gender Equality

Our model of gender equality is based on a transformative model of substantive gender equality, based on human rights, which goes beyond equal treatment to require:

• Redress material and social disadvantage – allowing for different treatment of women and men, and different groups of women and men, to counteract disadvantage.
• Counter stigma, prejudice, humiliation and violence – ensuring mutual respect for human dignity.
• Transform social and institutional structures – recognising the gender inequality is structural and tackling it requires a redistribution of power and resources.
• Facilitate political participation and social inclusion – ensuring the diversity of women’s voices are head in public life and when decisions are made, allowing everyone to fully participate in society.

This model recognises there are interactions and possible tensions between these four dimensions of gender equality.

Our values

Human Rights

We will ensure that we work in line with the sort of society we want to see; based on substantive equality and respect for human rights, where care is valued and shared and which allows everyone to live in dignity, reach their full potential and fully participate.

Feminism

The Women’s Budget Group is a feminist organisation. We recognise that sex-determined social roles have given rise across the world to a variety of forms of patriarchal society in which access to work, resources, assets and income is determined largely by a hierarchy of imposed gendered roles, with men having greater rights, entitlement, and opportunity to access resources than women.

Intersectionality

We recognise that gendered structures of inequality intersect, including those based on class, race, and disability. While our primary focus is on gender equality, we will reflect the intersectional nature of inequality in our work.

Principles for our work

Partnership and Internationalism

We believe that we can achieve more via collaboration. We will work in partnership with organisations and individuals who share our aims and values. We recognise that gender equality is an international struggle, and we will play an active role within wider feminist movements both in the UK and internationally.

Expertise and Learning

We will ensure our work is academically robust, that our analysis and policy proposals are evidence-based and that we are always open to learning as an organisation. We recognise that expertise, knowledge and opportunities to learn come in many forms and include front-line and lived experience as well as academic research.

Diversity

We believe that diversity of backgrounds and perspectives strengthens our work and we will seek to promote diversity at all levels within the organisation.

Pluralism and Respect for Difference

WBG brings together people with different views, perspectives and experiences. We are committed to respectful, open discussion, where all views can be heard,  to ensure robust analysis and policymaking internally and within wider society.

Integrity

WBG will work in an open, honest, accountable and transparent way with staff, volunteers, members and other stakeholders.

Political Independence

WBG does not affiliate to or support any political party. We seek to influence all parties to adopt policies that promote women’s equality, gender budgeting and feminist economic principles.