Report

Underfunded, under resourced and under the radar

This report from UK think tank Pro Bono Economics examines the state of the women and girls’ social sector.

Women and girls’ charities are under intense strain — facing rising need and shrinking resources, even beyond the challenges experienced by the wider social sector. Read our new research by Dr Beth Kitson, commissioned by Rosa – the UK fund for women and girls. In the summer of 2024, Rosa, the UK funder for women and girls, commissioned Pro Bono Economics (PBE) to conduct a comprehensive survey to help them better understand the depth and breadth of challenges currently facing the women and girls’ sector.

This report captures key findings from the survey and offers insights into the sector’s operations, challenges and aspirations. The survey reveals a sector that is underfunded, under resourced and under the radar. Women’s and girls’ organisations face considerable pressures, often disproportionately so, compared with the wider charity sector. Demand for services has surged, with 91% of the organisations that completed the survey reporting an increase over the past year, and 93% expecting demand to continue to grow.

However, financial constraints are a critical barrier to meeting increased need. Over half (52%) of respondents identified funding sources as their top concern. Worryingly, 44% of respondents predicted they might not meet future demand. A funding environment that fosters competition over collaboration has further exacerbated these challenges, with 43% of respondents citing competition for funding as a major issue for their organisations.

Pressures around costs and demand have already forced more than a quarter (26%) of respondents to reduce services, reflecting the strain on capacity across the women and girls’ sector.