This week the Scottish Government confirmed some changes to restrictions to allow limited, outdoor socialising between households, interaction between young people, increased communal worship and group exercise from Friday 12 March. This change is a result of the significant fall in new cases, deaths and hospital admissions in recent weeks. This announcement has not altered anything in Shetland as we can already do all these activities as we remain in Level 3.
There was further positive news for parents and carers this week when Scottish Government confirmed that all primary pupils will return to school full-time from 15 March. All primary school children will also be able to return to regulated childcare from that date. The First Minister continues to be cautious about lifting restrictions as there is concern that returning children to school could push the R number for Scotland back above 1.
The First Minister said that next Tuesday she will outline plans for a potential easing of the restrictions and a gradual re-opening of the economy. I will let you know what that means for Shetland when I receive it.
Both in Shetland and across Scotland we are continuing to make excellent progress with the vaccination programme. The estimated percentage of the population vaccinated in Scotland is currently 40%. The estimated percentage of population vaccinated in Shetland is 54% - the second highest Local Authority area in Scotland. The highest is Western Isles at 55%. From about the middle of March, it is expected that vaccine supplies in Scotland will pick up again. This will allow for a very significant acceleration in the vaccination programme across Scotland.
There have been no new cases of Coronavirus in Shetland this week and the Level 3 restrictions remain in place.
This week, our elected Members have started the process of approving the budget for the financial year ahead. They have agreed the service committee budgets and the full budget will be debated on Wednesday at the Council meeting. This is a budget that, if approved, will support Shetland’s recovery and renewal from the profound impact of the Coronavirus pandemic. It delivers significant investment to achieve the priorities set out in Our Ambition, which focuses on the long-term sustainability of Shetland and the actions to tackle inequalities, address climate change, and support the most vulnerable people in our community to ensure Shetland is a place where everyone can thrive. Our job is to use those financial resources wisely to deliver the vision to secure Shetland’s future sustainability and maintain our Excellent Services to our community.
It was International Women’s Day on 8th March - a day for celebrating women’s achievements and raising awareness of the gender inequality that still exists. A number of recent reports have highlighted how the inequalities in society have worsened through the pandemic. I find this phrase helps us visualise the pandemics impact most effectively: “We may all be in the same storm, but we are all in different boats…and even then, too many of us are with no boat at all.”
We don’t have to look far to see how the pandemic has affected women’s lives. Women’s earnings have declined by 12.9 per cent, nearly double the reduction for men. Women’s poverty rates, and subsequently child poverty rates, are rising as a result of low-paid women being particularly affected by job disruption. A report from the think tank Centre for London found that women are more likely to have seen their income fall during the pandemic, with nearly half (48 per cent) reporting a drop in disposable income last month. The lack of consideration afforded to gender in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis resulted in the recession having a disproportionate impact on women’s employment and economic wellbeing. There have already been headlines about a post pandemic “she-cession” rather than a recession as women are more likely to lose their jobs over the course of the recession. Women are bearing the brunt of the increase of childcare and care for adults in the home, making it difficult to do their paid work from home.
This financial gulf is opening up amongst a rise in both domestic abuse and harassment cases. Women have reported that their abuser had more control over their life since lockdown and the stay at home guidance meant women could not access their friends or support networks.
Women’s economic inequality reduces their financial independence, restricts their choices in employment, and in life, and creates a conducive context for violence against women. Women's higher poverty levels and financial dependence can make it harder for women experiencing violence or abuse to move on from a violent and abusive relationship. The fear of violence can prevent women from pursuing education, seeking work or pursuing career progression. Victims of domestic violence have missed opportunities for promotions and pay progression because it appears they have performance issues due to sick days, lateness or distraction at work.
Pre-pandemic, women were more likely to work in low-paid sectors (sectors which are currently shut down such as retail and hospitality). Women are more likely than men to have caring responsibilities and therefore face the additional pressure of finding work that allows them to balance earning with caring. Women account for two thirds of workers earning less than the living wage and 55% of workers on zero-hour contracts are women - most part-time work is found in the lowest paid occupations and sectors. The gender pay gap - the difference between the average hourly pay of men and women is the key indicator of women’s labour market equality. This represents the differences men and women have not only in employment but also in education, training, care and other domestic labour. Scotland’s gender pay gap remaining stubbornly high at 10%. Shetland Islands Council gender pay gap in 2017/18 was 8.4% compared to a Scottish Council average of 5.9%.
In October 2018, Shetland Islands Council applied to be part of Close the Gap’s Equally Safe at Work Employer accreditation programme. This programme supported a very dedicated working group of volunteers from across the Council to gather data from you about the perception and experiences of gender equality and violence against women in the workplace. We got to hear more detailed information on the experience of female employees in the Council through the focus groups.
We developed a Violence against Women policy, supporting procedures, guidance and training – to help our staff to talk about their experience of domestic abuse so we can provide them with the help and support they need. We updated our Employee Code of Conduct so that it explains the link between women’s labour market inequality, violence against women and wider gender inequality and sets out the standards of behaviour expected of all Council employees and the consequences of failing to uphold these standards. As an employer, we take a zero- tolerance approach towards employees who commit violence against women.
This week I was delighted to accept the bronze accreditation, which recognised the work undertaken over the past two years. In receiving this award, Shetland Islands Council has been recognised as a sector leader on gender equality at work in local government, due to our commitment to women’s labour market equality. Shetland Islands Council is one of the first four local authorities recognised in this way, along with Aberdeen City Council, Midlothian Council and North Lanarkshire Council. I am also delighted that, in the latest Local Government Benchmarking Framework published this month, our gender pay gap has fallen to 5.9% although the Scottish Council average has also improved to 3.4%. Orkney Islands Council’s gender pay gap is 11.4% and the Western Isles Council’s is 14.4%
This week we are seeing minimal lifting of restrictions in Scotland. Whilst I was disappointed to see no changes here, it has reminded me that we have so much to be grateful for having remained in level 3 since Christmas. We are hard-wired for certainty; goal-setting and connectedness with others, so the restrictions on what we can and can’t do and the lack of clarity about when we can plan to do things in future unsurprisingly makes us feel anxious. The picture is improving everyday so this too shall pass … eventually.
Therefore, this week, I am encouraging you to focus on what we can do, rather than what we can’t. We are able to go to cafes until 6pm to meet another household. We can visit family and friends outdoors whenever the weather permits it. Our shops are still open for non-essential items so we can support our local businesses. This time last year, the lockdown stopped me getting a haircut for months – I have felt immensely grateful for this very simple pleasure ever since!
The Clickimin gym along with the fitness suites in the Unst, Yell and Whalsay sites have reopened, as has the pool facilities at Scalloway, South and North Mainland. Other venues will be reopening from 15 March. We can visit the library and book to attend the Bonhoga gallery and the Shetland Museum. I’ve been reliably informed (Jan!) that the sea trout fishing season is now underway with brown trout season starting on 15 March (permit required of course!). For those of you brave (or foolhardy enough) there is wild swimming. We can search a beach for shells and sea glass. We have been able to open our care homes to designated visitors again. We can connect with each other in small ways - I smile more at people and have short chats with people I don't know (admittedly mainly about the weather!).
We have the massive benefit of the outdoors and connecting with nature for our physical and mental health. I don’t think I have ever understood what a privilege that is until lockdown and I now find time to value it rather than take it for granted. For me that has meant paying attention to the changes in the seasons, listening to the sounds of the birds, watching the shapes of the clouds, spotting the new buds on the trees and seeing the different green tones. Or sitting for 10 minutes outside with a cup of coffee and my face in the sun and noticing the spring bulbs poking up though the soil to remind me that change is constant and this awful situation we are in won't last forever. Each night as the evenings lengthen before sunset feeling the anticipation of the longer, lighter days ahead of us knowing the clocks go forward on 28 March adding an extra hour of sunlight.
Research from the University of British Columbia published in the Journal of Positive Psychology in 2017 showed overwhelmingly an increase in happiness, connectedness with nature and others in a study where one group focussed on an object that wasn’t man-made. Participants took a photo of items that caught their attention – a houseplant, sun through a window or birds for example – and jotted their feelings in response to it. We are so lucky in Shetland that we can enjoy that positive human response to nature simply by looking outside the window. I’d really encourage you to get out and physically feel it as well - snap a photo and note down how you are feeling. If you’d like to share your pictures of “something not man-made” with me for future staff messages – I’d really appreciate that!
Just hold on for now to what we can do. Let’s look forward to the prospect of restrictions being relaxed further and the opportunity to do even more soon!
Kind regards
Maggie