Partnership Working for Women and Girls: A Briefing Paper

Introduction

This briefing looks at how women’s organisations work together to support women and girls. It focuses on 3 large partnerships in Sheffield, Leeds and Greater Manchester. It shows why they were formed and how they help improve services.

It’s written for funders, commissioners and organisations thinking about creating or strengthening partnerships.

Findings

The briefing shows that partnership working can help women’s organisations reach more people, build stronger services and have a greater voice with funders and local authorities.

The 3 partnerships have achieved things that individual organisations could not have done alone, such as securing new funding, developing shared approaches and strengthening their influence. They found that successful partnership work relies on trust, clear communication, shared goals and a commitment to supporting women with the most complex needs.

This document also highlights challenges, such as managing different organisational cultures and balancing workloads.

Overall, it shows that partnership working can be a powerful way to improve the lives of women and girls.