Arising from the attendance of the Revd Canon Cynthia Dowdle at the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (UNCSW) and her role within IAWN, the Diocese of Liverpool established a Women's Issues Forum and an annual Faith in Partnership Lecture sponsored by the Diocesan Council for Social Aid whose principal role is running a bail hostel (a small open prison for women, in simple language!)

The 2010 Faith in Partnership lecture was delivered on 15 April by Gill Hurley who has worked with women offenders and was involved in helping women about to be released from prison to produce a video on their experiences. This was moving and reminded those present that women offenders are often victims of sexism with prostitution and drug addiction forced upon them - many are also victims of abuse by family members at a young age.

The Women's issues Forum has looked at issues like domestic violence, sexual grooming of teenage girls and genital mutilation as well as women in leadership. In June 2010 they will welcome the Rt Revd Cathy Roskam, Suffragan Bishop of New York, who is visiting Liverpool to preach at the Centenary of the Cathedral Lady Chapel (which has stained glass windows dedicated to noble Christian women).

Canon Dowdle chairs the Forum assisted by Helen Clarey, Diocesan Women's Adviser (the first such post in any Anglican Diocese). In addition to servicing the forum Helen is involved in revising and updating the diocesan Equal Opportunities Policy and in working on domestic violence awareness.