Mayor to quadruple Rape Crisis services in London

Posted on March 9, 2010
Filed Under Funding, Government, London, Rape and Sexual Assault, Women's Group

Three new Rape Crisis Centres will open in London this year, following the Mayor’s pledge to quadruple Rape Crisis provision in the capital. The first will open in Ealing next month followed later in the year by new services in the north and east.

When elected, Mayor Boris Johnson pledged to open three new centres and provide extra funding for the capital’s only existing service in Croydon. By working together with London’s boroughs he has now delivered on this commitment and reversed a downward trend in women’s services, which saw two centres close under the previous administration.

Islington and Westminster councils have taken the lead to deliver new Rape Crisis services in north London using £370,000 of funding from the Mayor. With the full support of four other north London councils they plan to run Rape Crisis services in each borough with the work centrally co-ordinated by an existing women’s service provider. This means that women in north London will not have to travel across boroughs but can access services locally.

A similar plan is underway in east London where Redbridge is leading work to deliver a new Rape Crisis Centre for the area with £370,000 of funding from the Mayor.

The new Rape Crisis Centre for west London, run by the Women and Girl’s Network, will start operating on April 1. With £375,000 funding from the Mayor along with resources and additional funding from Ealing Council, the centre hopes to run satellite services across West London.

Since receiving £260,000 from the Mayor last year the Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Centre (RASASC) in Croydon has doubled the capacity of its helpline and increased by 30 per cent the level of face to face counselling it can now provide to victims of rape and sexual abuse.

Notes

Increasing access to services, such as Rape Crisis support, is a key part of the Mayor’s Violence Against Women Strategy ‘The Way Forward’ the final version of which has been published today. This can be found, along with an action plan for delivery of the strategy at http://www.london.gov.uk

In his manifesto, the Mayor committed to expanding Rape Crisis provision in London by funding three new centres as well as the only remaining centre, the Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Centre (RASASC) in Croydon. The Mayor has pledged £1.4m to increase Rape Crisis provision in London over the next three years. The aim is to have a Rape Crisis service in north, south, east and west London.

The Mayor has allocated £370K to establish Rape Crisis provision in the north and is working with a north London partnership to achieve this. The partnership is jointly led by Islington and Westminster Councils. The other boroughs in the partnership are Camden, Enfield, Barnet, Kensington & Chelsea. Services will be delivered through an existing third sector specialist violence against women service provider using an innovative “hub and spoke” model involving outreach and satellite services being provided across all seven boroughs.

A similar approach is being developed in the east where Redbridge is leading an east London partnership to open a rape crisis service with £370,000 of funding from the Mayor. Other boroughs in the partnership are Barking & Dagenham, Newham, Havering, Hackney and Waltham Forest.

The Mayor reached an agreement with Ealing Council last July to establish a new Rape Crisis Centre for west London. The Mayor has allocated £375,000 to Ealing Council over the next two years. A specialist organisation known as Women and Girls network are about to sign the contract to deliver the service from the 1st April. The service will initially be delivered from Women and Girls network existing premises based in Shepherds Bush. As soon as a suitable location has been identified the service will move to a central Ealing location.

The Mayor is working with Croydon Council to fund the South London Rape Crisis Centre, the Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Centre (RASASC). The funding received by RASASC has already enabled them to double the capacity of their sexual violence helpline, increase their opening hours by 16%, increase the number of workers on the helpline by 60% and increase their face to face counselling service by 30%

The Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Centre Freephone Helpline is 0808 802 9999. This line is open from 12 – 2.30 and 7 – 9.30pm every Day of the Year

London also has three Sexual Assault Referral Centres known as The Havens providing high quality victim care and medical services to anyone who has been raped in the last 12 months. Rape Crisis Centres provide long-term support and counselling to recent and historic incidents of rape including childhood sexual abuse. The Mayor recognises that the only way to meet the needs of survivors is to offer both forms of service provision.

You can read the press release in full at http://www.london.gov.uk/media/press_releases_mayoral/mayor-quadruple-rape-crisis-services-london

Surviving the rape centre cash crisis (CRASAC)

Posted on March 9, 2010
Filed Under Funding, Government, Midlands West, Rape and Sexual Assault, Women's Group

The theme of 2009 International Women’s Day last March was ‘End Violence against Women and Girls’, echoing an international campaign by the UN. So why a year on is Britain still failing women, by not properly funding Rape Crisis centres in the UK?

Ten years ago Coventry’s Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre (CRASAC) was one of 80 Rape Crisis centres in Britain – now this number has halved to just 38.

Rape Crisis centres across the country are massively under-funded, resulting in ever-growing waiting lists, staff redundancies and closure of services, with a devastating impact on women, girls, men and boys who need support.

This decline in Rape Crisis centres mirrors the fall in the UK’s rape convictions rate which at five per cent are the lowest in Europe.

Yet Dianne Whitfield, manager of CRASAC remains upbeat and optimistic. “Sexual violence has one of the highest profiles it’s had in years,” she said. “We do see a really positive change. West Midlands Police is being very supportive – a radio campaign against sexual violence is currently running in Coventry.

“Compared to other areas we are really supported. A quarter of our core funding comes from the local government and NHS Coventry, but still much of my time is spent filling out funding applications and I’m fighting to save one of our three independent sexual advisors.”

Dianne’s hard work is paying off. CRASAC has just received funding from the Equality and Human Rights Commission for a new two-year project which aims to reach out to black, ethnic minority, lesbian, bisexual and transgender women and girls over 11.

Former social worker Ekjote Bashir, an outreach trainer for CRASAC, is a member of staff helping to set up the Access and Equity project.

She said: ”Being an Asian woman I am aware of the potential barriers of reporting a rape. Talking about sex is usually a taboo subject, particularly around sexual violence.

“This project is about letting people know that we can give practical emotional support in a safe confidential, non-judgemental and culturally-sensitive environment. We use specially trained interpreters.”

The team are looking to establish close links with community groups including Coventry Refugee Centre , Coventry Ethnic Minority partnership, Foleshill Community Centre and the Somali Community Project.

Dianne is also in the process of recruiting a female youth participation worker, a three-year post funded by Comic Relief .

CRASAC operates from the first floor and basement of a 1970s-looking office block just outside Coventry city centre.

A close knit all-women team includes trained female counsellors, three independent sexual violence advisors (ISVA’s) and 20 volunteers aged 21 to 67 take turns to run the helpline.

Twice a year CRASAC runs a 10-week training courses for women wishing to join the team. The helpline consists of a small box room and two phonelines. A quarter to a third of all callers are under 18.

There are six light and airy therapy rooms including a homely children’s room with a wooden dolls’ house and toys, downstairs in the basement are further counselling rooms for the three sexual violence advisors.

Dianne said: “Our central ethos is that it’s a woman’s right to choose whether she wants to report a crime to the police. We will support her in any way we can, including at court.

“Nationally 90 per cent of women who come to a rape crisis centre do not report it to the police but I do not think that’s the case in Coventry.

“We see more and more individuals feel supported and reporting to the police and staying in counselling.”

Dianne previously worked as a senior HR manager and went on to run her own management consultancy in Leamington, which she describes as ”a lot easier and a lot more lucrative”.

But she wanted a change of career. “I wanted to retrain as a psychotherapist and so I began volunteering here.”

CRASAC is the only specialist support centre for rape and sexual abuse survivors over the age of 11 in the city. It has been running for 30 years and supports 3,000 victims of sexual violence a year offering advocacy, counselling and support.

In Warwickshire there are two counselling services Safeline Warwick (http://www.safelinewarwick.co.uk) and Rugby Rosa (http://www.survivorguide.co.uk) which offer support for male and female survivors of sexual abuse.

Left-wing magazine, The New Statesman, has a two-year campaign highlighting the UK’s Rape Crisis crisis – criticising the government for failing to tackle violence against women. It says: “The real challenge is to provide long-term sustainable funding for Rape Crisis centres, not short-term emergency fund”.

Boosted by this campaign Rape Crisis centres in England and Wales sent an e-petition of 2,776 signatures in February 2010 to the PM calling for proper government funding so existing centres can continue their work and new centres can open.

The Government responded by saying “significant progress” had been made in recent years and continued commitment was shown by:
* the cross-government Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy
* investment in local support services for rape victims, with £2.25m of central funding available in 2010/11 including £1m for Rape Crisis and Survivor’s Trust
* £3.2million to ensure there is at least one Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) in every police force area by 2011, and 43 Independent Sexual Violence Advisers
* a new online directory of services and a new 24-hour sexual violence helpline is due to be up-and -running by the end of 2010

There are almost 30 Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARC) in the Midlands – safe locations where victims of sexual assault can receive medical care and counselling – in Walsall, Birmingham, Leicester, Nottingham and Gloucester. Though for victims from Coventry that means the closest is a 40-minute journey away.

In 2007 the rape conviction rate in the West Midlands was 7.1 per cent, 2.9 per cent in Warwickshire according to the Fawcett Society. Latest figures from Warwickshire Police reveal that of 103 reported rapes between April 2008 and March 2009, there were 27 convictions and three cautions. Figures for Coventry are not immediately available from West Midlands Police. A Freedom of Information request takes 20 days.

Dianne said: “Nationally 80 per cent of women who report a rape do not go to court – they decide to leave the case – but in Coventry the drop-out rate is two per cent.

This due to the excellent support they receive from our three independent sexual violence advisors. ISVA’s have been prime plumped by the government. It’s an area that’s grown hugely.”

Not only do ISVAs offer non judgemental emotional support to a woman or man immediately after an attack, but they offer factual advice and practical support, they refer clients to a qualified counsellor and provide support throughout the legal process.

CRASAC’s helpline is open Monday to Friday 10am-2pm and Monday and Thursday 6pm- 8pm. 024 7627 7777

Read the full story at http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/lifestyle-news/relationships/yourlife/2010/03/09/surviving-the-rape-centre-cash-crisis-92746-25993435/

Counselling returns after 10 years for Leeds rape victims

Posted on March 9, 2010
Filed Under Rape and Sexual Assault, Vacancies, Women's Group, Yorkshire & Humberside

A phone helpline is being launched in Leeds to offer support to victims of rape and sexual abuse.

The initiative is being spearheaded by SARSVL – Support After Rape & Sexual Violence Leeds – in a bid to restore a counselling service lost 10 years ago when previous provider Rape Crisis was forced to close due to lack of funding.

SARSVL, which supports women and girls who have been affected by sexual violence at any time in their lives, estimates over 1,000 women a year from the Leeds area are likely to seek help and information.

And they hope to extend the new facility to include face-to-face counselling and drop-in sessions later in the year.

Spokeswoman Katie Russell said: “No one asks for or deserves sexual violence and we want all women and girls to be free from the fear, and experience, of it.”

The phoneline will be officially launched on Wednesday March 17 and the long-term aim is for the organisation to be able to offer a wide range of support to those in need from its own purpose-built centre.

In the meantime the group wants to hear from any other organisations or agencies who would like to get involved. A questionnaire is also available to anyone interested in finding out more about SARSVL’s work.

Katie Russell added: “We will be working hard to raise awareness and understanding, and challenge and change public attitudes towards the inevitability of sexual violence, in partnership with any organisations across Leeds who share our values.

“Our confidential helpline will be run by trained volunteers and we currently rely entirely on donations and the goodwill of volunteers to get our service up and running and keep it going.”

It is hoped the new service will be in operation three evenings a week for several hours at a time. The number to ring from March 17 will be 0113 202 1844.

* Further information about SARSVL can also be found at: http://www.SupportAfterRapeLeeds.org.uk

* To volunteer for SARSVL or make a donation email: info.sarsvl@googlemail.com

http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/Counselling-returns-after-10-years.6135022.jp

Protecting children: Child sex offender disclosure scheme – start of nationwide roll out

Posted on March 9, 2010
Filed Under Children Parenting, England, Family Marriage Partners, Government, Legal Police, Rape and Sexual Assault, Wales

A pioneering scheme that will improve protection for children by giving members of the public a formal mechanism to make enquires about people who are in contact with children was announced by Home Secretary Alan Johnson last week.

The Child Sex Offender Disclosure scheme has already had success after more than 60 children were protected from potential abuse during a 12 month pilot.

The scheme will now roll out to 18 new police force areas from August giving added reassurance to parents worried about those in contact with their children. The four existing pilot areas will also continue with the scheme and it will roll out to all forces by the end of March 2011.

The new national scheme builds on the UK’s existing system for actively managing sex offenders – one of the most robust in the world. This includes:
* the success of the Child Exploitation and On-Line Protection centre (CEOP) which has disrupted 205 high risk sex offender networks, arrested 821 suspected offenders and safeguarded 515 children;
* the Criminal Records Bureau which has stopped around 130,000 inappropriate people working with children and vulnerable adults; and
* Multi Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) which bring together probation, police and prisons to ensure serious sex offenders have rigorous risk assessments, strict conditions and are subject to a management plan that is kept under constant review.

The four pilot police forces saw:
* a total of 585 enquiries and 315 applications primarily from parents, carers and guardians;
* 21 disclosures were made about registered child sex offenders;
* 11 general disclosures were made, for example in cases relating to protection issues linked to violent offending; and
* 43 additional cases led to a range of other child safeguarding actions such as referrals to children’s social care.

As part of the new scheme the government will be working with CEOP to pilot a new online reporting process in addition to the other methods by which members of the public can register their concerns.

Under the terms of the scheme a parent, carer or guardian or another interested party, can request that an individual who has access to their child or children is checked to see whether they have a record of committing child sexual offences.

If this individual is found to have convictions for sexual offences against children, and poses a risk of causing serious harm to the child or children concerned, then this information may be disclosed by MAPPA to the person best placed to protect the child – usually the parent, carer or guardian.

CEOP’s role in protecting vulnerable children will be further expanded when it takes over as lead agency for missing children.

The government has already further strengthened powers to protect children being exploited for sex. Tough new closure orders targeting premises including those associated with child prostitution or child pornography come into effect on 1 April. This year we intend to consult with police forces on how they can provide the Home Office with data on a statutory basis on the age of victims of crime to give the criminal justice system a clearer picture of how children are affected by crimes.

In addition ACPO is preparing a child protection delivery plan which builds on the progress already made in providing specialist training for police investigations concerning child abuse and safeguarding children. The production of the delivery plan responds directly to the commitment given by the government in its response to Lord Laming’s review of child protection arrangements.

Notes:
1. In June 2007, the government published the Review of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenders. The disclosure pilots fulfil Action 4 of the review. Further information can be found at: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/documents/CSOR/chid-sex-offender-review-130607
2. Four police areas took part in a 12 month pilot, which ended in September 2009. They were Cambridgeshire, Cleveland, Hampshire and Warwickshire. These forces and the additional 18 will roll out the scheme from August this year with training provided by the National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA) from April. The 18 forces are: West Midlands, Essex, Bedfordshire, Dorset, Durham, Thames Valley, Suffolk, Norfolk, Lincolnshire, West Mercia, Leicestershire, Northamptonshire, Surrey, Sussex, Wiltshire, Staffordshire, Cheshire and North Yorkshire.
3. We are aiming for the remaining forces to start implementing the scheme by the end of March 2011.
4. A research report into the pilot is published today and can be found at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs10/horr32c.pdf
5. All forces will undertake an information campaign to educate the public about the scheme and work to manage sex offenders. More information about the disclosure pilots including leaflets and booklets being used by the police forces can be found at: http://www.direct.gov.uk/keepingchildrensafe
6. Although this scheme is being rolled out on a phased basis, starting with the additional 18 forces, parents who are concerned about the safety of their children can and should go to any police force at any time about their concerns – every force already has a public protection team to deal with these issues.

About The Scheme

England and Wales operate Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) to manage sexual and violent offenders and disclosure can be a tool in that management process.

The police already disclose information about registered sexual offenders (RSO) and violent offenders in a controlled way and to a variety of people including head teachers, leisure centre managers, employers and landlords, as well as parents.

The difference in the child sex offender disclosure scheme is that there is now a more formal mechanism for a person to make an application for information about a particular individual who has contact with a child or children, therefore alerting the authorities to contact an offender who may be having contact with a child which they may not previously have been aware of.

This encourages individuals to take responsibility for safety of their children and provides a way of getting more information on RSOs who are in contact with children.

Case Studies Taken From The Research Report

Case study 1 – Pilot disclosure

Case study 2 – Pilot disclosure

Case study 3 – Non-pilot disclosure

Case study 4 – Other safeguarding action

You can read the full press release at http://nds.coi.gov.uk/content/detail.aspx?NewsAreaId=2&ReleaseID=411748&SubjectId=2

Tougher laws on kerb crawlers as part of greater protection for vulnerable women

Posted on March 9, 2010
Filed Under England, Government, Human Rights, Prostitution, Violence Against Women, Wales

Men hunting out paid-for sex on the street can now be arrested on their first offence thanks to tough new measures to tackle the demand for prostitution, Home Office Minister Alan Campbell announced 8th March 2010, to coincide with International Women’s Day.

A series of laws to protect vulnerable women by reducing the demand for prostitution, including the police no longer having to show kerb-crawlers are “persistent” before arresting them, will come into effect on 1 April.

The new laws are designed to hit hardest those who create the demand for prostitution, while helping people leave prostitution – placing the emphasis on the punter not the often vulnerable women involved.

A new poster campaign was also launched today, warning of the criminal penalties involved in paying for sex with someone who has been exploited.

Other prostitution measures introduced from 1 April include:
• a new strict liability offence that will make it illegal to pay for sexual services with a prostitute who is subject to exploitative conduct, which includes force, deception or threats. It will no longer be an excuse to say ‘I did not know’ and men who ignore this risk a fine of up to £1,000 and a criminal record;
• giving courts the power to close down premises associated with certain prostitution and pornography offences. Currently there is little to stop such premises continuing to operate even when they have been raided by the police. This will allow the police to disrupt criminal activity associated with sexual exploitation – especially involving children;
• a new penalty for the offence of loitering or soliciting for the purposes of prostitution. The penalty will include a requirement for women to attend meetings to address the causes of their involvement and is designed to help them to leave street prostitution, it can be used by courts instead of a fine; and
• changing the law to amend the term ‘common prostitute’ as this term is outdated and offensive.

As part of the government’s commitment to tackling domestic violence, the Home Office has allocated a further £4.3 million in 2010/11 for the roll-out of Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conferences and Independent Domestic Violence Advisers for every area, and to continue funding a matrix of national helplines providing support to victims of domestic violence.

To support practitioners the Home Office is also launching a toolkit developed with the Greater London Domestic Violence Project to support the coordinated community response model (CCRM) to domestic violence. The CCRM recognises that all agencies must work together in an integrated and coordinated way to tackle domestic violence. The toolkit brings together guidance, research, polices and information in one place and can be accessed via the crime reduction website.

Meanwhile a new campaign to raise awareness of the cruel and brutal practice of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) was launched today. The campaign includes a poster and a leaflet designed to be displayed nationwide in key locations such as school staff rooms and social workers’ offices alongside a dedicated website to provide help and support for professionals, victims and survivors.

Notes:
1. The prostitution measures come into effect on 1 April as part of the Crime and Policing Act 2009: http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2009/ukpga_20090026_en_1
2. For more information about how the government is tackling prostitution, the new strict liability offence and to a obtain a copy of the public information poster to encourage sex clients to think about the consequences of their actions: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/prostitution
3. The FGM awareness campaign will start on 8 March. For more information and to download a copy of the poster and leaflet please visit the dedicated FGM website: http://www.fco.gov.uk/fgm or call the Home Office newsdesk on 020 7035 3535 for a PDF copy. If you wish to order hard copies of the poster or leaflet please email fgm@fco.gov.uk
4. For more information about the CCRM toolkit: http://www.crimereduction.homeoffice.gov.uk/violentcrime/dv014.htm or http://www.ccrm.org.uk/
5. For information on how the government is tackling violence against women and girls: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/documents/vawg-strategy-2009/index.html

You can read the full press release at http://nds.coi.gov.uk/content/detail.aspx?NewsAreaId=2&ReleaseID=411897&SubjectId=2

Women in Focus events call for women focussed services for vulnerable women offenders

Posted on March 9, 2010
Filed Under England, Government, Legal Police, Publication, Wales

A Government Equalities Office report published 8th March 2010 confirmed that the best approach to support vulnerable women offenders and prevent them from re-offending is for the criminal justice system and community services to take their needs, which are different to male offenders, into account.

Women in Focus: Promoting Equality and Positive Practice was launched at a one day conference for practitioners and policy makers. The conference brought together over 300 people from across the criminal justice system, third sector and partners working with women offenders, to discuss priorities, progress and challenges in delivering the Government’s Strategy to Divert Women Away from Crime.

The report, which brings together the findings of the ten recent Women in Focus events that took place throughout England and Wales, will be used to support the implementation of the Government’s strategy by the regional Directors of Offender Management and local authorities, in their commissioning of services for women offenders and women at risk of offending.

Participants at the events agreed a number of priorities on what is now needed to achieve a sustained change in the way women are dealt with in the criminal justice system. These include:
– the need to promote and use the Gender Equality Duty to help make the case for different services for women offenders
– ensuring that women offender’s health needs are met
– giving the Judiciary clear information on community provision in their areas
– that success to date is due to agencies and services working in partnership, which is especially important given the wide range of issues facing many women offenders
– the critical need for intervention at an early stage to address the impact on children and families

Women in Focus is part of the next stage of the Government’s Strategy for Diverting Women Away from Crime. The events brought together a wide range of key local partners including healthcare workers, prison and probation officers, Crown Prosecution Service staff, and charities to share best practice of supporting non-serious women offenders to overcome problems such as domestic violence, mental ill health and alcohol or drug dependency – all of which can lead to re-offending.

The Ministry of Justice, the lead department in delivering the Government’s Strategy for Diverting Women Away from Crime, has allocated £6.8m of funding for voluntary organisations to provide extra and enhanced community support for women at risk of offending. This follows the successful provision of £3.1 million last year for similar projects.

The Women in Focus report can be found at: http://www.equalities.gov.uk/publications_and_research/publications.aspx

Notes:
* Latest publicly available ‘Population in Custody’ figures show a 5% reduction in the female prison population (down 210) to 4,300 in June 2009 compared to June 2008. This can be found at http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/docs/population-in-custody-06-2009.pdf
* Further details on the Government’s Strategy for Diverting Women Away from Crime can be found at: http://www.justice.gov.uk/
* Baroness Corston’s Review of Women with Particular Vulnerabilities in the Criminal Justice System (CJS) recommended that every agency within the criminal justice system must prioritise and accelerate preparations to implement the Gender Equality Duty and radically transform the way they deliver services for women.
* The Women in Focus roadshow was launched on the 25th of September in Birmingham by Maria Eagle, Ministerial Champion for Women in Criminal Justice system and Deputy Minister for Women and Equalities and further events took place at Leeds, Liverpool, Bristol, Leicester, Newcastle, Cambridge, London, Brighton and Cardiff.
* The aim of the Women in Focus events was to bring together key stakeholders at regional and local level to review practice and to help develop new approaches to meet the different needs of women offenders. The events provided stakeholders with the opportunity to:
- – Improve their knowledge of: the needs of women offenders; the Gender Equality Duty as a lever to deliver services for women offenders; and how both of these relate to local targets and priorities.
- – Learn about best practice and identify how it can be translated into work to support delivery of priorities and targets locally as well as linking with the national agenda.
- – Network and learn about the work of other key local partners including community providers.
* Attending the events were senior personnel from NOMS; local authorities; and local health trusts. Staff from voluntary organisations that work with the criminal justice system in the region; representatives from the local Police, Crown Prosecution Service; sentencers and individuals working locally on policy concerned with women’s issues.
* The Government Equalities Office is responsible for the Government’s overall strategy, legislation, and priorities on equality issues. The Office also has direct responsibility for policy on gender, sexual orientation and transgender equality, and for integrating work on race. The Prime Minister announced the establishment of the Government Equalities Office (GEO) in July 2007 and it became a Department in its own right in October 2007. It works to Ministers Harriet Harman, Maria Eagle, Vera Baird and Michael Foster.

You can read the full Press Release at http://nds.coi.gov.uk/content/detail.aspx?NewsAreaId=2&ReleaseID=411935&SubjectId=2

New Information Added to Women in London up to 28th February 2010

Posted on March 9, 2010
Filed Under London, Vacancies, Women's Event, Women's Group

Women in London is an internet directory of london based women’s groups and news of their work and activities

Directory of Groups
Daycare Trust – directory entry updated
Groups closed
Women’s Link – women’s housing advice – date and reason not known
Events
wisewords events – Alternative Arts – 5-24 March 2010
International Women’s Week Events in Tower Hamlets – Alternative Arts – 6-14 March 2010
wisewords bookfest – alternative arts – 12-13 March 2010
wisewords exhibitions – Alternative Arts – throughout March 2010
Notices
Sexualisation Review Supports OBJECT’s Goals
Vacancies
7 Vacancies – Women in Prison – 10th March 2010
Female Project Manager – ADVANCE – 12th March 2010
Specialist Domestic Violence Court Coordinator (Female) – ADVANCE – 15th March 2010
Community Support Worker – Jewish Women’s Aid – 15th March 2010
3 vacancies – Women’s Resource Centre – 22nd March 2010
International Women’s Day 2010 blog
Index of postings by date added
Or follow on twitter
WiL Calendars
Events Calendar updated 3rd March 2010
Training Calendar updated 3rd March 2010
Funding Calendar updated 3rd March 2010

Index to postings at http://www.womeninlondon.org.uk

International Women’s Day 2010 events

Posted on March 3, 2010
Filed Under Arts Event, Demonstration March, Eire, England, Meeting, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Women's Event, Women's Group

Reminder: all IWD events and press releases are on our blog http://iwd2010.wordpress.com

See:

Reclaiming Birth – Please Come To The Rally On 7 March In London

Posted on March 3, 2010
Filed Under Campaign, Children Parenting, Demonstration March, Government, Health, London

The Rally is happening because AIMS, NCT, RCM, IMUK, Albany Mums and Midwifery Practice, many parents and midwives are so concerned about the state of maternity services and the lack of options available to women. Matters were brought to a head by the sudden closure of the highly successful and loved Albany Midwifery Practice in south London.

We are rallying to make it clear to our Governments in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland that:
* Women and families need to be looked after by known and trusted midwives throughout pregnancy, birth and after birth.
* Women need to have easy access to stand alone birth centres run by midwives and to home births, as well as obstetric units.

Please join us and/or, write letters to your MP, MSLC and others. See our website for information about the Rally and its background, and about letters of support.

http://www.aims.org.uk/reclaimingbirth.htm

Please can you forward this on to as many people as possible, as quickly as possible.

Beverley Beech, Nadine Edwards,
Debbie Chippington Derrick and Margaret Jowitt
Albany Action Group

Women’s International E-Parliament launched

Posted on March 3, 2010
Filed Under Campaign, Consultation, England, Equality, Feminism, Media

The WIEP is a charitable, non-profit organisation that exists in order to assist women all over the world to gain equal rights with men and to escape from gender-related oppression.

The group has been formed as an online discussion forum in which democratic decisions can be made by members on campaign actions for women’s rights. Our website is http://www.wiep.org/ – please feel free to take a look.

We are approaching the stage where other volunteers – and lots of new members – will be needed to make the organisation viable. We would therefore be very grateful for any assistance you can give us towards promoting it, and we would welcome your members’ participation should any of them wish to join.

Observe http://www.wiep.org/forum/

ABOUT THE WOMEN’S INTERNATIONAL E-PARLIAMENT

1. The Women’s International E-Parliament exists in order to assist women across the world to gain rights fully equal to those of men and to escape from gender-related oppression.

2. The Women’s International E-Parliament exists to help enfranchise and empower women who might not otherwise be able to speak for themselves, particularly on the issues that most concern them.

3. The Women’s International E-Parliament is a secular, non-profitmaking organisation; it is not necessary to be religious or atheist or to pay any money to have a voice.

4.1. We the Founders of the Women’s International E-Parliament recognise that:
(a) Women’s international legal status is still not equal to that of men;
(b) In some parts of the world, women’s lives are lost either because of legal systems that deny them basic human rights and treat them as second-class citizens, or because existing legal frameworks are powerless to protect them against unfair and inhumane treatment;
(c) These infringements and attitudes also lead to violence, fear, slavery, restrictions of freedom, lack of independence and of education, poverty, ostracisation and other hardships;
(d) Even in countries where egalitarian legislation has been developed or passed, women still earn less on average than men, are frequently killed or injured by violent partners or ex-partners, and are objectified in mass media imagery;
(e) And therefore, the battle to ensure women’s right to be regarded as equal to men is still to be won worldwide.
4.2. We believe that this is unacceptable, and pledge to do all we can to bring about positive and permanent changes to women’s status.

5. Therefore, the Women’s International E-Parliament is intended to:
(a) Provide a safe haven for women to speak freely without fear, and allow them to make concrete decisions for themselves based on uninhibited discussions;
(b) Use our mandate to influence global and local attitudes to women;
(c) Assist in the removal of misogynistic beliefs and laws, and their replacement with legislation based on a premise and spirit of equality;
(d) Help protect women around the world from violence and prejudice, and assist them to fight back wherever possible;
(e) Promote a world free from misogyny and discrimination, in which both women and men can enjoy the benefits of total equality.

Continues at http://www.wiep.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=5&sid=8c7955c8853970ece14c75a664466459

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