Things to See, Buy, Do - run by Women for Women
Details about FemiFest including registration
Contributors – speakers and artists include:
http://www.femifest2014.com/contributors/4582419924
FemiFest Programme can be downloaded from http://www.femifest2014.com/programme/4585584126
On 28th and 29th July 2014, the national domestic violence charity Refuge intervened – alongside Liberty – in a landmark case in the Supreme Court brought by the family of Joanna Michael, a young woman who was brutally murdered by her ex-partner, Cyron Williams, in August 2009.
Joanna called 999 twice on the night she was killed, but when officers arrived she had already been stabbed to death. Her two young children were in the house at the time of the murder. The second time Joanna called she was heard screaming before the line went dead.
In 2010, the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) found that South Wales Police and Gwent Police both failed her. IPCC Commissioner Tom Davies said: “The simple fact is that at 2.29am when Joanna called 999 an immediate police response could have got to her house in five minutes. Because of all the various failings the emergency response did not arrive until 2.50am, when she had already been stabbed, probably at about 2.45am.”
Joanna’s family are claiming damages against Gwent Police and South Wales Police for their failings in relation to the killing, which they say contributed to Joanna’s death. The Court of Appeal has struck out their claim for negligence – essentially because the law as it currently stands gives the police immunity from negligence claims.
Joanna’s family is cross-appealing the Court of Appeal’s decision to strike out the negligence claim. Refuge and Liberty are intervening to argue against the immunity which protects the police from negligence claims, which we believe leaves the police unaccountable when they fail women and children – something that happens all too often. Two women are killed every week by current or former partners in England and Wales. In too many of these cases, women and their children are let down by the police and other state agencies prior to their deaths. Refuge believes that this is unacceptable, and it is calling for the Government to open a public inquiry into this issue.
The Supreme Court, where the hearing will be held (photograph courtesy of UK Supreme Court)The police are also appealing against the decision of the Court of Appeal to allow a claim under the Human Rights Act to proceed to trial. Refuge is supporting the family in arguing against the police’s appeal. We believe that this claim should proceed to trial and we are arguing that when the courts consider whether the police have violated Article 2 of the Human Rights Act (the right to life) in a domestic homicide case, they must take into account the gendered nature of violence against women, and the way that risk develops in domestic violence.
Article 2 of the Human Rights Act can impose positive obligations on the police and other state bodies to protect life. Liberty and Refuge will argue that the actions of the state agencies involved with Joanna’s family must be seen in the round, and that their obligation to protect Joanna arose because of all that they knew about her domestic situation. The police ought not to be able to hide extremely serious failings because of this immunity, as risks happening here.
Sarah Ricca, solicitor for Refuge and Liberty, says:
“For too long the police have failed victims of domestic violence – and for too long they’ve been protected by the law. The Human Rights Act has made inroads into that protection but this important piece of legislation is vulnerable to repeal by Parliament. This appeal is about strengthening police accountability in the UK, through the rights protected by the European Convention and through the English common law right not to be caused harm by negligence.”
Part of a longer press release at http://refuge.org.uk/2014/07/25/refuge-and-liberty-intervene-in-landmark-domestic-homicide-case-in-supreme-court-in-attempt-to-remove-immunity-which-protects-police-from-negligence-claims/
See also: https://storify.com/RefugeCharity/refuge-intervene-in-landmark-case-to-remove-immuni
The gender pay gap could be closed significantly if more women were encouraged to take up apprenticeships in traditional “male” sectors such as building, engineering and computing.
So said the think-tank Demos in the Independent on Sunday.
I want to see these male sectors opened up to young women but I also want to see the roles that many women choose to undertake being valued more highly.
By all means encourage more women to enter science and constructing – these sectors would be strengthened by having a more representative workforce – but why accept in the process that careers in health & social care and childcare should be poorly paid? According to Demos there is a pay-gap of £8,400.
Hopefully, few would argue that jobs in these traditionally female sectors aren’t also important and increasing their pay would also serve to close the pay gap. That in turn would bring other benefits too, for example making it economically viable for more men to share childcare responsibilities.
Our own research shows not only that women are being pigeonholed into certain sectors at a young age but that there are fewer apprenticeships available in these sectors, further limiting opportunities for young women.
Demos are absolutely right to say that we need to challenge outdated perceptions of work roles. However, we need to recognise the people – mainly women – who nurse the sick, care for the elderly and look after the very young. They bring skill and commitment to these vital roles.
Let’s also value what they do.
Dr Carole Easton
Source http://www.youngwomenstrust.org/what_we_do/media_centre/blogs/155_closing_the_pay_gap_from_both_ends
The Domestic Violence Law Reform Campaign is welcoming a statement by Prime Minister David Cameron announcing plans to improve the effectiveness of the law in dealing with domestic violence. The change would be expected to criminalise psychological abuse and the pattern of coercive and controlling behaviour, as urged by the Campaign organised by Women’s Aid, the Sara Charlton Charitable Foundation, and Paladin.
Polly Neate, Chief Executive of Women’s Aid said:
“We welcome the Prime Minister’s announcement that the Government will consider how domestic violence can be more effectively dealt with in law. Two women a week are killed by domestic violence, and it is vital that the criminal justice system be able to take account of the reality of the pattern of abuse they and many other women suffer. That means the law must take account of the patterns of coercive and controlling behaviour used by perpetrators must be made illegal. We look forward to working closely with the Home Office, the police, and the CPS to ensure the law meets the needs of women and children experiencing domestic violence.”
Laura Richards, Chief Executive of Paladin said:
“It’s important that domestic violence is taken seriously and this will send a very clear message that it is unacceptable and will not be tolerated. It’s vital that this criminalisation gap is closed and coercive control is recognised for the dangerous behaviour that it is. This is where most women and children are more likely to be harmed and killed and criminalising this behaviour will ensure better protection along with early identification, intervention and prevention opportunities to keep victims safe.”
Antonia Packard, Chief Executive Officer for the Sara Charlton Charitable Foundation said:
“We welcome the government’s intention to consider closing the gaps that leave women vulnerable from repeated and psychological abuse. This change will impact victims forever and save the lives of countless women.”
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Notes
The main aims of Paladin are:
1. To provide victim advocacy to individuals at high risk of harm.
2. To provide training
3. To scrutinise the new stalking laws to ensure consistency of application to better protect victims
4. To continue to lobby Parliament for further changes to Law and Practice including: reform of the Family Courts, the strengthening of restraining orders and campaigning for Domestic Violence Law Reform to criminalise coercive control
5. Raise awareness of dangers and risks of stalking
For further information contact Paladin www.paladinservice.co.uk
2. About Women’s Aid
Women’s Aid is the national domestic violence charity that co-ordinates and supports an England-wide network of over 300 local services working to end domestic violence against women and children. Keeping the voices of survivors at the heart of its work, Women’s Aid campaigns for better legal protection and services, providing a strategic “expert view” to government on laws, policy and practice affecting abused women and children. In partnership with its national network, Women’s Aid runs public awareness and education campaigns, bringing together national and local action, and developing new training and resources. Women’s Aid provides a package of vital 24 hour lifeline services through its publications (available in 11 languages including English), websites (www.womensaid.org.uk and www.thehideout.org.uk), and running the Freephone 24 Hour National Domestic Violence Helpline in partnership with Refuge. Women’s Aid is a registered charity no 1054154.
0808 2000 247: Freephone 24 Hour National Domestic Violence Helpline (run in partnership between Women’s Aid and Refuge).
The Women’s Aid Website can be found at: www.womensaid.org.uk. This is a comprehensive website about domestic violence and its impact on women and children. The website has help sections for women experiencing domestic violence, as well as policy briefings and research findings. Women’s Aid also runs a website for children and young people experiencing domestic violence www.thehideout.org.uk
3. About Sara Charlton Charitable Foundation
The Sara Charlton Charitable Foundation is dedicated to helping victims of domestic abuse in the UK. They have a clear understanding of what the sector desperately needs, funds IDVAs (trained workers who work with high risk victims of domestic abuse – those who are in danger of serious harm or death) across the UK and improve IDVA services at a local as well as national level. The SCCF also funds Prevention Workers, who are trained to educate children and young adults (male and female) on healthy relationships and domestic abuse. They work with schools and youth groups and can also act as a point of contact for those experiencing abuse in the home. They believe that it is fundamental to teach 12-18 year olds about the issue in order to break the cycle of abuse. For more information, visit www.saracharlton.org.uk. Sara Charlton Charitable Foundation is a registered charity no 1139056
Support our 10 recommendations to the UK government as a step to eradicate forced marriage and honour based violence.
Southall Black Sisters (SBS) is a leading multi-awarding winning black and minority ethnic (BME) women’s organisation, founded in 1979. It provides holistic resource centre services to help BME women and children experiencing gender based violence, including domestic and sexual violence, forced marriage, dowry abuse and honour based violence (HBV) or honour crimes. We also campaign and conduct policy, educational, developmental and research work on violence against BME women and girls.
SBS has worked on forced marriage, incorporating child and early forced marriage (CEFM) for 35 years. It was an original member of the Home Office Working Group on Forced Marriage (1999), which was the first government body to investigate the issue in the UK. SBS also helped to introduce the Forced Marriage (Civil Protection) Act 2007 and the statutory and practice multi-agency forced marriage guidelines. It has worked with the police and the Crown Prosecution Service to develop its policies on forced marriage and HBV.
SBS welcome these positive developments. However, it is concerned, along with many other BME women’s organisations, that criminalisation of forced marriage, introduced in June 2014, would drive the problem underground. Many victims/survivors, while wanting protection from the criminal justice system, do not want to prosecute and get their parents and families ‘into trouble.’ In order to minimise these problems, and to improve responses to the problem of forced marriage, we have made a number of recommendations to the UK government listed below.
We Call For:
By adding your voice to this campaign, you will help safeguard young girls and women victims of forced marriage and honour based violence.
If you would like to support these recommendations please sign at http://www.southallblacksisters.org.uk/forced-marriage-uk-abuse-human-rights/
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HERitage stall this Saturday 29th January at St Cuthbert's hall, Amble. Come along, see you there
5 years ago
RT @TynesideWH: Our very own white ribbon is now complete #16DaysOfAction https://t.co/0XFojhApjo
8 years ago