News & Campaigns

All the latest from HER-itage and our affiliates

18 February 2015 9:30 ~ Domestic Abuse and BME Women, Children & Young People – Shakti Women’s Aid – Edinburgh + 16 April 2005

Shakti Women’s Aid provides support, information and advocacy for black/minority ethnic (BME) women, children & young people affected by domestic abuse, and training &  consultation for statutory, voluntary & community partners in Edinburgh and across Scotland.

Our training runs over a day & a half, and is open to all statutory, & voluntary staff, community workers and interested individuals.

Day 1: 9.30am – 4.30 pm
Day 2: 9.30am – 12.30pm

Training overview:

  • The definitions of domestic abuse in Scotland
  • How domestic abuse affects women and their families from Black / Minority Ethnic (BME) communities
  • How domestic abuse affects BME children and young people
  • The varying understanding of the concept of ‘Honour’ and how this impacts on BME community members experiencing domestic abuse
  • Forced marriage and connected issues
  • Immigration issues such as women with ‘No Recourse to Public Funds’ status
  • Structures and policies existing in Scotland & UK

Lunch is not provided; more course information is available on our website: www.shaktiedinburgh.co.uk

If you have any queries regarding the course please call 0131 4752399 or email: info@shaktiedinburgh.co.uk

Wednesday, 18 February 2015 at 09:30 – Thursday, 16 April 2015 at 12:30 (GMT)

Norton Park Conference Centre, 57 Albion Road, EH7 5QY Edinburgh

Cost: £35 per delegate

Book on line at http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/domestic-abuse-and-bme-women-children-young-people-registration-14991717631

January 27, 2015

Petitioning West Dunbartonshire Council to Fund Women’s Aid Specialised Support

This petition will be delivered to: West Dunbartonshire Council

Fund specialised Women’s Aid support to women, children and young people living in refuge and the in wider community who have been affected by domestic abuse.

Women, children and young people who are/have experienced the crime of domestic abuse demand specialised Women’s Aid Services

Unless West Dunbartonshire Council fund this essential service, women, children and young people’s safety and recovery from abuse will be severely compromised. This current decision to withdraw funding has the potential to make this local authority area the most unsafe area for women, children and young people experiencing domestic abuse in Scotland. Nationally, 2 women per week are murdered by partners or ex partners.

It is widely accepted that 1 in 4 women will experience domestic abuse at some point in their life time, this means, in likelihood, this could be your mother, your sister, your daughter and your granddaughter. We are all affected by the devastating impact of domestic abuse.

Our fears are that it is West Dunbartonshire today, it may be your area tomorrow!

SAVE OUR SUPPORT SERVICES!

Sign the petition at https://www.change.org/p/west-dunbartonshire-council-fund-specialised-women-s-aid-support-to-women-children-and-young-people-living-in-refuge-and-the-in-wider-community-who-have-been-affected-by-domestic-abuse

January 27, 2015

WATCH Statement on Consecrations

On Monday the Church of England and the nation will rejoice at the consecration of Rev Libby Lane as the first female bishop in the Church of England. That will be a great day, and nothing should detract from that moment of affirmation for all women in all walks of life.

We have known about the arrangements for the consecration of the Bishop of Burnley for some time, but have not commented publicly out of courtesy to the individuals involved. Our focus has been on the earlier consecration as the fulfillment of a long and deeply held desire by so many, and as a source of good news from the Church.

We are dismayed that it seems that the Archbishop of York will not lay hands on Philip North at his consecration as Bishop of Burnley. We believe it is unprecedented that an Archbishop should be present at a consecration in his own Province and not lay hands on a candidate, and not preside at the eucharist.

We are saddened that there will be such a powerful visual sign of a divided College and House of Bishops at the moment of consecration. The Bishop of Burnley is a suffragan bishop, and not a PEV: he is a minister for the whole Church of England in the Diocese of Blackburn and the people of that diocese are looking forward to working with him across the traditions.

We will issue a statement on the wider ramifications of this in due course.

For further details and photographs: www.womenandthechurch.org . www.facebook.com/WomenandtheChurch Twitter. @WATCH_ACT

http://womenandthechurch.org/news/watch-statement-on-consecrations/

January 27, 2015

Baroness Maddock is visiting the Women’s Workshop in Amble this Friday!

This Friday 30th January at 12, Baroness Maddock (Lady Beith, a Liberal Democrat politician) will be visiting our Women’s Workshop in Amble. As a keen supporter of the Women’s Fund, which supports women’s projects throughout Tyne, Wear and Northumberland, Baronness Maddock will be looking round our women’s self-build project, and meeting women from a range of backgrounds who have taken part in and benefitted from our Women’s Fund programme. Join us for snacks and a chat….

January 27, 2015

Rape Crisis respond to rise in number of sexual offences reported to the police

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) released figures on 22 January 2015(*) showing that the numbers of rapes (24,043) and other sexual offences (48,934) recorded by the police in the year ending September 2014 were the highest since 2002/03.

Rape Crisis England & Wales spokeswoman Katie Russell said:

“If, as the ONS suggests, today’s figures reflect not just an increase in the number of sexual violence survivors choosing to come forward but also an improvement in police recording of sexual offences, Rape Crisis welcomes them.

Rape and other sexual offences have long been under-reported, with the Government estimating that only 15% of those who experience these horrific crimes choose to go to the police.

Through our frontline work at Rape Crisis, we know that among the many reasons for survivors’ reluctance to report is fear, including fear of not being believed and fear of not being well treated by the criminal justice system.

We hope the police, Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and others will continue to strive for positive change to enable the kind of cultural shift necessary for sexual violence survivors to receive the criminal justice they want and deserve.

At the same time, let’s not forget every sexual violence survivor’s right to social justice, in the form of access to specialist, independent support services, regardless of whether or not she or he chooses to report to the police.”

Press Release at http://www.rapecrisis.org.uk/news_show.php?id=139

(*) http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/crime-stats/crime-statistics/year-ending-september-2014/stb-crime-in-england-and-wales–year-ending-september-2014.html

January 22, 2015