News & Campaigns

All the latest from HER-itage and our affiliates

14 December 2015 18:00 ~ Independent Choices Buffet and Quiz Fundraiser – Manchester

Support the Women’s Domestic Abuse Helpline

We invite you to come and have fun with us and support the helpline at the same time.

Monday 14th December at 6pm
Nip and Tipple, 197 Upper Chorlton Road, M16 0BH.

Buffet from 6pm
Quiz at 6:45pm

Tickets are £14.
Concessions available

Please email joannesimpson@independentchoices.org.uk for more information and to buy tickets.

Download the flyer from http://www.endthefear.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/quiz-flyer-.pdf?563068

November 16, 2015

Equal Pay Day 2015 – 9 November – Fawcett Society – #PayGapPledge

Despite the Equal Pay Act 45 years ago, women still earn less than men in Britain today.

The current gender pay gap means that women effectively stop earning relative to men on a day in November. This day is referred to as Equal Pay Day and varies according to the actual pay gap each year – in 2015 Equal Pay Day is the 9 of November.

What is the gender pay gap?

Overall, women can expect to earn significantly less than men over their entire careers as a result of differences in caring responsibilities; clustering in low skilled and low paid work, the qualifications and skills women acquire; and outright discrimination.

The current overall gap for full time workers is 14.2%.

What can I do about it?

Join our Equal Pay Day campaign and take action! Tweet @fawcettsociety with #PayGapPledge and tell us what you’ll be doing to help end this inequality.

Here are some ideas actions you can pledge to do:

  • Have a conversation at work about pay and find out what your colleagues earn
  • Ask your employer whether they know about the new regulations which are due to come in to force next year, requiring organisations with over 250 employees to publish their gender pay gap figure and whether they are ready to implement this change
  • Write to your MP and ask them what they and their party are doing to close the gender pay gap

You can find out more about the gender pay gap and our recommendations for closing it here.

http://www.fawcettsociety.org.uk/our-work/campaigns/equal-pay-day-2/

November 9, 2015

Can you help us to buy a van for outreach work with women who want to exit prostitution? Nia project

On 30 October the women’s charity Eaves closed down. One of their services was the London Exiting and Advocacy (LEA) Project.

The barriers for women who want to exit prostitution are many and complex. The LEA Project offers non-judgemental support to women who want to exit. The LEA project helps them access housing and welfare benefits, legal advice, healthcare, drug and alcohol services and specialist counselling. It also supports women to access employment, training, education, volunteering and sustainable employment.

The funders of the service – The Big Lottery, Charles Hayward Foundation and Hounslow council – have agreed to transfer funding to The Nia Project so that this vital service can continue. But the van that was used for night-time outreach work was seized by the administrator when Eaves closed down, so we need to raise the funds to buy a replacement.

Can you help us buy the van so that we can continue to reach women who want to leave prostitution – women who might not otherwise know that there is someone to help them?

If you can spare even £10, it would be a big help. For more information on Nia, visit our website at www.niaendingviolence.org.uk  or talk to our CEO Karen Ingala Smith  or chair Helen Lewis on Twitter.

http://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/van-for-prostitution-exiting-advocacy-outreach-2

 

November 9, 2015

22 November 2015 14:00 ~ The #DeadWomenWalking – Domestic Violence murder march – London

Remembering the women killed by known men in the UK

A peaceful creative ‘Murder March’ to remember and represent the women murdered in the UK by partners, ex-partners, family members.

This #DeadWomenWalking walk to Parliament Square is to raise awareness of the women behind the statistics of domestic violence murders.

Raising awareness of domestic violence and fatal male violence against women to coincide with International day for the elimination of violence against women and Parliament Week.

In collaboration with the #icchange campaign we are calling on the Government to put into action the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (the Istanbul Convention) which they signed on 8th June 2012 and have yet to ratify.

The walk will be a visual and respectful march of women wearing red ponchos and carrying candles – During the walk the names of all the women killed by known men since 8th June 2012 will be read out.

Women who would like to participate or help as stewards can register here – http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/dead-women-walking-domestic-violence-murder-march-tickets-19201588468

For more information please read this short blog – http://www.aroomofourown.org/we-are-the-deadwomenwalking-and-these-are-our-names/

November 9, 2015

EVAW responds to latest police data on rape

The EVAW Coalition welcome the publication of figures from Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary’s Rape Monitoring Group, showing how reported rapes are handled across England and Wales.

Acting Director Sarah Green said:

“It’s very welcome that HMIC are making this data available for public scrutiny. if we are to increase justice for rape we need to know what is happening in terms of reporting to the police and prosecutions all over the country.

“First of all, the figures confirm what we know – that rape is a very common offence. It needs focused political attention if we are to support survivors and try to reduce and eliminate rape in the long term.

“The figures seem to show a huge increase in recorded rapes alongside a worrying fall in the proportion of cases charged.

“This might be related simply to better recording practices. or, it could indicate that the police are struggling with the sheer volume of women, men and children now reporting that they have been raped. this is a huge social change – more survivors deciding to talk – and it is critical that our justice system and other public services keep up with it. we need urgent Government attention to ensuring that there is adequate police capacity to respond to rape reports.

“And, just as importantly we must ensure that rape crisis services in our communities are adequately resourced to talk to the thousands of survivors now approaching them but who never go to the police.

“In the long term – if, as a society, we really wanted to reduce actual incidents of rape, we would ensure that every young person learns about consent, respect and equality while at school. And we would encourage as many people as possible to take a stand against the attitudes that minimize and make excuses for this offence.”

The HMIC Rape Monitoring Group data can be found here.

http://www.endviolenceagainstwomen.org.uk/news/218/evaw-responds-to-latest-police-data-on-rape

November 9, 2015