News & Campaigns

All the latest from HER-itage and our affiliates

8 May 2016 ~ Post show workshop with Hollaback – Might Never Happen – Dollseye Theatre – London

For full details of the show: 1 May 2016 ~ Might Never Happen – Dollseye Theatre – London – 2, 8, 9, 15, 16 May 2016 – see http://www.womensgrid.org.uk/groups/?p=4106

On Sunday 8th May there will be a post show workshop from Anti Street Harassment organisation Hollaback London: http://ldn.ihollaback.org

The workshop will be an interactive, educational and thought-provoking session to get people thinking about street harassment, look at how to be safe and what people can do to help combat these issues as well as giving practical skills, workshopping how to deal with harassers, the reasons behind harassment and the continuum of gender-based violence.

More at https://kingsheadtheatre.ticketsolve.com/shows/873550062/events?show_id=873550062

April 29, 2016

2 May 2016 ~ Post show Q&A: Might Never Happen – Dollseye Theatre – London

For full details of the show: 1 May 2016 ~ Might Never Happen – Dollseye Theatre – London – 2, 8, 9, 15, 16 May 2016 – see http://www.womensgrid.org.uk/groups/?p=4106

On Monday 2nd May there will be a post show Q&A with the collaborators of the piece:

  • Fiona Vera-Gray– Researcher, Durham University
  • Maria Garner – Independent Researcher
  • Amy Ewbank– Director, Dolls Eye Theatre
  • Zaimal Azad– Researcher, London School of Economics
  • Kafayat Okanlawon– Independent Activist, Purple Drum
  • Dr Shaminder Takhar – Researcher, London South Bank University
  • Sophie Walker– Leader of the Women’s Equality Party

and it will be chaired by Radhika Sanghani  – Journalist, Telegraph Women

More at https://kingsheadtheatre.ticketsolve.com/shows/873550062/events?show_id=873550062

April 29, 2016

Save Renfrewshire Women’s Aid Children’s Services – Please sign the petition

Petitioning Gender & Equality Violence Against Women Unit Scottish Government

The Scottish Government will cut £87,969 of funding for Renfrewshire Women’s Aid’s Children’s services after 30th June 2016. This means the loss of 70 hours a week to support children & young people who experience domestic abuse.

We have been funded to provide refuge, follow-on & outreach support to children & young people since April 2006. Scottish Government have changed/the goalposts for applications, and will not fund our service as we are an unincorporated charity.

Sign the petition at https://www.change.org/p/scottish-government-save-renfrewshire-women-s-aid-children-s-services

See http://www.renfrewshirewomensaid.co.uk/

April 29, 2016

#WEcount campaign will reclaim our streets for women – Women’s Equality Party

The Women’s Equality Party (WE) launch their #WEcount campaign nationwide, to speak out against sexual violence and harassment and to reclaim Britain’s streets for women.

A film featuring Pavan Amara, who built the “My Body Back” project after being attacked and has helped hundreds of women who have been assaulted to reclaim their lives, is supported by a selfie campaign with the hashtag #WEcount and an interactive map (wemap.org).

“WE are very proud to be extending this campaign across the UK,” said Sophie Walker, leader of the Women’s Equality Party. “#WEcount ran in London in March, garnering widespread media coverage and trending on Twitter. WE want women right across the UK to get behind the campaign and help us make the harassment, abuse and assault of women a political priority.”

The Women’s Equality Party are asking women to post photos of their hands on social media, showing a postcode or place in the UK where they have experienced sexual harassment, assault or verbal abuse. Alternatively, they can email their photos to WEcount@womensequality.emailnb.com to be posted anonymously.

“Thousands of women experience unwanted sexual behaviour every day, from catcalling to groping to violent assault – and none of this is news,” said Walker. “Our streets are not safe. WE will show this by live mapping the locations that women report having experienced catcalling, flashing, verbal abuse, harassment and physical assault. Women can visit www.wemap.org to add their experiences to our campaign.”

She added: “WE will show that women right across the UK are affected by these events every day – and that every one of us counts. That is why we chose the hashtag #WEcount. The prevalence of sexual assault and harassment in our country shames us all. WE will take back every part of the UK to make it safe for women.”

See more at http://www.womensequality.org.uk/wecount_campaign_launches

April 29, 2016

Fawcett responds to the junior doctors’ contract

Fawcett has reviewed the Department of Health’s Equality Analysis on the new contract for doctors and dentists in training in the NHS and concluded:

The Equality Analysis clearly identifies a number of groups who will be disadvantaged by the new contract.  These are groups which are disproportionately represented by women, including part-time workers, women taking maternity leave, carers, those specialties dominated by women, single parents and those who do not have informal childcare support to rely on at weekends.

The Equality Analysis goes on to justify this unequal impact by referring to the increase in basic pay and the new working hours.  But we do not consider these to be of comparable or equal value to offset the disadvantage experienced by those women the Government has identified. That is for women doctors themselves to determine.

Furthermore the Equality Analysis suggests that the contract changes proposed will exacerbate rather than narrow the gender pay gap in the profession.  This undermines the Government’s stated aim of closing the gender pay gap.

We are particularly concerned by the phrase “Any indirect adverse effect on women is a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim.”  The document then goes on to say these adverse effects can be “comfortably justified”.

We do not consider knowingly exacerbating gender inequality to be in any way proportionate or legitimate, nor can this be “comfortably justified” and we take issue with the Department of Health’s conclusion.

Commenting Sam Smethers, Chief Executive of the Fawcett Society said:

“In recent years we have seen a significant increase in the number of women entering the medical profession and the majority of junior doctors are now women.  This progress is likely to be reversed if this contract is implemented.

“We have also heard some commentators criticising the ‘feminisation’ of the doctors’ profession.  This dismisses the incredible contribution made to the NHS by its majority female work force . Women in the NHS are not the problem. The problem is the lack of feminisation of the contract.”

Source http://www.fawcettsociety.org.uk/2016/04/fawcett-responds-junior-doctors-contract/

April 29, 2016