News & Campaigns

All the latest from HER-itage and our affiliates

4 November 2020 16:00 ~ Stories from feminist peace archives and how to find them – LSE Library – Online

Until 17:00 GMT

Join us for this online webinar where three speakers will tell some of the fascinating stories from their archives that cover feminist peace

Join us for this online webinar where three speakers will tell some of the fascinating stories from their archives that cover the theme of feminist peace. This event is suitable for anyone interested in finding out more about feminist peace archives, and perhaps those interested in researching these topics further and undertaking archival research. This event is co-hosted by the LSE Centre for Women, Peace and Security as part of the AHRC project Feminist International Law of Peace and Security, and LSE library.

The three topics covered are:

  1. Feminist peace archives: the government perspective
  • Vicky Iglikowski-Broad (The National Archives)
  • Within the records of central government can be found unexpected and unique insights in to various historic, feminist peace movements. These records however are held for quite different reasons to the other collections represented at this event; fundamentally they are preserved because of some interaction and engagement with government; from the policing of the Greenham Common Women’s Peace Camp to Deputations from Women’s Peace Societies to the Cabinet in 1930. This talk will briefly explore the potential of what can be found relating to feminist peace movements and how to locate this material.
  1. Dora Russell and the Women’s Peace Caravan
  • Ms Hannah Lowery (University of Bristol)
  • The papers of Dora Russell and the Women’s Peace Caravan cover a period of peace activism post World War Two, and prior to the activities of Greenham Common Women (which could also be discussed using Feminist Archive South). I will show some images of petitions and craft work given to Dora Russell and her Caravan as they toured in Europe in 1958. The talk will discuss some of the holdings, and be an opportunity to show how to consult the Feminist Archive South collections. https://archives.bristol.ac.uk/Record.aspx?src=CalmView.Catalog&id=DM2123%2f1%2fArchive+Boxes+1-16
  1. Anti-nuclear campaigners
  • Daniel Payne (LSE Library)
  • Both the Women’s Library at LSE and LSE Library collections hold a wealth of material relating to feminist peace, including Greenham Common, the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, and anti-nuclear campaigners. This short stalk will explore some of the stories in the archives on the theme, and also offers suggestions on how to find archives on this theme.

For full information and registration go to https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/webinar-stories-from-feminist-peace-archives-and-how-to-find-them-tickets-123354355197?aff=efbeventtix

 

October 29, 2020

Sexual violence among women selling sex and experiencing sexual exploitation during Covid-19 – Changing Lives

Changing Lives has published a shocking report in to how the Covid-19 pandemic has had devastating consequences for women facing abuse and violence across the country: Nowhere to Turn

Data collected during the first four months of lockdown shows a 62% increase in the number of women disclosing that they had experienced sexual violence – although there are reasons to believe that the actual figure is much higher than this.

Jennifer Harrison, Head of Policy and Public Affairs at Changing Lives, said:

“We are concerned that this increase does not reflect the true extent of the sexual violence and abuse happening in our communities. For example, in the North East there has been an increase of 179% and we believe this is closer to the reality of women’s experiences because there has been a sustained commitment and investment in multi-agency working across this area. In 2013 Northumbria Police created a Dedicated Liaison Officer role trained in supporting people selling sex and adults exposed to sexual exploitation. Over time, this model has shown to have increased women’s confidence to disclose crimes to services and report crimes to police.”

The findings also show a marked increase in repeat victimisation, whereby women are experiencing multiple crimes against them including, but not restricted to, sexual violence, physical violence, and domestic abuse.

These are women who are already at increased risk of harm due to their existing vulnerabilities, such as homelessness, addiction, and poverty, but are slipping through the net when it comes to accessing the support they urgently need.

The data was collected from 15 Changing Lives services across the North East, Yorkshire, and the Midlands which, between them, supported more than 1,850 women during the four months from March 2020.

Jennifer said:

“We decided to conduct this research because we became increasingly concerned that women with existing vulnerabilities were at increased risk of sexual violence. We saw an 83% increase in the number of women accessing our specialist services for the first time in the first four months of lockdown. We continue to see unprecedented demand for our services, as well as significant and adverse impacts on women’s physical and mental health, including an increase in suicide attempts and self-harm.”

With women unsafe at home or within their communities, and unable to access support from under-pressure public services, many women have found themselves with nowhere to turn.

Three quarters of the services surveyed said the women they support were ‘somewhat unconfident’ or ‘very unconfident’ of reporting crimes to police. Of the disclosures made to police, over two fifths were investigated and closed because the victim decided to withdraw.

Changing Lives staff report that the reasons for this include, stigma and discrimination, fear of criminalisation and victim-blaming.

Laura Seebohm, Executive Director – External Affairs at Changing Lives, said:

“The women we support feel they are unable to access justice. Across all of the services included in our research, there have been zero convictions for any sexual offences reported to the police since the beginning of 2019. As the pandemic continues, we are calling for urgent action to support women with existing vulnerabilities who are selling sex and/or experiencing sexual exploitation, including increased provision of specialist services and greater protection under the law.”

You can download the full report here.

https://www.changing-lives.org.uk/news-stories/nowhere-to-turn/

October 29, 2020

Inspectors find fewer than one in five CPS letters to rape victims are of acceptable quality – Victims Commissioner

HMCPSI (Crown Prosecution Inspectors) have published a report which finds just 24.1% of letters to victims about their cases are of an acceptable standard. The report follows up on a similar inspection in 2018, which concluded at that time only 24% were acceptable. Despite an action plan and promises to improve, the inspectors report shows an improvement of 0.1%.

Letters to rape and sexual offence victims, which  include letters telling them that there will not be a charge, were found to be even worse. Inspectors found them acceptable in only 18.6% of cases, with 58% showing appropriate empathy and 71% showed an explanation for the decision that was easy to understand.

Victims’ Commissioner, Dame Vera Baird, said:

‘These findings are disappointing and, sadly, they re-enforce the findings of my own survey of 491 rape survivors and their engagement with the criminal justice system, which was published on 20 October. Some of the participants in that survey commented on the insensitivity of their treatment by CPS. For example, one survivor, who reported her offence to police last year, wrote that the tone of their letter telling her that there would not be a charge was such that she decided not to attend a meeting with prosecutors. She described the CPS letter as ‘the most damaging part for me’.

Their letters had no indication that they were supportive of victims. The phrasing made me feel as though I was the criminal or as if I were a liar. Small details from the case were highlighted as specific reasons which meant the case couldn’t be moved forward, which only heightens the blame I put on myself as a victim. It was very damaging.

This survivor got two letters, one after the decision not to prosecute and one after they appealed the decision and said that the second was ‘even worse’ than the first.

The importance of the letter was underscored in the comments of another victim who said she couldn’t bring herself to open the CPS letter because she could not face hearing from another CJS professional that she was not ‘good enough’ as a victim.

As these comments show, letters of this nature have a profound impact on victims and it is so important that they display empathy and sensitivity, as well as clarity. Two years after CPS were told that they were failing victims in this way, action plans and determination to improve have failed to make any difference, or to be accurate they have made 0.1% difference.   I will want to discuss with the CPS how they plan to remedy this.

When looking at the collapse in rape prosecutions and now this report on CPS communications, I am concerned about the adequacy of the CPS response to rape victims overall. Declarations of actions plans and strategies are not sufficient. As I said when publishing my survey, we need nothing short of a radical, systemic cultural transformation so that all victims of rape feel they can report in the knowledge they will be treated with empathy and respect.

https://victimscommissioner.org.uk/news/inspectors-find-fewer-that-one-in-five-cps-letters-to-rape-victims-are-of-acceptable-quality/

October 29, 2020

Survey of survivors who have reported rape to the Metropolitan Police Service – Victim’s Commissioner for London and Mayor’s office for Policing and Crime

Please share our survey as widely as possible. It’s critical we hear from rape victims & survivors who have reported to @metpoliceuk & were asked to share personal technology such as mobile phone data https://twitter.com/LDNVictimsComm/status/1318183440097923074

Your Voice Matters

The Victim’s Commissioner for London, Claire Waxman, together with the Mayor’s Office for Policing And Crime (MOPAC) is undertaking research to better understand the progression of rape cases through the criminal justice system, and the role and impact of requests for victim technology (such as phones). As part of this work, we would very much like to hear about the views and experiences of survivors who have reported rape to the Metropolitan Police Service – regardless of whether you have been asked for your phone or other technology as part of the investigation or not.

No personal details will be attached to your responses, and unless you enter identifiable information in your responses, they will be completely anonymous.

If relevant to you please complete the survey at https://londonvoice.org.uk/web/index.php/365383?lang=en

October 22, 2020

Government failing child victims of trafficking – ECPAT UK

The government is failing in its treatment of child victims of trafficking in a hostile immigration system, according to shocking new data obtained by ECPAT UK under the Freedom of Information Act ahead of the 10 year anniversary of the UK’s Anti-Slavery Day.

The data shows that 4,695 adults and children subject to immigration control were confirmed as victims of trafficking in the four-year period of 2016-2019. However just 28 child victims were granted discretionary leave to remain in the UK.

The Home Office failed to reveal how many of the 4,695 victims were children, but annual statistics on referrals into the National Referral Mechanism – the UK’s system for identifying victims of trafficking –  show that in these four years, children comprised nearly half of all people identified as potential victims.

Child victims of trafficking who have been confirmed as victims by the National Referral Mechanism may be granted discretionary leave outside of the UK’s immigration rules, in recognition of their specific needs and vulnerabilities.

In these cases, the Home Office should automatically consider a grant of discretionary leave in line with children’s rights under domestic and international law. Additionally, the period of leave should be long enough to provide each child with a ‘durable solution’ – a long term outcome in line with their best interests.

However, the FOI data showed the vast majority of both adult and child victims are only granted discretionary leave for periods of up to 12 months. For children, such a short grant of leave is rarely in their best interests as it does not provide the stability they need to stay safe and recover from the trauma and abuse they have experienced.

Furthermore, the FOI data showed that of the total number of victims of trafficking granted asylum and humanitarian protection, children were underrepresented; comprising just 20.7% of those granted asylum and 29% of those granted humanitarian protection.

The data does not provide information on the number of young victims of trafficking granted ‘UASC’ leave as unaccompanied children seeking asylum, which lasts two years or until a young person turns 17-and-a-half; whichever period is shorter.

However from our direct work with trafficked young people we know that many are granted this form of leave as a ‘stop gap’ measure which leaves them in constant anxiety as to their futures, and is highly unsuitable due to the specific need for stability among those who have suffered substantial trauma.

It is well established that immigration insecurity is a significant driver of trafficked and unaccompanied young people going missing from care, which can indicate they are being (re)trafficked.

Part of a longer press release at https://www.ecpat.org.uk/news/government-failing-child-victims-of-trafficking-exclusive-data-reveals

See also:

October 22, 2020