News & Campaigns

All the latest from HER-itage and our affiliates

11 November 2023 18:00 ~ A celebration of Jalna Hanmer … and six decades of the Women’s Liberation Movement – London

  • Conway Hall, 25 Red Lion Square, London WC1R 4RL
  • Tickets £15 (*)
  • Finishes 21:00

Join us on a journey through feminism from 1970 to the present day, as told through the life and work of Professor Jalna Hanmer who died in May 2023 aged 91.

Hear from Jalna herself via archive film and audio, from feminist friends and collaborators, fellow academics and activists, and from family and friends. They tell the story of Jalna’s extraordinary life and discuss the many feminist causes she fought for, in particular her ground-breaking work on male violence towards women and girls – work that helped change the world.

The evening will include speakers covering many of the numerous feminist projects that Jalna set up and was involved in throughout her life. We begin with the campaign against the Vietnam War in the 1960s, and move on through the fight for the inclusion of women within sociology; raising awareness around domestic violence and abuse and challenging the failures of policing; reproductive technology and the damage done by harmful medical interventions, including surrogacy and IVF; rape and sexual assault and the necessity for improvement within the criminal justice system; the need to focus on perpetrators and the invisibility of the male perpetrator; and last but not least prostitution and trafficking. Speakers will bring Jalna’s work and voice alive by telling stories of her involvement in these crucial battles.

This event will be of interest to anyone involved in feminism; those that wish to learn about the history and present state of the Women’s Liberation Movement (in particular the campaigns to end male violence towards women); anyone interested in the work of Jalna Hanmer; and of course the numerous women and men that had a personal connection with her over the many decades that she was politically active, both in the UK and internationally.

(*) Ticket price includes a complimentary alcoholic or soft drink on arrival, following which there will be a cash bar. Snacks & sandwiches will be available.

Book online at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/a-celebration-of-jalna-hanmer-tickets-722933101367

See https://www.bl.uk/people/jalna-hanmer

 

September 29, 2023

Letter to the Justice Secretary re failure to fill the post of Victims’ Commissioner

Dear Rt Hon Alex Chalk KC MP

We are writing to express our deep concern that as of this week, the post of Victims’ Commissioner will have been left vacant for an entire year – with no indication that a new appointment is imminent.

This void where there should be a strong advocate for victims and survivors has never felt starker given the current crisis in our criminal justice system.

Victims and survivors face chronic backlogs at court, with hundreds waiting as long as six years to have their case heard, and charging rates at an historic low. These excruciating delays not only jeopardise access to justice, but cause extreme anguish for victims and survivors, whose wellbeing suffers immeasurably as their lives are put on hold.

At the same time, public trust in the police is rapidly declining, especially amongst women and girls, and people from Black and minoritised communities. Rooting out police perpetrated abuse is one of the biggest challenges faced by policing leaders.

Against this backdrop, it is utterly essential that victims have an independent advocate who can speak on their behalf, with the authority to challenge decision makers and effectively advocate for their rights.

Furthermore, the failure to appoint this role as the landmark Victims and Prisoners Bill passes through Parliament is an affront to victims and survivors. This legislation will shape their rights for decades to come. Yet during the most crucial period for debate and scrutiny, there is no Commissioner in post to hold the government to account and help shape this long-awaited Bill.

The government has repeatedly voiced its commitment to improve the experience of victims, but failing to appoint a Commissioner suggests an unwillingness towards actually being held accountable for doing so.

This situation is unacceptable and neglects the needs of victims. The government must rectify it by appointing a new Victims’ Commissioner with the urgency it requires.

Yours sincerely,

Katie Kempen, CEO, Victim Support
Farah Nazeer, CEO, Women’s Aid Federation of England (Women’s Aid)
Sara Kirkpatrick, CEO, Welsh Women’s Aid
Sir Peter Wanless, Chief Executive NSPCC
Lynn Perry MBE, CEO, Barnardo’s
Amelia Handy, Head of Policy and Public Affairs, Rape Crisis England & Wales
Saskia Garner, Head of Policy and Campaigns, Suzy Lamplugh Trust
Joshua Williams, Head of Policy and Communications, National Youth Advocacy Service Nina Champion, Director, Criminal Justice Alliance
Lucy Jaffé, Director, Why me?

https://www.victimsupport.org.uk/open-letter-to-the-justice-secretary/

September 29, 2023

Shore – a safe space for teenagers worried about sexual behaviour – Lucy Faithfull Foundation

Designed especially for young people aged 13-18 our Shore website is a dedicated and confidential resource tailored for teenagers concerned about their own or someone else’s sexual thoughts and behaviour.

Why do we need Shore?

Research shows that under-18s are responsible for one-third of sexual offences against young peoplein the UK. Shore’s mission is to address this pressing public health issue by offering accessible, practical advice and dedicated support for young people concerned about harmful sexual behaviour (HSB).

The problem of HSB and young people has been growing for some time.

In June 2020, a young woman called Soma Sara began sharing on Instagram her experiences of rape culture. An overwhelming number of young people replied to share similar experiences, highlighting the extent of sexual harassment and abuse in UK schools and colleges. In response, Soma founded Everyone’s Invited, a charity providing an anonymous platform for survivors to share their stories and delivering specialist education in schools to promote healthy relationships.

Since launching our live chat in 2020, our Stop It Now! helpline saw a 32% increase in contacts from under-18s worried about their sexual thoughts or behaviour, showing the importance of a dedicated resource like Shore. Demand for our Inform Young People programme, which supports young people who have got into trouble for their online sexual behaviour, has also surged to an unprecedented level.

Added to this, we have also seen a 26% increase in the number of adults contacting us concerned about the behaviour of someone under 18.

Innovate website

“We have designed this innovative website,especially for teens,to provide a safe space for them to learn about sexual relationships and behaviour” says Rachel Haynes, Senior Practitioner at The Lucy Faithfull Foundation and Clinical Lead for Shore. “Our aim is to offer reliable information and advice to educate and protect young people from harmful sexual behaviour,both online and offline.”

“To do this, we conducted research with young people, parents and professionals to find out what concerns them, where they currently go for support and what they think we should develop. Young people told us they want clear, reliable information they can trust and confidential and anonymous ways to seek support,” added Rachel.

To create a safe space that young people trust, it is crucial that we listen to and learn from them. That is why we’ve worked with young people at every step of the wayin the planning, design and development of Shore.

Every year our helpline and programmes support growing numbers of young people and their families in hugely challenging circumstances. They’ve told us what they need to build better futures and we’ve put that into the design of Shore. We want to thank all the young people who have been involved in helping us create this unique resource.

“Shore offers an engaging and interactive experience, including a chat and email service for teenagers to seek advice and support on a variety of issues, including harmful sexual behaviour,the law, online risks and concerns about friends,” said Rachel.

All of this has been tested with young people and they’ve told us what works for them.

For more information about: 

Part of a longer press release at https://www.lucyfaithfull.org.uk/featured-news/shore-website-launched.htm

 

September 29, 2023

19 October 2023 ~ Reproductive Health Survey of Women in England – Department of Health and Social Care – Closing Date

Women in England are being encouraged to help shape reproductive health policy by sharing their experiences, as the government launches a landmark survey.

Delivering on a key commitment in the Women’s Health Strategy, the Women’s Reproductive Health Survey will seek women’s views across England on issues including periods, contraception, fertility, pregnancy and the menopause.

Findings from the survey will then be used to better understand women’s reproductive health experiences over time. The vital information gathered about the lives and experiences of women will inform current and future government decision-making and health policy.

There are currently disparities in women’s health across the country, and far too many cases where women’s voices are not being heard. Along with the strategy, the new survey will play a key part in changing this.

The survey is open to all women in England aged 16 to 55 years and will run for 6 weeks from Thursday 7 September 2023.

It is being delivered by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and is funded by the Department of Health and Social Care.

Questions women are being asked to answer include:

  • how much pain they experience during their periods
  • how they prefer to access contraceptive services
  • how satisfied they were with any support they received for menopausal symptoms

Just over a year on from the launch of the Women’s Health Strategy, over 300,000 more women have accessed cheaper hormone replacement therapy, new women’s health hubs are opening across the country in every integrated care board and a dedicated women’s health area has been added to the NHS website.

Further measures being introduced include:

  • a new artificial intelligence tool to identify early risks in maternity units
  • £25 million will be distributed across England so every area can create a women’s health hub
  • a new IVF tool on GOV.UK so people can look up information about NHS-funded IVF treatments
  • a new network of women’s health champions led by the Women’s Health Ambassador for England, Professor Dame Lesley Regan

A Menopause Employment Champion has also been appointed – recruitment and employability expert Helen Tomlinson – to improve support for menopause in the workplace. Helen is working with the Department for Work and Pensions to create an online repository of menopause resources for employers on GOV.UK. The Menopause Taskforce met in June to discuss menopause in the workplace.

The government has also awarded grant funding to charities across England to help employers make changes to their workplace to support women’s reproductive health, which includes menopause.

Part of a longer press release at https://www.gov.uk/government/news/landmark-survey-seeks-womens-views-on-reproductive-health

You can take the survey at https://online1.snapsurveys.com/interview/3e9e0d85-378d-40dd-a701-f353e02fbac1

 

September 12, 2023

OU research reveals shocking level of online violence experienced by women and girls across the UK

  • Over one in 10 women in England (15%) have experienced online violence, while three in 10 women (30%) have witnessed online violence.
  • Seven in 10 (68%) believe that current legislation is ineffective at tackling online violence against women and girls in England.
  • One in eight (13%) of women in England who experienced online violence say this progressed to offline violence, with 11% in Scotland, 14% in Wales, and 14% in Northern Ireland experiencing the same.

The Open University surveyed 7,500 adults across the UK in what is the largest-ever study into online violence against women and girls.

Researchers from The Open University have carried out the UK’s largest ever study into societal attitudes and experiences of online violence against women and girls (OVAWG) across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The findings reveal that over one in 10 women in England have experienced online violence, with this figure increasing amongst those aged 16-24 (25%) and LGB+ women (35%). Of those women who have experienced online violence, over one in ten (13%) said it later progressed to offline violence.

Online anonymity (49%), ease of getting away with it (47%) and misogyny (43%) top the most commonly perceived reasons for why people commit online violence against women and girls.

The data illustrated some concerning gender divides, with men in England less likely than women to support making OVAWG a criminal offence (over 50% of men strongly supporting vs over 69% women). Men (19%) were also more likely than women (10%) to believe that legally prohibiting online violence would limit their freedom of expression. Men are also more likely than women in England to say that the UK government is doing enough to address OVAWG (19% of men strongly agree vs 11% of women).

The data showed a lack of confidence on the part of women and girls, that the authorities would deal effectively with a report of online violence. Women who have experienced online violence are more likely to have sought support from their friends (29%) or family (16%) rather than the police (6%). And 57 of women in England stated that they thought the police lacked the resources needed to tackle online violence against women and girls effectively. Seven in ten (71%) of women in England who say they did report online violence to the police are not satisfied with the outcome.

When comparing responses across the nations, the research showed that women and girls in Scotland were more likely to have witnessed the most online violence (35%) in comparison to those in England (30%), Wales and Northern Ireland (27%) and women in Scotland and Wales were most likely to have experienced it (17%).

Andrea Simon, Director of the End Violence Against Women Coalition EVAW):

“Our lives are increasingly lived online and technological developments are creating new ways for violence against women and girls to be perpetrated. This abuse is connected to the threat of violence women and girls face offline – it cannot be minimised or ignored.

“The laws we have in place are ineffective at tackling online violence against women and girls – we’re pleased to see that 70% of women and girls agree. We call on the government to make sure its new guidance in the Online Safety Bill is effectively enforced and as robust as the Code of Practice we developed with specialist partners and legal experts.”

The first of its kind report surveyed 7500 adults* over the age of 16, via YouGov, providing an insight into the societal attitudes of both men and women, and the lived experiences of women and girls across the four nations.

The OVAWG research project forms part of the university’s OU’s Open Societal Challenges Programme, which aims to tackle some of the most important societal challenges of our time through impact-driven research. The Programme’s focus on the themes of Tackling Inequalities, Living Well and Sustainability align well with the OU’s mission to be open to people, places, methods and ideas.

The Programme’s aim is to apply excellent research by OU academics to some of the most pressing challenges facing people across the UK and worldwide to transform lives and drive societal change.

With backing from the OU’s Societal Challenge Programme, in 2022, Dr Kim Barker and Professor Jurasz launched the Observatory on Online Violence Against Women (ObserVAW). The Observatory is set to become Europe’s first to unite leading academics, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), policymakers, regulators, legal practitioners, educators and social media platforms to fight digital abuse.

Part of a longer press release at https://www.open.ac.uk/research/news/ou-research-reveals-shocking-level-online-violence-experienced-women-and-girls-across-uk

September 12, 2023