Category Archives: Violence Against Women

Charities offer free advice to commissioners of services for women escaping violence – Women’s Aid

Local public sector commissioners of services for women fleeing violence are facing perhaps the most difficult decisions of recent times, as they themselves face severe cutbacks, yet the wrong decisions in this field can cost lives, say Women’s Aid and Imkaan, two national federations of services preventing and tackling violence against women and girls. The two organisations are today jointly releasing a free guide for local public sector commissioners, designed to support public sector staff responsible for commissioning services for women experiencing and fleeing violence. Successful Commissioning includes clear information on commissioners’ legal duties around domestic violence, the type of services victims and survivors need, and how to measure service quality through the tender process.

Starting from the National Audit Office’s position that “successful commissioning means delivering the right outcomes for the right cost”, Women’s Aid and Imkaan are committed to supporting commissioners in what are very challenging decisions at a time of austerity.  The charities are also committed to supporting members at local level to engage effectively with public sector bodies. As well as the guide, Women’s Aid and Imkaan are offering practical support, advice and guidance to commissioners about service user need in local areas and commissioning appropriate services to meet it, and are supporting local services to meet commissioners’’ needs and work together in partnership and consortia.

Polly Neate, Chief Executive of Women’s Aid said:

“In today’s challenging economic times, local public sector commissioners have a difficult job. In domestic violence, the wrong decisions can be truly dangerous. Central funding only covers a small proportion of local provision, local funding is severely reduced and there is no one commissioner with a statutory duty to address violence against women and girls. Decision-making to ensure consistent provision of safe, quality support for survivors is an increasingly complex task. We are committed to supporting commissioner to navigate the complex and unique needs of service users and deliver the best quality and best value services through the provision of Successful Commissioning.”

Marai Larasi, Director of Imkaan said:

“If we are to truly address violence against women and girls, we need to make sure that survivors have access to effective, appropriate services, and that prevention is a core part of everything that we do.

“In a time of such great economic difficulties and increasing concern about the impact of austerity measures on the most vulnerable individuals and groups in our society, it is even more important that we get the commissioning of vital frontline women’s services right.

“This unique commissioning pack takes into account the challenges that we know commissioners themselves face, it distils the knowledge of frontline providers and other experts, and it sets out the legal context for commissioning services. Even more importantly – it outlines what survivors, including black and minority ethnic women, are saying they need in terms of support.”

For a copy of the pack, or for further information, please contact Franki Hackett in the Women’s Aid Press Office on 0207 566 2511 or on f.hackett@womensaid.org.uk.

Press Release at http://www.womensaid.org.uk/domestic-violence-press-information.asp?itemid=3270&itemTitle=Charities+offer+free+advice+to+commissioners+of+services+for+women+escaping+violence&section=0001000100150001&sectionTitle=Press+releases

May 21, 2014

EVAW reveals – main political parties’ sexual harassment policies ‘hopelessly inadequate’

‘Parties should be aiming for a Gold Standard,’ say women’s groups citing Rennard scandal & other allegations of sexual harassment in Westminster

With European and local elections just days away and thousands of local political party activists making last minute appeals to voters, the End Violence Against Women Coalition today (20 May) published a legal analysis (1) of the three main political parties’ policies on sexual harassment which finds them “hopelessly inadequate”.

The national coalition of women’s organisations requested the policies be disclosed by each party leader when the Liberal Democrats failed to act decisively on the Lord Rennard ‘scandal’ in January this year (2).

A leading equality lawyer has reviewed the responses sent by Nick Clegg, Ed Miliband and Grant Schapps to the EVAW Coalition and says that as a set the policies are “hopelessly inadequate” and “demonstrate a complete lack of understanding of what the law requires.”

Cover letters and attached party policies in the main:

  • Appear not to appreciate that the sexual harassment of party staff or members is unlawful
  • Do not state that a person making an allegation will be protected from ‘victimisation’, that is, incurring further discrimination as a result of making an allegation, as the law also requires
  • Currently have poor procedures for making an allegation, or have not disclosed these.

The Conservative Party’s ‘Respect’ policy for MPs and their members worryingly opens with the statement that MPs “have the right to expect to carry out their parliamentary business free from unfounded allegations of discrimination, harassment or bullying”.

The Lib Dems will not implement new policy and codes of conduct until the end of 2014.

The Labour Party have disclosed policy for party staff only. It disclosed only a description of what it considers to be harassment and no details of procedures for how it should be dealt with. The party says it is following up recent recommendations on how better to publicise its procedures within the party.

Karon Monaghan QC who wrote the legal analysis said:

“None of the main political parties appear to understand that they are subject to the law against sexual harassment in their dealings with party members. The Equality Act 2010 makes clear that it is unlawful to subject members of a political party to sexual harassment.

“None of the documents produced by the party leaders evidence any understanding of the legal position. Even their policies addressing the harassment of staff indicate a lack of understanding of the legal position. The main political parties simply do not seem to understand their legal obligations and equally importantly what constitutes best practice.”

EVAW Coalition Director Holly Dustin said:

“We are publishing the three main political parties’ disclosed policies on harassment as thousands of party members and workers are working intensively on Euro and local elections campaigns, and as all are beginning their 2015 general election campaign at the grassroots level.

“We are disappointed that these policies are not better. Indeed, we believe that the parties should be aiming for a gold standard when it comes to issues of sexual harassment. How can voters have confidence in their public policies on violence against women if their internal policies are not up to scratch?

“Women’s representation in British politics is still woefully inadequate and the political parties need to seriously think about whether they are welcoming places where women will be treated equally to their male colleagues.

“We are calling on all political parties to work with expert discrimination lawyers to ensure that their policies on sexual harassment set a high standard for others to follow, and that they are implemented properly.  We are also calling on the parties to work with women’s groups to make concrete manifesto commitments on violence against women and girls and other equality issues. In the wake of recent scandals about sexual harassment and sleaze at Westminster and in other parts of public life, this is the very least that voters deserve.”

The EVAW Coalition’s request to party leaders for disclosure of their policies is here, and Karon Monaghan QC’s legal analysis here, and the political parties’ responses:

____________________________________________________________
Notes

  1. The full legal analysis and the political parties’ letters to EVAW and policies are available to download at www.evaw.org.uk/news
  2. In January the Liberal Democrats’ internal party inquiry into Lord Rennard’s sexual harassment of women party activists failed to produce decisive results despite finding the allegations credible; the women involved in the case were disappointed. EVAW’s response is here.
  3. The policies requested and disclosed do not refer to MPs’ staff. These workers are employed directly by MPs in a manner similar to a small, private employer. Employment and equality law still apply absolutely to the terms and conditions of these people’s employment.

Press Release at http://www.endviolenceagainstwomen.org.uk/news/150/evaw-reveals-main-political-parties-sexual-harassment-policies-hopelessly-inadequate

May 21, 2014

8 July 2014 ~ From the Margins to the Centre of Women’s Healing – Women and Girls Network – London & 9 July 2014

Training course: Promoting Recovery To Support Women with Complex Needs.

Training dates: July 8th & 9th 2014 (also on March 18th & 19th 2015)

Aim: This FREE two day accredited course explores the theoretical and clinical presentations of Complex Needs of women and girls accessing services who have experienced gendered violence.

About this course: The course will define complex needs introducing Developmental Trauma and Complex Traumatic Stress alongside common clinical presentations such as; depression, self-harming behaviour, suicidal ideation and activation. Understanding of trauma reactions and associated neurobiological responses will be also be explored. The course will introduce strengths and evidence based interventions working holistically to support recovery, emphasising women’s capacity for resilience and internal resources to promote sustainable healing.

How to apply: You can download an application form here

Completed application forms should be emailed to bookings@wgn.org.uk

Closing date for applications for the July course is: 6th June 2014

Closing date for applications for the March course is: 19th February 2015

May 9, 2014

3 June 2014 ~ Gender Responsive Trauma Focused Approach for Engaging Women’s Recovery from Sexual Violence – Women and Girls Network – London & 4 June 2014

Training course: Supporting Survivors Resilience, Moving Beyond and Through Experiences of Sexual Violence.

Training dates: June 3rd & 4th 2014 (also on December 9th & 10th 2014)

Aim: This FREE two day accredited course aims to build on practitioners existing skills and knowledge, following best practice protocols for effective engagement to support women’s recovery from sexual violence.

About this course: This course will use theoretical constructs from gender analysis perspectives on sexual violence, to examine prevalence, definitions, challenge popularist attitudes and views towards sexual violence from a trauma focused approach. This will involve the exploration of neurobiology of trauma responses to contextualise the range, depth and trauma symptomology and the ensuing legacy of sexual violence. The course will also introduce strength and evidence based approaches to working holistically, with women who have experienced sexual violence, from a culturally relevant perspective. The programme will also include specialist information from ROW on legal frameworks in sexual violence and presentations from CEOP covering new technologies in sexual violence.

How to apply: You can download an application form here

Completed application forms should be emailed to bookings@wgn.org.uk

The closing date for applications for the June course is: 27th May 2014

The closing date for applications for the December course is: 7th November 2014

May 9, 2014

Local Elections 22 May: Women Lobby Candidates To Take #WomensSafetyPledge – EVAW

‘On 22 May we will elect the people who make the real coal face decisions about services which protect women from violence…’

Locate your candidates and contact them using tools here

The End Violence Against Women Coalition today (7 May) launched a local elections campaign which will see its members and supporters all over England petitioning those standing for election to local councils on 22 May to take the #WomensSafetyPledge.

The national group of more than 60 women’s organisations includes many domestic violence refuges, Rape Crisis helplines and BME women’s organisations who have been hit hard by the ‘austerity cuts’ (1). Their wide network of supporters are targeting election candidates and keeping a tally of those who take the pledge in order that local services and activists can go back to those elected after 22 May and discuss how their commitment will be implemented.

End Violence Against Women Coalition supporters are also showing candidates the results of a 2013 YouGov poll which revealed that a large majority of people in the UK expect their local council to fund high quality support services for women facing abuse (2).

The #WomensSafetyPledge commits candidates if elected to do all in their power to ensure:

  • Services are protected for women who need them – whether or not they report abuse to the police
  • Schools are safe 4 girls – good sex & relationships education and teacher training
  • Safety in public spaces as well as in the home – tackling sexual harassment and any unsafe ‘no go areas’ for women and girls
  • Strategy to end and prevent abuse before it happens – is the best way to bring all these measures together.

End Violence Against Women Coalition members and supporters are sending letters, emails and tweets to candidates and to their local political parties. Some are organising #TwitterHustings and others approaching their local press and radio.

End Violence Against Women Coalition Campaigns Manager Sarah Green said:

“Our 20,000 local councillors make many of the day to day coal face decisions that absolutely affect women’s safety and ability to live a life free from violence – they fund specialist services which help women in crisis, they influence the way schools teach young people about respect and equality, and they determine community safety priorities.

“Women’s support services – refuges, helplines, BME women’s support groups – are an unsung ‘4th emergency service’ in our communities. Election time is a crucial time for ensuring they are protected.

“There is endless talk at national level about the elusive ‘women’s vote’ and what the parties need to do to secure women’s votes in a closely fought 2015 general election. Our members and supporters are telling local election candidates that they will be held accountable for decisions they take on women’s safety. And they are doing it through every means possible – the old fashioned letter, through email and Facebook, and even running Twitter hustings!”

End Violence Against Women Coalition election guide, template letters and more are available to read and download here.

  1. Professor Sylvia Walby’s 2012 research on cuts to women’s specialist services is here.
  2. EVAW commissioned this poll by YouGov in advance of the 2013 county council elections.

Check for updates http://www.endviolenceagainstwomen.org.uk/news/149/evaw-launches-local-elections-campaign

May 9, 2014