Women's Views on News |
- Save the Independent Living Fund
- BBC’s representation of women: Part 1
- Re-imagine: Black Women in Britain
| Save the Independent Living Fund Posted: 15 Oct 2014 08:42 AM PDT
Disabled people, their families, friends and the general public are being asked to get behind the “Save The Independent Living Fund” postcard campaign. And to join the vigil outside the High Court on 22 October 2014 at 12.30pm. Or sign this petition. Or email your MP now – and encourage all your friends and family to do the same. This is the second time that the Coalition government has tried to close down the Independent Living Fund (ILF). The first time, it was stopped by a judicial review because ministers had failed to carry out an impact assessment, as they are obliged to do by the Equality Act. So they did an impact assessment, then re-announced their original closure decision. The Independent Living Fund (ILF) is an independent and discretionary charitable trust established in 1988 to provide funding to help disabled people with high support needs live an independent life in the community rather than in residential care. Independent living, in its widest sense, means having the same opportunities, choices and rights as other citizens. It means taking part in community life, having the opportunity to have an education, to get a job, to build a career. It means having the chance to have a family and a social life. In March 2014 the government decided to close the ILF in June 2015 and transfer the responsibility for meeting the care and support needs of current ILF users to Local Authorities. Deaf and disabled people's organisations and disabled people believe the ILF should be kept open. They believe there are two key reasons why One is that the ILF is a cost-effective model of funding that successfully supports the independent living of those with the highest support needs. The other is that in stark contrast many Local Authorities only provide enough funding for a somewhat basic 'clean and feed' model of care which is badic – and ends independent living and inclusion in the community. This in turn will leave many ILF users faced with a choice between having inadequate care at home or an inactive, isolated life in a residential home. Disabled people believe that the closure of the ILF should be stopped until a better alternative is established. Disabled people also believe that an independent living task force should be set up, co-produced with ILF users, to review independent living and specifically the ILF to identify how to best develop independent living support, building on the successful model of ILF provision thus far. And disabled people also believe that at the very minimum the ILF funding should be ring-fenced for the care and support of those with the highest needs if funding is transferred to Local Authorities and devolved administrations. But the government is pressing ahead with its plans to close down the ILF despite Judge Elias, in the Court of Appeal, speaking of "the inevitable and considerable adverse effect which the closure of the fund will have, particularly on those who will as a consequence lose the ability to live independently". The ILF is funded by central government and helps meet the care costs of those disabled people with high care support requirements to live independently and directly affects 18,000 of the eleven million disabled people in Britain. ILF recipients now face having their care packages slashed and either becoming prisoners in their own homes or forced into residential care. Disabled people and their families need your help to raise the profile of this campaign through social media, press/TV coverage and by putting pressure on our politicians in the run up to the general election next year. This postcard campaign is supported by the Greater Manchester Coalition of Disabled People (GMCDP); the Alliance For Inclusive Education (ALLFIE); Disabled People Against Cuts (DPAC); Inclusion London and Equal Lives. And us. And you? |
| BBC’s representation of women: Part 1 Posted: 15 Oct 2014 06:55 AM PDT
It is called ‘The Conversation’ and it starts on 27 October at 20.30 GMT with an all-female line up. Each week the programme will explore the success stories of two women from different parts of the world who work in similar fields, in the course of a conversation hosted by the BBC's Kim Chakanetsa. How, for example, does the experience of the Finnish Ambassador to Nigeria compare with that of Yemen's first female Ambassador? What does it take to be a female space engineer on India's Mars mission? Does she come up against the same obstacles as a British Particle Physicist working for CERN? And how do a stand-up comedian from Kenya and a Saudi satirist navigate their way through the male-dominated comedy scene? The Conversation will bring together two women – meeting for the first time, from very different parts of the world and with very different backgrounds. Munazza Khan, who is the producer of The Conversation, said: "We aim for the programme to be about women and about the lives they lead, not just the issues around being a woman. It will do that, Khan explained, "by bringing people together who share the same interest but could be half the world apart in terms of geography and worlds apart in respect to lifestyle and culture. "The results of the encounter are for everyone to share." Kim Chakanetsa, who will be presenting The Conversation, said: "As a producer and now a presenter for the BBC World Service, I am always covering stories about, and issues that affect women around the world. "Often it's the negative issues that make the headlines. "So it's refreshing and only right that we should also reflect the positive stories of women around the world who make up half our audience. "By showcasing the paths to success of two inspiring women each week we hope to challenge some of the prejudices which women still face globally." This autumn, guests on The Conversation include: Judge Khalida R. Khan from Peshawar, Pakistan, who is now presiding over the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (UNCTR) and Judge Mandisa Maya of the South African Supreme Court of Appeal; Saudi satirist, Hatoon Kadi and Kenyan stand-up comedian, Njambi McGrath; and the Artistic Director of the Hamburg State Opera and Music Director of the Hamburg Philharmonic, Simone Young and Mexican Conductor, Alondra de la Parra; Yemen's first female Ambassador Amatalim Alsoswa and the Finnish Ambassador to West Africa, Pirjo Suomela-Chowdhury; and Indian space scientist on India's Mars Mission, Minal Sampath, and British Particle Physicist at CERN, Dr Tara Shears. The Conversation's launch coincides with the return of 100 Women and there will be three days of special programming on the BBC's international news services – on TV, radio and online. Last year the BBC pledged to represent women better in its international news output, and so is now kick-starting that drive with the 100 Women Season – and a list that will be released on 27 October. Newsday's Nuala McGovern will be live in Abuja, Shaimaa Khalil in Islamabad, Rupa Jha in Delhi and Chloe Tilly will be in London. And on 28 October, at a special event in the BBC's Radio Theatre, Joyce Banda will speak on political representation and empowerment, Shappi Khorsandi on bringing up girls, Shazia Saleem on entrepreneurship and Professor Lesley Yellowlees on women in science. Other highlights from the three days include Laura Bates joining forces with the BBC's language services to look at the ways women are combatting Everyday Sexism around the world; Conchita Wurst being interviewed by Kate Smurthwaite about cross dressing, gender identity and pushing boundaries; and Ghanaian photographer and male feminist, Nana Kofi Acquah will be sharing his images and asking for audiences’ photos that shatter gender stereotypes. A promising start? |
| Re-imagine: Black Women in Britain Posted: 15 Oct 2014 01:57 AM PDT
Black women were here to witness the construction of Hadrian's Wall in Roman Britain and everyday life over the centuries, in the markets and music halls, homes and factories. The Black Cultural Archives is a national heritage centre founded in 1981 dedicated to collecting, preserving and celebrating the histories of people of African and Caribbean descent in Britain. A first of its kind, it was opened by poets, politicians and activists including Dame Jocelyn Barrow, Benjamin Zephaniah and Brixton town manager Paul Reid, at the end of July. Its inaugural exhibition, Re-imagine: Black Women in Britain, is largely a photographic ode to a series of much lauded female figures from the better known Jessica Huntley of publishing house Bogle L'Ouverture, to obscured histories such as the jazz singer Adelaide Hall. Re-imagine gives us a glimpse of some of these women, the traces of their lives having been lying in vaults of archives, libraries and museums throughout the United Kingdom and brought together for the first time. Re-imagine: Black Women in Britain has unlocked those archive vaults to reveal the rich and diverse contributions of a – remarkable – collection of Black women. You are invited to 're-imagine' their lives, to create a tapestry of stories that paint a picture of the many and eclectic roles of Black women over time. In an intimate exhibition, where the historical and often personal accounts are brought together for the first time. There is the 'The Ivory Bangle Lady', whose remains were excavated in York in 1901; the extraordinary story of aristocrat Elizabeth Dido Belle; the formidable poet Phillis Wheatley and there is Able Seaman William Brown who served during 1915 and was later found to be a woman. And there are the stories of charismatic and talented women who rose to stardom during the 1940s, such as West End stage actress Elizabeth Welch, renowned jazz singer Adelaide Hall and Amanda Ira Aldridge, daughter of Black Shakespearian actor Ira Aldridge, who devoted her life to music and performance in Britain. These alongside the exceptional achievements of Oxford educated lawyer, Stella Thomas who became the first African woman called to the Bar in 1933, and Una Marson a BBC radio presenter who voice was broadcasted to by thousands in the 1930s. Their stories take us far and wide. But also the stories told here also take us back to Brixton, with the inspirational story of Olive Morris who campaigned for social equality in housing, education and policing in the local area. Revealing that Brixton has always been an important part of the bigger story and has been and is home to many women whose stories remain untold. Re-imagine: Black Women in Britain brings together the photographs, portraits and stories of remarkable women. They can be seen at 1 Windrush Square, Brixton, London SW2 1EF, from Tuesday – Saturday, 10am – 6pm, until 30 November. Free entrance. There are also some 'events' to attend: for more details or tickets click here. |
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