Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Women's Views on News

Women's Views on News

Petition to end FGM in the UK

Posted: 27 Nov 2012 09:07 AM PST

Each year an estimated 24,000 girls in the UK are at risk of having to go through the horrors of FGM.

Earlier this week I read an article about Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in Indonesia, describing the unimaginably awful scene of a mass cutting ceremony.

It turned my stomach to read of girls as young as 5 months old having their genitalia deliberately cut.

It is estimated that 3 million girls every year are cut, with the highest incidences being in Africa, the Middle East and Indonesia.

That article was about FGM in far away lands, but what is also shocking - and sickening – is that it’s happening here in the UK, too.

We published a guest post last week from Plan UK about the worldwide horrors of FGM. It was a piece wich gave a really good introduction into what FGM is and why it occurs, and is well worth reading to get a good sense of the scale and seriousness of the problem.

FGM is illegal in the UK, and it is illegal to take any girl out of the country to for FGM to be performed on her.

However, despite laws criminalising this barbaric practice - laws which have been in place for 27 years - to date not one single conviction has been made.

This despite an estimated 24,000 girls being at risk of FGM annually  in the UK.

Despite their assertions that they are committed to stopping the practice, the coalition government actually abolished the only Whitehall post devoted to work preventing women and girls from the UK being subjected to it.

In France, where roughly the same number of children are said to be at risk, there have been over 100 convictions relating to the practice.

Worryingly though, there are reports of French children being sent to the UK to undergo cutting, in the knowlege that prosecution here is rare, and enforcement of anti-FGM laws lax.

Earlier this year a petition to get the government to stop FGM in the UK was rejected, apparently because of some of the wording used in the text.

Hilary Burrage, the author of the original petition has now set up a second petition, with suitably altered wording, which you can sign here.

And she has written about the discrepancy between the way some high profile child abuse cases are treated, in comparison to the action – or lack of action - being taken to end FGM in the UK.

FGM is child abuse, there are no two ways about it.

And we know it is happening right under our noses, so why have there been no convictions?

Hilary Burrage writes on her blog: ‘Procuring or perpetuating FGM in Britain, or on British children, carries a maximum (but not obligatory) penalty of 14 years in prison.

‘It is also legally obligatory to report even any suspicion that a child is at risk or has undergone FGM.

‘Yet still there have been no successful prosecutions at all concerning anything to do with FGM, anywhere in the UK.

'Too difficult…' say the authorities.’

Nimco Ali, from the charity Daughters of Eve says: "It's a chicken and egg problem.

“There have been no convictions because no one takes it seriously as an issue, but no one takes it seriously as an issue precisely because there have been no convictions.

“If people knew more about it, it would be clamped down on, but they don't, so no one is scared of the prospect of conviction.

“There needs to be a commitment by the police, social services and others that it's high on their priorities, not just something that they pay lip service to.

“FGM is a safeguarding issue and needs to be treated as such, not passed back to communities affected by it.

“What other form of sexual abuse do we seek those affected and those committing it to address?

“Only when commitment is given to the subject and the Acts in place are actively enforced and FGM addressed as safeguarding will we get a conviction, but to have to seek a conviction in order to give force to the law in place is just nonsensical."

Reassuringly, it seems that people in power are beginning to wake up to the problem in the UK.

Last week the Crown Prosecution Service published an action plan which they hope will bring about the first UK convictions for the crime.

Keir Starmer, director of public prosecutions, said: “It’s critical that everything possible is done to ensure we bring the people who commit these offences against young girls and women to justice and this action plan is a major step in the right direction.

“Everyone who can play a part in stopping female genital mutilation – from the doctor with a suspicion that an offence has been committed and the police officer investigating the initial complaint to the prosecutor taking a charging decision – needs to know what to do to improve detection rates, strengthen investigations and, for the part of the CPS, to start getting these offenders into court.

“I am determined that the CPS should play a key role in ensuring that the impunity with which these offenders have acted will end.”

And this week Home Office Minister Jeremy Browne announced the launch of a ‘declaration’ against FGM and £50,000 funding to support frontline agencies tackling the problem, as part of the government’s commitment to ending violence against women and girls.

MP Lynne Featherstone, who charged with tackling violence against women and girls overseas, said: “We must all play our part to support efforts to end the horrific practice of FGM.

“By putting FGM on the mainstream development agenda, I want to encourage others to step in with much-needed political and financial resources.”

The solution is not an easy or quick one.

Education in the at risk communities is vitally important, as is creating easy routes for reporting fears or incidences.

But so too is a more aggressive, proactive stance from the government to support the many charities who are working to end FGM in the UK.

The government should reinstate the role of national FGM co-ordinator and commit further funds toward the ending of this horrendous practice.

The £50, 000 already committed is a start, but not enough in light of the vast number of girls at risk.

The consequenses and health implications of FGM for the girls and women who have been subjected to it last a lifetime, and in some cases will ultimately lead to premature death.

Please add your voice to the demand to stop FGM in the UK and sign the petition by clicking here.

UK marks White Ribbon Day

Posted: 27 Nov 2012 03:00 AM PST

Men say no to violence against women.

November 25  marked the United Nation’s International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.

UN Secretary General, Ban Ki Moon said: “Violence against women continues to persist as one of the most heinous, systematic and prevalent human rights abuses in the world.”

“It is a threat to all women, and an obstacle to all our efforts for development, peace, and gender equality in all societies.”

“Violence against women is always a violation of human rights; it is always a crime; and it is always unacceptable. Let us take this issue with the deadly seriousness that it deserves,” he added.

November 25 is also known as White Ribbon Day and is the high point of an international campaign encouraging men and boys to wear white ribbons and commit themselves to taking action to stop violence against women.

The aim is to ensure men take more responsibility for reducing the level of violence against women.

The White Ribbon Campaign was created by men for men, and creates the opportunity for men all around the world to take a stand together against the violence committed by men towards women and girls.

The campaign aims to address and change social norms that lead to violent behaviour against women; involve men in prevention activities; increase awareness of the issue; provide services aimed at reducing the incidence of domestic violence and mobilise entire local communities to end violence against women.

The End Violence Against Women campaign estimates that almost 3 million women in the UK suffer from some form of violence every year.

And research shows domestic violence affects one in four women in their lifetime.

Two women a week are killed by their partners or former partners.

Sussex’s Natalie Brahma-Pearl said, “The white ribbon is considered to be a symbol of hope for a world where women and girls can live free from the fear of violence.”

“Wearing a white ribbon on this day is an opportunity for everyone to show that they do not accept or condone violence against women,” she added.

And across the UK men have been wearing white ribbons and raising awareness of these issues.

Men in West Yorkshire paraded around in high heels for a one-mile walk in support of the UK’s White Ribbon Campaign (WRC).

One of the participators, Reverend Tony Buglass was quite pleased with the outcome of the event.

“The amount of violence against women is frightening and if we can just draw attention to it then that can only be a good thing,” he said.

The new Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) for Lancashire, Clive Grunshaw, pledged his support to the White Ribbon Campaign and wore a white ribbon during his inaugural speech on November 22.

And in Mansfield District men took the White Ribbon pledge  ‘never to commit, condone or remain silent about men's violence against women’.

White ribbons were also on display outside all Cheshire Police stations.

Assistant Chief Constable Ruth Purdie said: "Cheshire Police have supported this national campaign for several years because it is an issue which the police deal with all year round − any case of domestic violence is one too many."

In Norwich a week-long campaign urging victims of domestic violence to speak out and seek support was launched.

Henry Cator, the High Sheriff of Norfolk, said it was vital victims knew where to turn, particularly in rural communities.

"Many people, particularly older people, are virtually imprisoned in their own homes because their partners bully them and prevent them from doing the things they want to do," he said.

Glasgow has announced its plans for “Sixteen Days of Action to Eliminate Violence Against Women”, which will offer numerous events and talks about violence towards women over the coming weeks.

It is hoped that sufferers of abuse will come forward and seek out help and support rather than remain silent.

Housing charity attacks proposed youth benefit cuts

Posted: 27 Nov 2012 01:00 AM PST

Government proposals to cut housing benefits for people under 25 criticised by leading housing charity.

A leading national charity, Crisis, which supports young homeless people, argued that such a cut was potentially disastrous for young people still trying to find their feet on the career ladder.

It is thought that up to 385,000 people will be affected by the cuts, 204,000 of these households with children and only 66,000, of those affected, being in work.

MP, Mary Glindon said the cuts would do little to save money for the government in the long run.

“It is another illustration of blowout of touch this government is with people”, she said.

David Cameron first announced his party’s plans to remove housing benefits in June 2012, by suggesting a £500 a-week cap.

His solution for those under-25s left homeless was for them to simply move back in with their parents until they could afford to live by themselves.

Glindon said this showed a complete disregard for the variable family dynamics that existed in Britain. Not all young adults had stable family environments to go back to and cases of domestic violence were at an all-time high.

“This idea, if it comes to pass, will do little to help young people with no family home or no option but to move out,” said Glindon.

“Nor will it help those who have to claim housing benefit because they are in low paid jobs and face high rents. In fact it could have a devastating effect on youth homelessness.”

“We need to be realistic about family life and ensure that ideas to save money today, do not risk damaging the prospects of young people with no family to fall back on. We should instead be investing in their futures,” she said.

Ex-children’s minister, Sarah Teather also raised concerns about the thousands of children that could be affected by their struggling parents.

“Obviously not all of those children will be made homeless and it is difficult to tell how many will be, but a substantial number will be required to move and that will have a destructive effect on their education,” she said.

“It will remove them from their friends. It will have a destructive impact on the support networks that their families have.”

Communities Minister Don Foster claimed, however, that if the cuts were implemented, ‘vulnerable groups, particularly those in care, will be protected’.

“Many people experiencing homelessness have had a range of negative experiences in their childhood or youth,” he said.

“We accept that young people are a key risk group—35 per cent of those accepted by local authorities as homeless in 2011-12 were under 25.”

“Young people with experience of care are particularly vulnerable, with 16 per cent of rough sleepers surveyed by a recent study having experienced care at some point during their childhood,” Foster added.

Foster also argued that the government was still working towards better options to reduce the welfare bill, and that no cuts or changes had been finalised yet.