Women's Views on News |
- The devastating affect of domestic abuse
- Midwives key role in spotting FGM in the UK
- Tampon v Mooncup: which team are you on?
- Skier Lindsey Vonn in serious crash
| The devastating affect of domestic abuse Posted: 13 Feb 2013 07:13 AM PST
Top Metropolitan Police Officer, Chief Superintendent, John Sutherland has said that domestic violence is the single greatest cause of harm and that growing up with violence in the home is the biggest contribution to problems in society. Speaking at Tackling Britain's Gang Culture conference, he said:"I think we’ve barely begun to understand the secondary impact that violence has on these people whose homes it’s happening in. "I promise you, it’s having a devastating effect. But, he added: “I think we have moved a long way in our understanding of [it, because] 25 years ago it was regarded as pretty much a private issue. And as far as he is concerned: "Violence begets violence, and as a society we’re addicted to it." Professor Rachel Pain, of Durham University, considers domestic abuse the same as everyday terrorism, claiming domestic abuse, like terrorism, functions largely through fear. According to national charity Safe Partnership, at least 75000 children a year witness domestic violence. The Intergenerational Theory of violence claims children will learn abuse is acceptable and become either perpetrators or victims largely depending on whether they are girls or boys. Latest research has found worryingly high levels of domestic violence in young people's relationships, with a recent study providing significant evidence for concerns over the welfare of young people and the wellbeing of girls and particularly young women. One NSPCC study focusing on the issue of partner exploitation and violence in intimate relationships surveyed 1300 pupils aged 13-17 years. Of the girls surveyed, 25 per cent reported physical violence from their partner and 33 per cent reported being forced into unwanted sexual acts, compared to 18 per cent and 16 per cent of boys respectively. What is particularly interesting is the difference in emotional response identified by the victims. The majority of girls who experienced violence or control reported a negative impact on their welfare, including being scared, upset and humiliated. In comparison, boys reported being annoyed or no impact. And young people with a same-sex partner were also shown to be at risk of intimate violence. According to researchers, many young people consider it acceptable to hit their partner. Professor David Gadd, of the University of Manchester, believes educational interventions can change attitudes in the space of a few weeks and has added his voice to the calls for domestic abuse prevention programmes in secondary education to break the cycle of domestic violence.  |
| Midwives key role in spotting FGM in the UK Posted: 13 Feb 2013 05:59 AM PST
The Department of Health (DoH) indicated recently that midwives will play a key role in identifying and collecting information about Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in the UK. A DoH spokesperson said: “FGM is a serious criminal offence. “Health professionals should always take action when they believe a child or young person has been assaulted in any way, to protect them and others from further harm. “The health system plays a key role in identifying and supporting anyone affected by FGM. “That is why we are exploring the collection of FGM data in the NHS, including in the maternity and children’s dataset.” A survey by the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) last year revealed that a third of UK midwives have cared for women who have suffered FGM. So given their unique position it is hoped that midwives will be able to raise the issue of FGM with expectant mothers; collecting data on the number of women in the UK who have been mutilated, and identifying at-risk girls at birth. It is estimated that there are around 66,000 women in the UK who have been cut, and that there are around 24,000 girls at risk, but accurate data is lacking. Collecting information via midwives would help to create a fuller picture and help to protect girls born into high risk communities. Janet Fyle, a midwife and policy adviser for the RCM said: “When the Department of Health in the last government set up the taskforce on violence against women and girls, one of the recommendations was that we must ask about mutilation and not be afraid of sensitivities. “The Nursing and Midwifery Council says where a crime has been committed they are duty-bound to co-operate with the authorities. “It is terrible that little girls are mutilated in this way. We are the soft touch in Europe.” I discovered when I wrote an article about FGM for WVoN last November, that although FGM is illegal in the UK, as is taking any British citizen out of the country for the procedure, to date not one single conviction has been made. 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, because prosecution here is known to be rare, and enforcement of anti-FGM laws lax. Many UK agencies seem positive about the more joined-up thinking and strategies which the UK government is implementing to stop the practice. Efua Dorkenoo, advocacy director of the genital mutilation programme of Equality Now said, “Following our recommendation, a new ‘Health Passport’ was issued last November by the Home Office, aimed at protecting girls who are at risk of being brought abroad to undergo FGM. “Subsequently, Keir Starmer also introduced an ‘Action Plan’ on how to remove the barriers to prosecution of FGM crime in the UK. “We continue as a secretariat for the second year running of the all-party-parliamentary group on FGM and provide advisory and technical support through the FGM Special Initiative, which seeks to strengthen community-based prevention work. In early January this year, Dorkenoo continued, under guidance from Equality Now and other groups, the NSPCC finally decided to specifically include FGM as part of its existing child protection work. “More recently, the Department of Health and Royal College of Midwives both confirmed that they too are considering the inclusion of FGM-related questions in the information that midwives collect at childbirth. “The UK is well on its way to developing a ‘joined-up’ response to FGM, which will ensure that existing prevention and prosecution measures are properly implemented in a coordinated way.” Each year 6 February is observed as the International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation, a day to raise awareness about this practice and the myths surrounding it. This year was its 10th anniversary.  |
| Tampon v Mooncup: which team are you on? Posted: 13 Feb 2013 04:04 AM PST
Staged in what looks and sounds like the women's toilets in a club, the rap battle pitches team Tampon against the Mooncup crew. In the video, the Mooncup crew hails its environmentally-friendly credentials and highlights the waste generated by tampon and pad use. As they say, "It takes 22 of you [tampons and pads] to do the same thing that one of us can do". If you're on team Tampon because you've never heard of Mooncup or menstrual cups in general, you're not alone. As team Tampon says in the heat of the battle, "you're gross and weird and no one understands you; you get laughed at more than clowns do." So what is a Mooncup? A Mooncup is a reusable menstrual cup that collects fluid, rather than absorbs it. Established in 2002, Mooncup Ltd has 'a mission to make women's experience of menstruation more positive, healthy and eco-friendly’. Mooncups are designed as an alternative to tampons and pads and to be used for many years and hardly ever need replacing. And each Mooncup is designed to hold up to three times the amount of a super tampon. They are made from soft medical grade silicone, are latex-free and contain ‘no dyes, toxins or bleaches’. Nor can anything be left behind after use, such as fibres. 'One woman uses us to 22 items of sanitary protection every period,' which adds up to more than ’11,000 tampons or pads' in a lifetime. While team Tampon says women need them because "we can absorb everything we touch," the Mooncup crew takes issue, saying "that ‘everything’ includes natural moisture, while we only collect from the menstrual flow." Medical-grade silicone is 'specially designed not to support the growth of bacteria', which is why the Mooncup only needs to be wiped or rinsed after being emptied and is then ready to be reinserted. As part of its mission to make menstruation a more positive experience for women, Mooncup Ltd runs an Advice Centre and research programme on menstrual health. Nurses with nearly 40 years of combined experience staff the Advice Centre and use their experience, plus on-going research, to further education about an under-discussed subject that affects half the world's population.  |
| Skier Lindsey Vonn in serious crash Posted: 13 Feb 2013 03:00 AM PST
American Olympic gold medallist skier Lindsey Vonn crashed on 5 February during the first day of competition at the Alpine Skiing World Championships in Schladming. Vonn fell after a jump, and crashed into a gate. The race had been delayed for four hours due to fog, and by the time the event started, concerns were being raised about the light levels. Two fellow competitors, Maria Hoefl-Riesch and Anna Fenninger, also made mistakes and pulled out of their runs, and Switzerland’s Fabienne Suter, who finished fifth, said: “It’s not a very difficult course but in some parts you couldn’t see anything.” Vonn was treated on the Schladming course for 12 minutes before being airlifted to hospital and was later revealed to have ruptured cruciate ligaments in her right knee and broken a bone in her lower leg. Lindsey Vonn is widely regarded as the strongest woman skier currently competing. In 2012 she petitioned the International Ski Federation (FIS), asking to compete in a men’s downhill race in Canada. The FIS refused the request saying that “one gender is not entitled to participate in races of the other”. The US Ski and Snowboard Association (USSA) was backing Vonn’s request. USSA president and CEO Bill Marolt told the BBC : “We’re disappointed that the FIS Council did not support the proposal but also respect its direction.” Alpine Canada, the organising body of Canadian skiing events, also backed Vonn’s petition. President Max Gartner said in a statement: “Lindsey has achieved many milestones in ladies’ ski racing. It would have been interesting to see how she stacked up against the best male racers in the world.” The request caused some controversy in the skiing world, with many views expressed on both sides. One of Vonn’s greatest rivals, Maria Hoefl-Riesch, spoke out against the idea, insisting that it didn’t really make sense. In an interview with the BBC, she said that she thought Vonn wanted to “use it as more training before the women’s race” due to take place six days later. She went on to expand on her view by saying that mixed racing wasn’t “a good idea in any sport”. Vonn was understandably dismayed by the reaction. “There are some commentators who think that I would be far outside of the men,” she said. “Everyone’s entitled to their opinion, but I’d like the chance to compete against them and see where I stand. I’d definitely like to be inside the points. In the top 30.” Vonn will undergo surgery for her injuries, after which she plans to return home to Colorado to recuperate. In a statement she expressed her thanks for the messages of goodwill she has received. She may be out for the season but she will be determined to defend her Olympic title at the 2014 Winter Games in the Russian city of Sochi.  |
A survey last year revealed that a third of UK midwives have cared for women who have suffered FGM.
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