Women's Views on News |
- Seriously misplaced outrage
- Gender equality, class and education
- Sports round-up: 1-7 April
- New Pope hails women
| Posted: 08 Apr 2013 02:11 PM PDT
The week Mick Philpott was convicted of killing his six children in a botched arson attack has been a climatic one in the rise of ‘the UK Benefit Scrounger’. Over the last few years, the national lens has been focusing ever closer on the ‘scrounger’, that feckless ingrate to be found skulking behind drawn curtains and in the comedic sketches of Little Britain.. Now we learn, courtesy of mainstream media and a few government ministers, that the welfare state is capable not of only of nursing into being an army of shirkers but also turning people into child killers. For the Daily Mail, declaring Mick Philpott, an unemployed father of 12, a ‘Vile Product of Welfare UK’ must surely be their magnum opus; the logical conclusion of dedicated years spent convincing the nation that benefit claimants are a breed distinct from mankind in all but basic bone structure. Following Philpott’s conviction for killing his children in a failed attempt to frame his ex-lover, the Daily Mail wrote: "The trial spoke volumes about the sheer nastiness of the individuals involved. “But it also lifted the lid on the bleak and often grotesque world of the welfare benefit scroungers – of whom there are not dozens, not hundreds, but tens of thousands in our country.” The actual scale of estimated benefit fraud has been handily illustrated in this diagram. Meanwhile government ministers were falling over themselves to pick up where media coverage left off, proving that the death of six children is no reason to pass up an opportunity for brazen political point scoring. Chancellor George Osborne, with the full backing of the Prime Minister, told reporters: “It’s right we ask questions as a government, a society and as taxpayers, why we are subsidising lifestyles like [those of Mick Philpott]. It does need to be handled.” And on the front page of the Metro, in place of the usual gaudy mobile phone advert, was a picture of Mick and Mairead Philpott with the title ‘Tears of a Savage”. Their cover story began: "Unrepentant benefits scrounger Mick Philpott…" Not ‘Unrepentant abuser of women’, or even ‘Unrepentant child killer’, but ‘Unrepentant benefit scrounger’. Apparently his status as benefit claimant is more newsworthy than anything else. Over to the Six O’Clock News and BBC presenter George Alagiah asked: "Are there lessons to be learned from this shocking case?" Indeed there are, George, but not the ones you’re euphemistically referring to. Lesson one might that people with violent, abusive patterns of behaviour will often stop at nothing to control and destroy the people they’re supposed to love. Mick Philpott has a history of violently controlling young, often vulnerable, women. This history stretches back over 35 years. Philpott’s treatment of the women closest to him – grooming, humiliating and assaulting them – will be very familiar to both victims and survivors of domestic violence. In his twenties Philpott was convicted for attempted murder and grievous bodily harm after one girlfriend, Kim Hill, tried to leave him. He crept into her home at night and attacked both Hill and her mother. Heather Kehoe was 14 when Philpott, then 37, began grooming her, eventually convincing her to run away from her family at the age of 16. Lisa Willis, Philpott’s ex-girlfriend, who shared a home with Mick and Mairead Philpott, told the jury, from behind a sealed screen, how he kept her and Mairead Philpott, his co-defendent, in a state of slavery. “I could not go out shopping on my own, I could not go into town,” she said. “He would ask me questions – where I’m going, how long I’ll be and what for.” Both women were working and their wages were paid directly into Mick Philpott’s bank account. But little attention has been paid to the reality of the benefits actually received by the Philpott family. Mostly these benefits were working tax credits from both Mairead Philpott and Lisa Willis’s low paid jobs – not the much vilified unemployment benefits. Mairead Philpott, who has received a 17-year sentence for her involvement in the arson plot that killed the children was a vulnerable 19 year-old woman, and isolated from her family once she first met Philpott – when he was 43. When Lisa Willis left Philpott and begun seeking custody of their children, he was furious and became obsessed with her. His plot to frame her for setting fire to his home with their children in it was his revenge against her for daring to leave. So why hasn’t this side of the case prompted public debate? Why is there no outrage over the depravity of violent partners who control their families, unchecked by police or social services? The truth is, the story of abusive relationships and gender violence is too commonplace, too enduring to solicit salacious front page attention. Not to mention the fact that victims and survivors of domestic violence are rarely the ones setting the news agenda or making public policy. If the media coverage it to be believed, Mick Philpott fell naturally off the sofa from a lifestyle of worklessness into plotting the events that would be responsible for the death of his six children. His long and shocking history as a controlling, threatening, violent man is altogether less important. And for a government whose entire political analysis turns on convincing people the poor are authors of their own fate, there could be no better poster boy than Mick Philpott, in all his gold-ringed, white-vested glory. Ministers are salivating with glee as they call the Philpott case an ideological victory, a glee Obsorne’s best serious-little-boy-at-funeral face has done little to disguise. When we remember that this same ideology is being used to justify cuts to vital domestic violence services, like those that provide a lifeline to women and children abused by people like Mick Philpott, we begin to appreciate the full audacity of the government’s gloating.  |
| Gender equality, class and education Posted: 08 Apr 2013 06:19 AM PDT
The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) examined previous studies and interviewed women from a variety of backgrounds to explore the impact that changes in society have had on women. The IPPR discovered that while over the last 50 years the gap between the earnings of men and women has decreased, there are considerable disparities between the earnings of professional women and less skilled women. Professional women born in 1958 earned 198 per cent more than women that were born in the same year but had unskilled jobs. The gap narrowed for women born in 1970 but remains high, at 80 per cent. The results for men differed significantly, with professional men born in 1958 earning 45 per cent more than men in unskilled jobs and 61 per cent more if they were born in 1970. Women born in either 1958 or 1970 were likely to earn over 30 per cent more if they had a degree, while their male counterparts could expect to earn only around 15 per cent more. The IPPR believes that these statistics show that gender equality is linked to class and education. 'Gender still has an independent impact on women's earnings prospects, but our findings suggest the need for a more nuanced understanding of how gender interacts with class disadvantage,' the Institute said in the report, published on 31 March. The IPPR also believes that the feminist movement is only benefiting women at the top because mainstream politics focus on legal equality and empowering professional women. Dalia Ben-Galim, Associate Director of the IPPR, said: "While feminism has delivered for some professional women, other women have been left behind. Many of the advances for women at the top have masked inequality at the bottom. "The 'break-the-glass-ceiling' approach that simply promotes women in the boardroom has not been as successful in changing family-friendly working culture or providing opportunities for other women to advance." The IPPR recommended that there needs to be a more realistic representation of women in public life and that debates about gender equality should focus 'on the perspectives and interests of women from different backgrounds'. The Institute also called for employers and the government to help women who have children. Their research revealed that mothers born in 1958 were likely to earn 14 per cent less than if they did not have children and 11 per cent less if they were instead born in 1970. The IPPR understands that this is because 'the lack of flexible working opportunities in professional jobs outside the public sector and because ‘the reality of the British part-time economy restricts many women's options to relatively low-paid, low-quality jobs'. This means that 44 per cent of women are in work that is below their potential after having children. According to the IPPR, giving fathers greater leave entitlements and raising 'the quality and status of the jobs that women do' would help women to cope at the lower end of the labour market. The IPPR also suggested that 'high-quality, affordable childcare from the age of one would prevent women from being locked out of work for long periods of time and, combined with after-school activities, would support mothers and fathers trying to meet their work and care commitments'. The report concluded that 'overall, we need a gender politics that is less about how women can succeed in a man's game, and more about how to change the rules of the game'.  |
| Posted: 08 Apr 2013 03:00 AM PDT
Badminton: Scotland's Imogen Bankier took her second doubles title in a week at the Finnish Open on 7 April. She and her partner, Bulgarian Petya Nedelcheva, beat their Danish opponents, Lena Grebak and Maria Helsbol, 21-10 21-14. Last week Bankier partnered fellow Scot Robert Blair to win the mixed doubles at the French International. Cycling: Mixed fortunes for two of Britain's brightest cycling stars this week. Laura Trott made an impressive debut for the Wiggle Honda team on 1 April with a fourth place at the Grand Prix de Dottignies in Belgium. She was part of the group that broke away in the first lap and never looked liked dropping off. The winner of the race was Vera Koedooder (Sengers Ladies), with Iris Slappendel (Rabobank-Liv/Giant) in second and Sanne van Paassen from the same team in third. Meanwhile, Joanna Rowsell was knocked from her bike by a car on 6 April. She reported on Twitter that it was the first time in her nine-year career that she had been hit by a car. “I am OK,” she said. “No serious injuries, just cuts and bruises. Bike came off worst.” Football: England beat Canada 1-0 in a friendly to claim their second win over them in a month. Ellen White scored with a header in second-half injury time to secure the win and give England great encouragement prior to the European Championships in Sweden in July. The game also saw Rachel Yankey equal Peter Shilton's record 125 cap mark for England. Modern Pentathlon: Samantha Murray won her first British Modern Pentathlon Championship on 6 April. Murray, who is ranked number three in the world, bettered her bronze medal from last year's Championships and her Olympic silver from London 2012. She finished 20 seconds clear of Eilidh Prise in second. Kate French was third. Netball: England's stunning tour of the Caribbean culminated in a series whitewash over Jamaica on 7 April. England had taken the first game 53-42 in Kingston and the second on 4 April 50-45. The third was won 50-36 and means that England are unbeaten in six tests in 2013, having won the series against Australia in January 3-0. Coach Anna Mayes was pleased with her side's results. "To win on Caribbean soil is harder than at home and we should be really proud of our efforts,” she said in an interview with the BBC. “We have excellent strength in depth. It will cause a headache when deciding the 12 for the Commonwealth Games.” Rugby Union: Proposed changes to the structure of the Six Nations Championship have been slammed by former Wales captain, Non Evans. It has been proposed to split the tournament into two tiers with England, France and Ireland in the top tier and Italy, Scotland and Wales in the second. “If this happens it’s the end of women’s 15-a-side rugby as we know it,” Evans told the BBC. “If we don’t have big marquee tournaments like the Six Nations, 15s will be marginalised for women – that would be very sad.” Evans is just one who has voiced concern that too much emphasis is being placed on the sevens game as it makes its debut in the 2016 Olympics in Rio. It is not really clear why the proposals have been made, but it has been suggested that the prime motivation is financial, as the cost of staging internationals is prohibitive. Sailing: Alison Young took gold in the Laser Radial class at the Princess Sofia World Cup event in Palma on 6 April. Young's gold was the pinnacle of a great week for both the British men and women sailors, who took seven medals in all. Sophie Weguelin and Eilidh McIntyre took silver in the 470 class, as did Bryony Shaw in the windsurfing. The first medal for the team came on Friday in the 2.4R Paralympic class as Megan Pascoe also took silver. Tennis: Laura Robson has overtaken Heather Watson in the world rankings to become British number one. She is now ranked 39th in the world. With Watson sitting out last week’s tournament in Charleston, Robson only had to win one match to overtake her compatriot, and secured the necessary ranking points with a first round win over Estrella Cabeza Candella. However, Robson lost in three sets to Canada’s Eugenie Bouchard in the next round. Watson will now get the break she was craving after being diagnosed with glandular fever this week. "The results of the tests I did in Miami have shown that I have traces of glandular fever (mono) in my system," she reported. "There is no prescription for this other than complete rest but the good news is that the doctors have told me I am on the tail end of the fever." Her illness goes some way to explain her run of poor results and, of course, backs up the claims of fatigue we have heard from her over the past few weeks. Britain plays Argentina in the Fed Cup in Buenos Aires on 21 and 22 April 21. There has been no indication, as yet, as to whether Watson will be available for selection.  |
| Posted: 08 Apr 2013 01:09 AM PDT
The 76-year-old Pontiff, who recently succeeded Benedict XVI, first sparked controversy when he visited a youth detention centre near Rome on 28 March, the Thursday before Easter. He washed the feet of two female prisoners, making him the first pope to include women in the foot-washing ritual that commemorates and re-enacts the Last Supper. His decision riled many Catholics because of the belief that Jesus's disciples were male. Father Federico Lombardi, the Vatican's chief spokesman, defended Pope Francis. In a press release he wrote: 'When Jesus washed the feet of those who were with him on the first Holy Thursday, he desired to teach all a lesson about the meaning of service, using a gesture that included all members of the community.' And he added that to exclude the women 'would have detracted our attention from the essence of the Holy Thursday Gospel and the very beautiful and simple gesture of a father who desired to embrace those who were on the fringes of society; those who were not refined experts of liturgical rules'. Pope Francis also included women in his Easter Vigil homily, which he delivered on 30 March. He paid tribute to the women who, according to the Bible, visited Jesus's tomb to anoint his body. He said: "They had followed Jesus, they had listened to his words, they had felt understood by him in their dignity and they had accompanied him to the very end, to Calvary and to the moment when he was taken down from the cross." Pope Francis mentioned these women in his weekly general audience address on 3 April. He said that women have "a primary, fundamental role" in the Gospels since they are recorded as witnesses to the resurrection of Jesus. The Pontiff said that this witnessing proved the resurrection happened because women "were not considered reliable, credible witnesses" and so would not have been mentioned otherwise. He went on to praise the female witnesses for believing in the resurrection. "The Apostles and disciples find it harder to believe in the Risen Christ, not the women however! Peter runs to the tomb, but stops before the empty tomb; Thomas has to touch the wounds of the body of Jesus with his hands," he pointed out. Pope Francis concluded that "in the Church and in the journey of faith, women have had and still have a special role in opening doors to the Lord" because they spread word about the resurrection. These remarks indicate that the new Pope is much more liberal than his predecessor. Marinella Perroni, a theologian and member of the Association of Italian Women Theologians, said: "Pope Francis is taking up, with a stronger emphasis, the teaching of previous popes about the role of women in the foundation of faith and the resurrection of Jesus." Nevertheless, it seems unlikely that Pope Francis will challenge the Vatican's ban on female clergy. In a book published in 2011 he said that 'the maximum of the priesthood is Jesus, a male' and that 'according to tradition, all that pertains to the priesthood must happen through man'. The head of the Women's Ordination Conference, which campaigns for the Catholic Church to ordain women, noted that Pope Francis's general audience address in fact highlighted these beliefs. "He said women are able to communicate Christ’s words," observed Erin Saiz Hanna, "but actually women can’t preach so that’s a false statement."  |
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