Women's Views on News |
- Game changer for garment workers
- Call for public inquiry after errors
- Where are all the women coaches?
- Is the poor economy breeding bully boys?
| Game changer for garment workers Posted: 21 May 2013 08:02 AM PDT
International trade union organisations and anti-poverty campaigners are celebrating the signing by 31 major clothes stores of a five-year, legally binding agreement which guarantees independent fire inspections, worker-led health and safety committees and union access to factories in Bangladesh. It also grants workers the right to refuse dangerous work, in line with ILO Convention 155. This ‘Accord on Fire and Building Safety’ covers more than 1000 Bangladeshi garment factories. The signatories, including Marks and Spencer, Tesco and H&M, have agreed to fund improvements in dangerous factories and deal with fire safety and structural problems. This agreement comes after the Rana Plaza factory complex in Bangladesh collapsed on 24 April killing 1,127 workers. According to the 'If you tolerate this then your daughters will be next' blog, the Bangladeshi garment industry accounts for over 80 per cent of the country's exports. Its workers are among the lowest paid in the world, earning on average USD38 a months, according to IndustriALL. For campaigners this agreement is a game changer. International trade union organisations IndustriALL and UNI Global Union and pressure groups like the Clean Clothes Campaign and the Worker Rights Consortium have been pushing major clothing retailers to improve pay and working conditions for garment workers in Bangladesh for some time. But Bangladesh is not the only country where garment workers face low pay and poor working conditions. This week the Guardian reported that a shoe factory had collapsed in Cambodia killing several workers. Clearly agreements like the one in Bangladesh need to be signed throughout the developing world, and we need to put pressure on companies with the worst pay and safety record by refusing to buy their goods. This is more difficult than it seems, as there are many factors to take into consideration. Netherlands-based campaign group Rank a Brand has come up with a list of criteria which they use to score brands on their labour conditions. These include whether companies have a code of conduct, outlining hygienic conditions and standards against forced child labour and discrimination; whether their workers can join trade unions; their factories are audited and audit information is responded to, and whether they aim to improve labour conditions as a wider organisation. @sssukiii has invented an infographic to help consumers identify which brands have the best policies. Interestingly the cheaper, high street brands like H&M, Zara, Gap and Monsoon tend to perform better than high-end designer labels like Paul Smith, Versace or Vivienne Westwood, who make statements about environmental sustainability or workers rights and even support campaigns, but appear to have no formal, published policies in place. To see if your favourite brand has set up solid initiatives so as to reduce their impact on the climate, makes serious efforts to improve their environmental performance or has the best and clearest policies for improving labour conditions in their factories, click here.  |
| Call for public inquiry after errors Posted: 21 May 2013 05:28 AM PDT
Refuge, the national domestic violence charity, and Maria Stubbings's family are calling for the government to open a public inquiry into the response of the police and other state agencies to victims of domestic violence. Maria Stubbings was murdered in 2008, by her former partner, Marc Chivers, despite making repeated calls for help to Essex Police. An investigation by the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) has shown that Essex Police made a catalogue of shocking errors in their response to Maria: - Marc Chivers killed Maria just 11 months after being released from prison in Germany for killing a previous girlfriend. He was released from prison in January 2008 without any conditions and deported to the UK. Essex police were aware of Marc Chivers’ previous conviction for domestic murder. - In July 2008 Chivers assaulted Maria and was prosecuted and convicted. Before Chivers release from prison, Essex police disabled an alarm in Maria's home. On his release, no conditions were placed on Chivers and no steps were taken by Essex police to provide protection for Maria. MAPPA (Multi Agency Public Protection Arrangements) concluded Chivers did not fall within their remit. - A friend of Maria's called the police in early December 2008 to express concern about her but the police took no action. - On 11 December 2008 Maria called the police to report that Chivers was 'hanging round' her home and had entered it and stolen items from her handbag. The call was logged as urgent but then downgraded. The case was closed after officers visited Maria's home and got her to sign their notebooks saying she didn't want further action taken, despite the fact that they believed Chivers might be present at the time in Maria's home. - On 14 December, a domestic violence officer saw the police log and became concerned about Maria. After a series of ineffective visits, officers finally visited on 19 December with specific orders to search the property and arrest Chivers for burglary. Maria's body was found. Maria’s case is not an isolated one. Two women are killed every week in this country by a current or former partner. We are calling on the government to open a public inquiry to investigate why victims of domestic violence are still not getting the protection they deserve from the police and other state agencies. The following women were all horrifically killed by their current or former partner. They were also all failed by the police and other state agencies: - In 2011, Christine Chambers and her two-year-old daughter Shania were shot dead by Christine's former partner. Christine's 10-year-old daughter fled to safety - In 2011, Jeanette Goodwin was stabbed to death by her former partner - In 2009, Clare Wood was strangled and burned to death by her former partner - In 2009, Casandra Hassovonic was murdered by her husband in front of her mother and her two children while she was trying to flee to a refuge - In 2008, Sabina Akhtar was murdered by her husband after experiencing years of abuse at his hands - In 2005, Colette Lynch was fatally stabbed by her partner while he held their two-year-old daughter in his arms These are just a few examples – sadly, there are many, many more. Numerous IPCC investigations into police handling of domestic violence have shown recurring failings in forces across the country – sometimes in the most basic of policing duties. Refuge also receives feedback from women using our services, who tell us that they feel completely let down by the police. Areas of poor police practice include: - Poor response to women at high risk of serious violence - Failure to gather evidence - Failure to understand the risks involved in domestic violence - Complacency; inertia - Poor domestic violence training – police are unable to recognise domestic violence as a crime State failure is not just limited to the police – other state agencies fail women who experience domestic violence. The coroner in the inquest into the death of Sabina Akhtar found that Greater Manchester Police, Manchester Social Services and the Crown Prosecution Service made serious and significant failings which possibly contributed to Sabina's death. In the Colette Lynch inquest, the jury found that a series of failings by the police, social services and mental health services contributed to Colette's death. Maria’s family is determined to ensure that Maria did not die in vain. Something positive has to come out of her tragic death and the deaths of so many other women who have lost their lives because of domestic violence. Together Refuge, the national domestic violence charity, and Maria's family are calling for the government to open a public inquiry into the response of the police and other state agencies to victims of domestic violence. The state has a duty to protect women and children. Only when the truth is uncovered will women and children get the protection they need and deserve. Maria's family and Refuge are urging you to take action today. Please sign the e-petition and strengthen the call for a public inquiry into domestic violence. Maria's family are also fundraising for Refuge in her memory. Click here to donate.  |
| Where are all the women coaches? Posted: 21 May 2013 04:30 AM PDT
The retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson last week has sparked much discussion throughout the world of sport. However, it is still relatively rare for a manager or coach to be the cause of so much adulation; it is more often the case that we are obsessed by the "talent". And although women are making great progress as "talent", this seems to be at the expense of promoting women in backroom roles. So what opportunities are out there for women hoping to make their way in sport, other than on the field of play? Let's get the depressing statistics out of the way. According to research by Sports Research UK, out of every three coaches, only one is a woman. And when it comes to qualifying as a coach, the figures are even worse; the ratio is approximately 1:5 women to men. If you are going to come up with a name of a female coach, it will probably be that of England women's football coach, Hope Powell. Powell was appointed as the first full-time England women's coach in 1998. She had won 66 England caps and scored 35 goals in a distinguished international career. In 2003 she became the first woman to achieve the highest coaching award in the game, the UEFA Pro-Licence. As well as leading the senior team, Powell oversees the system from under-15 level to the under-23s. She is an incredible example for any woman hoping to get into coaching, but, more than that, she is an example for any sportswoman who needs a way forward after retirement from professional sport. And yet, dig deeper and you find that Powell is not alone. The new Women’s Super League (FAWSL) has a number of female coaches and managers in place. Chelsea has a female first team coach in Emma Hayes. Lincoln also has a female coach in Leanne Hall, who is one of the few women with an FA "A" Licence for goalkeeping. She also is the goalkeeping men's academy coach for Sheffield United. Arsenal's manager was Laura Harvey until January this year, when she left to take up a position in the USA with Seattle Reign FC. Liverpool has Donna Wortley as video analyst, and Vicky Jepson is coach at the Liverpool Girls Centre of Excellence. Other sports could take note from football's lead. Cricket, certainly, has a way to go. Mark Lane last week resigned as England women's coach after five years in charge. No successor has been announced, but there will be no women in the shortlist. Women are just beginning to make waves in administration. Former England captain, Clare Connor, has the title of Head of Women's Cricket with the ECB, but, now entrenched in administration, is unlikely to take up a coaching role. The only other female "big name" in coaching is Judy Murray. Until recently she was seen as a just another pushy sporting mum, but since taking over as Captain of Britain's Fed Cup team, she has started to shake off this tag. What you may not know is that this recognition comes after a mere 20 years of coaching experience, first as a volunteer in Dunblane and then coaching juniors and men professionally. The Fed Cup appointment is her first actually coaching women. "For many, many years our Fed Cup captains were male and all of the girls have said it is nice to have a female captain," she told The Scotsman (no irony intended). And perhaps this is the point. No one is saying that sportswomen would be better off being coached by a woman, but, as ever, it's all about equality of opportunity. So many sportswomen never get the chance to be coached by a woman, and, with no role models, never think to become coaches at the end of their careers, so perpetuating the situation. So, what's the good news? Well, as usual, The Women's Sport and Fitness Foundation (WSFF) is at the forefront of trying to redress the balance. Its campaign, "Trophy Women", aims to get more women into higher positions in sport, whether this be in coaching, administration or sports development. Check out its factsheet entitled ‘Developing Female Coaches’. There is also an excellent article on the sportingcoachuk website called ‘Women…get coaching!’ by Inclusion Lead, Sarah Cohen. It goes a long way to discuss breaking down the barriers women face in getting involved and is full of great advice. Finally, there are grants of between £500 and £5,000 available through the Women's Sports Trust to support many aspects of women in sport, one of which listed is coaching. Click here for details. You may have to search for help, work harder and be prepared to push yourself forward, but it could be worth it. If you're interested in becoming the next Hope Powell or Judy Murray, why don't you go for it?  |
| Is the poor economy breeding bully boys? Posted: 21 May 2013 01:09 AM PDT
Cross-party political think tank Demos marked its twentieth birthday last week, celebrating with 'a series of lectures looking at some of the biggest challenges facing society over the next 20 years'. No mean feat. Jon Trickett MP, shadow minister for the Cabinet Office, talked about tackling political disengagement and increasing civic participation. Paul Burstow, MP, tackled the subject of the aging population and whether our public services are fit for purpose for the future. And delivering the inaugural lecture was shadow health secretary Diane Abbott. Not known for her disinclination to engage with the media or her mainstream opinions, she identified as one of society's biggest challenges the phenomenon she describes as the ‘crisis of masculinity’, arguing that rapid economic and social change have affected male identity. In the first of a number of speeches in which she will address the role of the modern family, Abbott said that unemployment, shifting gender roles and the economic downturn are creating, as a by-product, a generation of disaffected young men. She said that the move away from traditional male roles in societal and economic terms, is fuelling homophobia, machismo and misogyny. She said it is really to do with male identity – a lack of jobs, a change in traditional 'breadwinner' status and the 'pornification' of society have created a sense of disenfranchisement among boys and men and exacerbated the lack of respect for women’s autonomy. Abbott also said that pornography has a damaging effect upon men, and has added to the growth of a “Viagra and Jack Daniels” culture. It is interesting that Diane Abbott uses the sex industry as yet another reason why men are behaving badly. She said of Viagra: “Growing numbers of men of all ages [are] turning to the drug by themselves due to performance anxiety, triggered by a host of psychological issues – from our increasingly pornified culture making ‘normal’ sex seem boring, to financial pressures. “It may be a secret, psychological crutch for some men, who are under pressure to meet a pornified expectation.” What does she mean, 'under pressure to meet a pornified expectation'? The porn industry was neither created by nor for women. Any expectation, as she puts it, is not on the part of women. Believe me. And referring to it as ‘our increasingly pornified culture’ is ownership that I, for one, reject. It is certainly not my culture. She actually said “this pornified society is not something that men do to women.” Let’s just say that one left me speechless. All of this, Abbot said, has perpetuated a culture of 'hyper-masculinity' and created an ideal of manhood that is impossible to aspire to and fundamentally detrimental. Social anthropologist Geoff Dench, who spoke at the same event, claimed that women’s desire to excel in the workplace is making men feel unwanted. Gosh, I wonder what that must feel like? So this new generation of lost souls, for whom homophobia and sexism has become normalised is, Abbott says, the fault of the economy, and Dench thinks that women have a hand in it too. He said: “We all need, both men and women need to feel like they are needed, and in this realm women are much more central and powerful than many of them like to recognize. Men are a bit marginal.” You can't ascribe male anti-social behaviour to not feeling wanted. We are not talking about children here. The problem with all of this is that it suggests mitigation – that homophobic, violent or misogynistic behaviour in men can be blamed on the economy, on their sense of loss for days gone by when men knew where they stood, on the breakdown of 'normal' family structures. But women's roles in society have been fluctuating for years. During the Second World War women took on what were traditionally seen to be male roles in the workplace, filling gaps left by those who went off to fight. When war was over, not only was the country in financial flux, but women had experienced a sense of emancipation and empowerment, taking on the role of breadwinner as well as primary carer in the family unit. The fall of Britain as an industrial nation in the 1980s caused many women to go out to work to help support their families, and, at the time, the economic crisis had never been worse for working class families who no longer had mines or shipyards to support them. So why is it only now that we are seeing a rise in misogyny, a testosterone fuelled backlash caused by economic and social change? Forget mitigation. Isn't it about choice? You don't have to hate gay people. You don't have to resent women. No one will make you do these things, particularly not the inanimate economy. If we returned to the times Diane Abbott refers to, when men felt more needed, more defined, head of the household, master of the house, then that would put women firmly on the back foot once again, second class citizens who answered to their menfolk. But to be fair, although mostly disconnected and slightly nebulous, some of what she said had a core of sensibility to it, in terms of the lived experience of some men today. Yes, we need to teach our children to “see through gender stereotypes and sexualised media from an early stage.” Yes, we should condemn the consumer society in which we now find ourselves, which is teaching young people ‘the price of everything and the value of nothing’. Yes, there is a lack of decent male role models. But maybe what we need is a new type of role model for our men and boys. Not the soldier, the head of the family, the worker, the 'macho man' of old, but someone who is flexible and confident enough in themselves to evolve with a changing world and society, where women work and the sky doesn't fall in. Where pornography isn't 'normalised' and homophobia is just crass and juvenile. Any suggestions?  |
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