Women's Views on News |
- The risks of turning to loan sharks
- Love music, fight racism and sexism
- This may be your M&S but it’s not ours
| The risks of turning to loan sharks Posted: 21 Aug 2013 07:05 AM PDT
These are financially difficult times for many, but would you turn to a loan shark to try and survive? Increasing numbers of women are doing just that, with horrific consequences. With high street banks and building societies refusing riskier lending, many women are finding it difficult to feed their families and are resorting to financial 'help' from illegal money lenders in an attempt to survive their immediate problems. But with astronomical interest rates, for many women the problems are only just beginning. Cheshire loan shark, Paul Nicholson, hit the headlines in 2009 when he was jailed indefinitely after committing a range of charges including specific offences against his female clients. His firm, Falcon Securities, charged up to 125 per cent interest on loans and he would instil misery and fear in his clients, with blackmail, assault and rape used to ensure he received payment for outstanding debts. Nicholson, a former nightclub doorman, threatened his female clients that he would petrol bomb their houses and told one distraught debtor: 'Your priority is to pay me, not feed your kids.' He forced one woman to perform oral sex on him and told another she could work as a prostitute to pay off debts. James Stone, a Bradford loan shark displayed similar despicable behaviour toward his female clients, telling one woman to sell herself for sex so she could repay his exorbitant fees. She laughed it off, but he quickly corrected her, saying: "I'm not joking. I have no morals." Sally (not her real name), a woman in her late fifties, spoke to me about her experiences with a North East loan shark. Sally is an ordinary woman, a mother of two girls, a grandmother of four. She could be your colleague, your neighbour, your sister. She and her husband took out a £250 loan from an illegal money lender to pay for Christmas presents for their children and grandchildren. Sally explained how the amount owing quickly escalated to in the region of £2000 and how meeting the increasing weekly repayment amounts became their only focus. "We became really desperate. We couldn't meet his demands. He'd turn up whenever he felt like it and his threats were starting to get really scary." Although unwilling to disclose further details of the threats, Sally explained that her and her partner were signed off from work with depression. Money was running out, as were the options of how to find the money demanded by their lender. Sally and her partner felt there was no other option but for her to sell her body on the streets, to strangers. "I didn't want to do it, but what option did we have? How else were we going to get the kind of money he was demanding quickly? We had no one to turn to – we didn't know what else to do. "When you're desperate, you do desperate things." Sally's husband delivered her to the streets of a north east town every Tuesday evening. One night, she was picked up by a male client and taken to a derelict factory where she was raped and assaulted with a baseball bat, then left bloodied and collapsed on the concrete floor. Sally, with a tremor in her voice, explained how she managed to call for help after waking from unconsciousness, confused, cold and terrified for her life. After two weeks in hospital, unable to tell her children how she received her injuries, she recovered and returned home. But although the physical scars have healed, her life has changed for ever. Sally self-harms, and she will often drink heavily in an attempt to sleep, to blot out her fears and her memories. As a consequence of her alcohol use, she has found herself subject to a community order and now has a criminal record. She is on medication for depression, suffers with anxiety and panic attacks and struggles to leave the house, to afraid to open her door. The loan shark insists the debt is still owing. The £250 originally borrowed is still not paid off and the debt is escalating at an alarming pace. But despite her horrific experiences and the consequences, Sally refuses to involve the police, and some months on, she is living in constant fear of the man she and her partner owe money to. Sadly, Sally is not alone. Incidents like this are not as isolated as you might think. Women are increasingly turning to prostitution as a means of protecting themselves and their families from illegal money lenders. Lucy Haughey, director and co-founder of The Plan B Partnership, a financial and debt guidance service, said: "Every woman we see at our money guidance service has some sort of money worry – I can confidently say the volume of unethical lending cases we see has certainly gone up by about 25 per cent in the last 2 years in particular. "One issue with loan sharks is the terminology, it depicts an image of a sleazy greasy guy of a particular type on your doorstep. "Loan sharks are smarter than this – they do not approach you and appear suspicious, unethical or dangerous until you owe them money; often they are online, they have websites and 0845 numbers, they use social media like Twitter and Facebook and they seem regulated, safe and trustworthy. "If women can just be more aware of the range of unethical and unlawful lenders and how assumptions of what they look and act like can mislead them, this will greatly help women and men protect themselves from choosing this credit option. "When we see women with debt issues they rarely have one debt (to a loan shark or loan company). On average they have 8 debts – a cluster of payday loans, borrowing from a "mate" who can become a shark, and credit and store cards. "The key is to remember debt is a slippery slope – borrowing more money or using more credit to get by, pay bills or manage other debts is not a good idea. Haughey's advice: "If you have one debt, stop it in its tracks and get advice as you are less likely to get desperate and be vulnerable to making silly choices and mistakes." Talking to Haughey highlights the reasons why women fall prey to illegal money lenders. She said: "We see women do things like try and keep up the pretense of a "good" lifestyle and simply not cut back but take out more credit to try and appear to be able to manage. "We see women cut back on things that they enjoyed in the past and this leads to frustration, isolation and ultimately depression. "We see women lie to their partners and even walk away from jobs and relationships which they claim place pressure on them to stop hiding their financial crisis. "We see women who become blinkered with panic – the fear and desperation means they don't think clearly so budgeting goes out of the window and they bump from money problem to money problem. "They go "ostrich" and then ignore the issues and we all know debt grows when left alone and it grows fast. "It's the "ostriches" we really worry about at Plan B, as they are the hidden vulnerable people many advice services don't reach." As for how to avoid falling prey to illegal money lending, Haughey gives this advice: If you are struggling to cope financially, consider seeking outside help. Fresh eyes on your finances can do wonders – and it is what experts are for. Don't borrow from vague friends, neighbours or family if you can help it. Things can get very messy when you don't really know the person who has loaned you the money. That is what happened to Sally – she loaned from a man known to her partner, a supposed friend of eight years. If you are cold called by phone, email, social media or directly on your doorstep by anyone offering you any sort of credit it is highly likely this person or company is not legitimate. If they are not legitimate they are not regulated and you have no "come back" from regulators like Trading Standards. In fact, your only port of call would be the police and even then they need two pieces of evidence of wrong-doing to help you. If you need credit, only ever borrow from companies displaying a Consumer Credit Licence number. Ideally use a financial advisor who is also FCA regulated. Regulation protects you and the borrowing process. If you are approached by a lender, ask them for their CCL number and you can check it online or by calling the Office of Fair Trading. If you need credit, ask yourself 'do I really need it?' Is it a life or death situation? Will it genuinely enhance my life? Nothing is worth the risk of unsafe borrowing. Any advice you are given when borrowing ideally should be face to face and you should have time to "cool off" after appointments. Pushy sales and over the phone "advice" is not worth the risk. You need to have time and space to think, ask questions and consider the trustworthiness of the lender. To report a loan shark in confidence contact Stop Loan Sharks on 0300 555 222 or email: reportaloanshark@stoploansharks.gov.uk  |
| Love music, fight racism and sexism Posted: 21 Aug 2013 04:15 AM PDT
The first discussion group in a project aiming to challenge sexism and racism in music will take place this week, on 22 August. The project, set up by End Violence Against Women, Object and Imkaan - a UK-based, black feminist organisation dedicated to addressing violence against women and girls - and funded by a grant from Rosa, aims to work with young women and challenge sexist and racist music videos. Through online resources for UK schools and organisations, and a national lobbying campaign, the project aims to educate young women and give them the confidence to speak out – and change attitudes. The website will have a space for uploading and sharing videos which portray either positive or negative messages, and a space for a blog where young women can write about their experiences and debate relevant issues. There will also be ‘share’ options for Facebook and other social media. The idea is to encourage the lobbying of artists, regulators and the music industry directly about videos or songs that project participants feel are negative, sexist and/or racist. Women will also be able to send complaints directly to regulators such as the ASA and Ofcom via apps and other tools. The project will begin with five discussion groups, run by Sophie from OBJECT, and Lia and Ikamara from Imkaan, where issues of racism and sexism in the media will be explored. The grant for the project came from The Girls and Young Women Fund set up by Rosa in 2012 in response to a funding gap for projects working with girls and young women. It also acknowledges the increasing concern about the effects that negative media portrayals of women is having on their safety, health and aspirations. Speaking when the project was first announced, the UK’s Minister for Women and Equalities, Jo Swinson, said: “For too long women have been objectified and stereotyped in the media. “Through the government's Campaign for Body Confidence, we have been working to reduce the pressures that popular culture can place on individuals' self-image and self-esteem. “The images on display in magazines and on television often objectify women. These images are very powerful and influential and young girls may interpret these as a way to be seen as attractive. “That is why projects like this are important in encouraging public debate and challenging the industry – it is vital that young women feel able to speak out and talk about the issues that are affecting them. “We need to encourage young girls to feel valued not because of what they look like, but for what they can contribute and achieve. “The project aims to provide young women the skills and platform to speak for themselves to their peers, and to decision makers. “EVAW, Object and Imkaan will work with young women across the UK to create and disseminate online tools for girls to discuss and challenge the way music videos portray women. And Maggie Baxter, the chair of Rosa said: “This work will challenge negative stereotypes which can limit girls' aspirations and will empower young women to speak up about the sexism they encounter on a daily basis.” To get involved, or for more info, contact Lia at Imkaan.  |
| This may be your M&S but it’s not ours Posted: 21 Aug 2013 01:09 AM PDT
Marks and Spencer (M&S) has enlisted twelve of "Britain’s leading ladies" to front their autumn collection. These include actor Helen Mirren, Olympic boxer Nicola Adams and award-winning nurse Helen Allen, who are photographed in a traditional portrait at what was a stately home but is now Cliveden Hotel. The company brands the campaign as a celebration of women, but it’s the archaic language of "leading ladies" and the traditional setting which effectively diminishes their achievements and sends them back to Victorian times – an era when "ladies" lived out their lives in the drawing rooms of big houses, to be admired for their looks and demureness and definitely not their opinions. The photographs, by Annie Leibovitz, dress up the clothes to be something more than they really are – which are mass produced garments worn by hundreds of "unsuccessful" women, working for a relatively small wage. The image also stitches up a conceit that wearing this brand of clothes will lead to success, as society defines it. To add fuel to the ire, M&S’s marketing director Steven Sharp is quoted in The Independent as saying the campaign was not feminist – that's just one step too far, pass the smelling salts quick! – but "womanist … designed to celebrate women. To whom clothes are probably important." Another reduction of women, from a focus on achievement to a focus on outer garments rather than inner steel as being a factor in success. While aiming to celebrate a diversity of women, the campaign has in fact strait-jacketed them. These women have been redressed as part of the establishment, an establishment that is still run by men. But even this is not enough for the Daily Mail, the self-styled siren of the middle classes, which is in high dudgeon that this British brand could be sullied by these women. Its online headline reads: "Are these really the women to save M&S? A foul-mouthed sex-obsessed artist, a topless pop princess and the racy grande dame of British drama?" So Oscar winning Mirren is not a suitable clotheshorse for a struggling chain store because she is too sexy and spirited? It bemoans the fact that pretty, beaming models such as Myleene Klass have been replaced by women who look like they may have an opinion. The Mail weeps into its afternoon tea as it laments: "Gone are the days when M&S adverts consisted of Twiggy and Dannii Minogue whirling around in pretty dresses with warm, approachable smiles on their faces. “In their place is a new blockbuster ad campaign featuring 12 high-flying women who look like they could be attending a UN summit." But behind its twin set and pearls veneer, the paper really puts its jackboot in to kick "foul-mouthed" artist and "slag" Tracey Emin. In a state of apoplexy, the Mail writes: "She describes herself as 'single' and 'unloved', has talked in horrifying detail about her promiscuity and is best known for presenting a condom-strewn bed as art. “She once made a film which showed women masturbating and has talked openly about being raped at 13, after which she says she became a 'slag' and slept with half of Margate. She's also pronounced on her suicide attempt and two abortions." The inclusion of Emin is controversial, but not because she is foul-mouthed, but because as a former anti-establishment rebel she is now seen to be selling out. The artist who shocked by stitching the names of all the men she had slept with on a tent, is now firmly rehabilitated as a national treasure. In fact Emin offends because she felt the need to say that the photoshoot wasn’t at all bitchy. She told The Telegraph "What I enjoyed most about it was meeting these incredibly impressive women. They all had great stories to tell and there was a real camaraderie of spirit. No one was vain, and no-one was a primadonna.” So there we have it, this is what a "womanist" can aspire to: polite success that doesn’t offend so long as you smile modestly in a new range of unchallenging clothes. Stay safe, girls, and remember – never use the F-word.  |
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