Women's Views on News |
- Petition to stop abusers getting away with it
- Events: 28 October – 3 November
- Time to talk about sexism in the arts
| Petition to stop abusers getting away with it Posted: 28 Oct 2013 09:24 AM PDT
A young woman – successful in her career, with children and a husband – opened the back door of her home and walked down to an outbuilding in the garden. She hanged herself there. Gurjit ‘Gurda’ Dhaliwal took her own life after suffering years of violent abuse from her partner. Every week three women take their lives to escape abuse and 30 attempt to end it all every day. Dhaliwal’s abuser was taken to court but walked free and even benefited from a life assurance pay-out as a result of her death. Since 2006, her brother Nav Jagpal has been campaigning for justice and has now teamed up with Refuge to press for a new "liability for suicide" law. This law would hold perpetrators of domestic violence responsible for behaviour that drives their victims to suicide. Katy Watt waived her right to anonymity to tell her story to The Mirror in support of the campaign. She said of her abuser: “The terror of him finding me and killing me was too much to contemplate and suicide seemed the only way out. In the past two years I've tried to overdose six times and also tried cutting my wrists a few times." Sandra Horley CBE, chief executive of Refuge, said: “Living with the constant terror of domestic violence can wreak severe psychological damage. “It can drive women to the most extreme measures. “Every week, three women commit suicide as a means of escaping abuse. And yet there is no law that holds their perpetrators to account. These men walk free. “This fact is staggering – it flies in the face of natural justice.” TV presenter Wendy Turner Webster, who was abused by her first husband, fought for three years to get funding to make a film to promote awareness of the campaign. “I tried to make this documentary in 2009 – but I never got it off the ground until 2012. “Sadly everyone I approached turned a blind eye and showed no interest or concern for the many hundreds of women who had either attempted, or did indeed take their own lives as a way to escape domestic violence. I was shocked.” At the end of the film Turner Webster says these abusers are currently getting away with murder. A petition calling on the government to bring in a ‘liability for suicide’ law can be signed here. Jagpal said: "My beloved sister experienced years of mental and physical abuse at the hands of her violent husband. I was sickened when he was acquitted by the court. “British law must be changed to ensure that perpetrators of domestic violence receive punishment for behaviour that drives women to suicide. Violence and abuse must never be tolerated.” Turner Webster’s film explaining the proposed law and the need for it can be viewed here.  |
| Events: 28 October – 3 November Posted: 28 Oct 2013 05:08 AM PDT
Birmingham: 2 November: UK Feminista's Feminist Kick-starter Workshops in Birmingham from 2-3.30pm. Want to discuss what feminism's all about, or learn to take action for gender equality? UK Feminista are running unique workshops in Birmingham and the Black Country focusing on the relevance of feminism today and on doing feminist activism. Any local group (including women's, feminist, youth, religious and community groups) in Birmingham and the Black Country can book a workshop by completing the registration form on the website. If you are not part of a group but would like to attend a workshop you can attend an open workshop in your area. Bristol: 31 October: Book launch of Sue Tate's Pauline Boty: Pop Artist and Woman at Foyles, Cabot's Circus, Bristol, from 6pm-7.15pm. Join author Dr Sue Tate for an evening to celebrate the first publication of the first in-depth study of the life and work of one of Britain's most distinctive and under-appreciated Pop artists. Pauline Boty (1938-66) was a talented and knowing Pop artist and also a beautiful, hip and charismatic player on the 60s arts scene. She studied at the RCA, the centre of British Pop, and was the friend and colleague of and co-exhibitor with Peter Blake and David Hockney. She produced a vibrant body of collages and paintings that enriched Pop from a female perspective. Yet when she died in 1966, from cancer aged only 28, she disappeared from cultural view for nearly 30 years. Sue Tate’s richly illustrated book reinstates Boty at the forefront of British Pop, and at this exclusive Bristol event, the author will give an illustrated talk about Boty’s distinctive contribution. Join her for a glass of wine to celebrate this unique publication, and buy a signed copy of the book. The event is free, but booking is advised. Edinburgh: 1 November: Save Ewrasac Pub Quiz at The Southsider, 3 – 7 West Richmond Street, Edinburgh, from 8pm. Want a night to be competitive, test your brain and win some prizes? Save Edinburgh Women's Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre (EWRASAC) are holding a pub quiz. Entrance: £2 per person. London: Until 10 November: "Calm down, Dear": A Festival of Feminism at Camden People's Theatre, 58-60 Hampstead Road, London, NW1 ‘Calm Down, Dear’ is the venue's latest gathering of artists and companies, here presenting a three-week season of innovative theatre, performance, comedy, cabaret and discussion about feminism. What did it mean then? What does it mean now? Why is it resurgent? CPT co-directors Jenny Paton and Brian Logan said: "We were struck earlier this year by the number of feminist-themed applications to our annual Sprint festival. That didn't come out of nowhere: the boom in feminist thought and action – from No More Page 3 to Caitlin Moran, from Jane Austen on banknotes to Everyday Sexism on Twitter – has been one of the most heartening features of public life in the last couple of years. Our Calm Down, Dear festival celebrates and channels that. We're really proud to be hosting some of the most exciting and urgent art to be found at the crest of this feminist new wave." Here is the schedule of events pertaining to this week: Tuesday 29 October Wednesday 30 October Thursday 31 October Friday 1 November Saturday 2 November Sunday 3 November 29 October: Laura Schwartz on Mrs Harriet Law at Conway Hall, 25 Red Lion Square, London, WC1R from 7pm. Harriet Law was a deeply unrespectable woman. Freethinker, feminist, and socialist, she abhorred religion, condemned the institution of marriage and was the only woman on Karl Marx's First International. A newspaper editor, lecturer and Secularist activist in Victorian Britain, her life and work were remarkable. Tickets £5. 31 October: Empowering our Young Girls – a panel debate at Waltham Forest College, 707 Forest Road, London, E17 from 7-8.30pm. This is a panel debate featuring "Secrets of the Henna Girl" author, Sufiya Ahmed, and members of Waltham Forest Young Advisors and The Youth Independent Advisory Group. The panel will be chaired by Cllr Clare Coghill. Tickets are free. 1 November: I am a Woman Now at Birkbeck College, Malet Street, London, WC1E from 7pm. Part of the Bishopsgate Institute's Girls & Boys series. From director Michiel van Erp, this powerful documentary gives rare access to the lives of the first generation of trans women, who in the mid-1950s to early 1960s, visited ‘miracle doctor’ Georges Bouru at his practice in Casablanca. In this film, five women look back on over 50 years of life as trans women, sharing their experiences and how their lives changed. Among the stars of this fascinating film are April Ashley MBE and other performers who originally met as professional female impersonators at the famous Parisian nightclub, The Carousel. The screening will be followed by a discussion with Daniel Monk (Birkbeck, University of London) and Professor Alex Sharpe (Keele University). Free admission, advance booking required. Until 6 December: Restored's exhibition of members' photos at The Salvation Army International HQ, 101 Queen Victoria Street, London, EC4V ‘Restored’ is an international Christian alliance which aims to transform relationships and end violence against women. The alliance believe that Christian churches have huge potential to help prevent violence, but also need to change their own attitudes and practices. This exhibition is features photos from members which represent work undertaken on transforming relationships and ending violence against women. Entry is free. Newcastle upon Tyne: Until 21 December: Inspirational Women North East at Hatton Gallery, Claremont Road, Newcastle upon Tyne. A portrait exhibition featuring the work of photographers Bryony Bainbridge and Kami Dodds, celebrating the achievements of women who have played a vital role within the North East, including politician Mo Mowlam, suffragette Emily Davison and explorer Gertrude Bell. Oxford: 30 October: Quiltbag Cabaret from 7.45pm. Quiltbag Cabaret is a new arts and performance event in Oxford which aims to be an inclusive and accessible space for the queer and feminist communities and allies to socialise and create art together. In the cabaret lounge there’ll be comedy from Zim, music from Phousa, and poetry from Hannah Chutzpah, all compered by the delightful Lucy Ayrton. In the arts room, Naomi Goldsmith will be leading a painting workshop and Sasha McKenna will be running a stitching circle. Seating is unallocated, but if you need a particular kind of seat reserved to make the event accessible for you, please get in touch. For information about accessibility, the schedule for the evening, and more details of the performers, please see the website. Tickets £7 /£5. Swansea: 3 November: Swansea Feminist Network Crafternoon at Swansea Women’s Centre, 25 Mansel Street, Swansea, from 3-5pm. When you’re at home reading a book or writing letters alone, do you ever wish there was someone next to you doing the same thing? Do you ever want to be creative with good company, but without the pressure of being fun and entertaining and *on*? Go along to the SFN Crafternoon, a relaxed, informal get-together to be crafty/creative in a relaxing, supportive environment. You can talk a bit, listen to some good music, and work on projects individually. You can take any crafts you want – knitting, writing, patches, a book to read, whatever. Materials will not be provided, but there is a feminist library at the centre that you are welcome to peruse (and if you become a member, you can borrow the books). People are also welcome to bring along any music they want to put on in the background, as long as it’s not too intense/distracting. Event is free, but donations to Swansea Women’s Centre are always welcome. Event runs from 2pm until 5pm, but you are welcome to pop in any time in this period. Free refreshments will be provided and SFN zines and pin badges will be available to buy at the event. The venue is open to all self-defining women. Dublin: 2 November: The Wilde Dinner Party with Rebecca Storm at The Four Seasons Hotel, Simmonscourt Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin from 7.30pm. The Dublin Rape Crisis Centre is hosting The Wilde Dinner Party at The Four Seasons Hotel, offering a unique performance from the West End star, the magnificent Rebecca Storm. Tickets €150.  |
| Time to talk about sexism in the arts Posted: 28 Oct 2013 02:09 AM PDT
By Labour MEP for London Mary Honeyball, who sits on both the Women's Rights Committee and the Culture Committee in the European Parliament. Mary Honeyball talked to the founder and President of the International Women in Music Foundation Patricia Adkins-Chiti recently. When we discuss the underrepresentation of women we tend to focus on business or politics. Gloria de Piero, the new Shadow Equalities Minister, talked recently about the need for more women 'at the top table' of the Labour Party, and earlier this month female representation at FTSE 100 firms was under the spotlight once again following the release of new figures. These are issues I've spoken out on a lot in the past, and which mean a lot to me. But under-representation for women is not confined to the boardroom or the debating chamber. It exists in science, sport and engineering – and even in the performing arts. Gender inequality in music was brought to the public attention in September, when Marin Alsop became the first woman in 118 years to conduct Last Night of the Proms. And the issue resurfaced earlier this month, with Charlotte Church describing women in music as reduced to the level of 'sex-bots'. Women represent over 40 per cent of composers in Europe, yet less than 4 per cent of their work is performed by publicly funded organisations. In 2009 the EU described women's lack of access to the performing arts as a "present and persistent" problem. Patricia Adkins-Chiti, founder of WIMUST (Women in Music Uniting Strategies for Talent), has worked tirelessly to break the barriers that prevent women from composing music of whatever genre. I talked to Patricia recently about exactly how composing music can be made more accessible for women – and how politicians like myself can help this happen. "Music doesn't have a sex" At 18 Patricia Adkins-Chiti got a scholarship to enter the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. I started off by asking her about her earlier recollections of the relationship between gender and music… PA-C: I remember my first piano book contained a lot of British composers, including Benjamin Britten and Elisabeth Lutyens. Back then I was gender blind. It was only when I moved to Italy in my early twenties and started to pursue a career in music that the imbalance became clear. MH: In my experience of working in politics, cultural problems – the intangibles – are the hardest thing to solve… PA-C: You're right. There's no law for us to campaign against – nothing concrete. The problem is simply a conservative ethos and an entrenched status quo. Composers as a whole tend to be white, bearded men. I've written to almost every British orchestra over the last few years. They just don't want to give a break to untried young women. They like what they know. It's an old fashioned industry that doesn't want to change. MH: But you obviously remain optimistic? PA-C: Yes. I still think the problem is a lack of will rather than a lack of way. The truth is you need to be proactive to change the status quo – otherwise things just stay the same. MH: I've seen that a lot myself. All-women shortlists, for example, are the only way of breaking the cycle of male domination in politics. But they're hard – and sometimes unpopular – to implement. It's easier for political parties to stick with what they know. PA-C: Yes – exactly. The path of least resistance is always the most appealing! MH: So what can we do in music? What's the equivalent of all-women shortlists? PA-C: Firstly, at the most basic level, we need far more music education in schools – more examples of successful women composers from history, and more encouragement for creative girls. Secondly, once women composers have developed their talent we need to be much more proactive in getting their music heard. MH: And in terms of practical steps? PA-C: I think we need to take a harder look at the economics of the industry. At the moment all the power is with the producers and distributors. They're able to coerce young composers into signing contracts which make it harder for them to make a living or operate freely. This disproportionately affects women composers, who are more likely to struggle breaking through. MH: Is there a 'quota' equivalent in the music industry? Would you advocate compulsory representation of women composers? PA-C: I don't think the comparison works exactly, because composers are independent artists without much decision-making clout themselves. But I do think there should be a drive to encourage women to teach music and to include women composers in their teaching curriculums at schools and universities – a bit like the efforts there have been with STEM subjects. There could also be more emphasis on getting women onto boards in the cultural sector. DCMS [the UK's Department for Culture, Media and Sport] research in September showed that museum boards, for example, are striking a better gender balance. We need more of that. There must be the same focus on female representation in the cultural sector as there is in business, so that we end up with more women as Artistic Directors and decisional makers in the music business. MH: Who could solve these problems? Is it mainly down to the European Parliament? Westminster? The industry itself? PA-C: The European Parliament has been very helpful. Their 2009 resolution came up with all sorts of ideas for performing arts. There's no single solution to the problem, but I suppose more funding accountability between governments and the industry would be an important step forwards. Music is now big business, much like the Olympic Games. We need to be aware that a lot of the money which funds events like The Proms comes out of our taxes. It's state money. We should be following that money and making sure it's distributed fairly – not just used to perpetuate the existing inequalities. If other publicly funded industries were as lopsided in terms of gender there'd be outcry. MH: It seems so obvious! Why do you think it gets overlooked? PA-C: Because 'The Arts' are for pleasure there's a tendency for politicians see them as something that develops organically. Gender studies courses always focus on other types of employment, so inequalities in music aren't taken as seriously as they might be in, for example, medicine. Likewise, legislation relating to gender tends to ignore culture and the arts. In this respect I think it's an area which needs 'professionalising'. MH: What do you think of all the stuff about sexualisation of women in music over the last few weeks? Did you agree with Charlotte Church? PA-C: Absolutely. I think we're coming at the problem from different ends of the industry, but I completely agree with what she said. The essential problem is that women are not making decisions about the music itself – they're not composing or writing enough of the material that gets made. The creative element is monopolised by men; as a result women effectively become little more than 'props' in a lot of cases. And having collected stories from across Europe of women describing sexual harassment, I can say that the problem of over-sexualised women, described so eloquently by Charlotte Church, is not restricted to pop music either. MH: Thanks so much for talking to me Patricia. It's vital we raise awareness of this issue. PA-C: It's essential! Only by working together can politicians like you and musicians like me address the problem. Patricia Adkins Chiti is an internationally renowned professional musician, musicologist and former Italian State Commissioner for Equal Opportunities, consultant on Equal Opportunities in the arts and culture for many European governments. 'Key Changes for Women in Music and the Performing Arts', a book co-written by Patricia and the European Culture Committee's Silvia Costa, will come out in November 2013.  |
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