Women's Views on News |
- Extend the Abortion Act: 16 Days in Ireland
- Trade Unions run domestic violence survey
- Welsh men support White Ribbon campaign
- Use the Istanbul Convention to fight rape
| Extend the Abortion Act: 16 Days in Ireland Posted: 10 Dec 2013 08:05 AM PST
"Silence was a natural modus operandi for most women in Northern Ireland. Speaking out didn't just endanger your life and your situation, it endangered any of your close friends and your family. So there is a learned silence, and the silence is learned from violence. I can't think of many more violent things, apart from being actually killed, than to forcibly be made to give birth or be pregnant. But that's what women do in a traditional society and that's the kind of silence that we are having to deal with." – Emma Campbell, Alliance for Choice NI. The quote above is the first of 16 transcribed from a radio show entitled 'Struggling with Silence: Stories of Abortion Support and Alliance' produced with Alliance for Choice Northern Ireland for 2013 Derry-Londonderry City of Culture. The project aimed to highlight the many forms of gender violence committed by withholding access to safe and legal abortion in Northern Ireland. On 5 December the BBC reported that Northern Ireland’s justice minister David Ford said he is going to consult on changing abortion laws to allow women carrying babies with fatal foetal abnormalities to have a termination. Fatal foetal abnormality is currently not a ground for abortion under Northern Ireland law. Other grounds, such as abortion in rape or incest cases, are also expected to be looked into. As things stand, in Northern Ireland terminations are only permitted to save a woman’s life, or if there is a risk of permanent and serious damage to her mental or physical health. But more than 1,000 women a year who do not fit in these categories travel from Northern Ireland each year to have an abortion in other parts of the UK. Alliance for Choice NI is campaigning for the extension of ‘mainland’ UK’s 1967 Abortion Act to Northern Ireland. It also supports the fight for abortion rights all over Ireland. One quote has been shared every day since 25 November to coincide with this year’s 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence Campaign. They illustrate the many reasons to extend the 1967 Abortion Act to Northern Ireland. To stop the silence. To address inequality: When you make abortion against the law, you don't stop it. You just make it so that women with money have options and women without have babies or do really really desperate things. To provide support: The trauma and upset that a lot of contemporaries go through in Northern Ireland is not because it is an abortion, it is because the State has made it so difficult to access them. To improve response: As soon as the word got out there was a 'right to choose' group here, immediately, and I mean within weeks there were people contacting us looking for help to get abortions. To be understanding: It isn't reasonable to ask a woman to travel abroad with an unviable foetus of a wanted baby. It isn't fair to send someone who has the need for an abortion for any reason over to another country because we can't palate it in our religious stomachs. To uphold civil rights: 'Time and time again attempts have been made to extend the Abortion Act to Northern Ireland but unfortunately women's bodies have been used as political pawns in Britain'. To speak more openly: we had to develop a word called Imelda which stood for abortion. To care for everyone: It's as basic as it could be your daughter, it could be your sister or it could be your aunt. To ask Whose shame? Women are forced to feel ashamed and forced to feel like no matter what their reason for their decision is for, that they have to do it secretly, they have to do it illegally, they have to go to another country. All of these are not very subtle messages that the State doesn't care for them. To offer alternatives: So many people that contact us say they were pro-life 'until' – 'until' my wife got cancer, 'until' my teenage daughter got raped, 'until' my partner lost his job, 'until' I found that the baby wouldn't survive until a week after birth, 'until' we found my existing child had autism, 'until' I found out that we had a gene that is passed through boys, 'until' I found out that I was against abortion until I needed an abortion. To respect decisions: For women living in one of the poorest areas in Europe, the struggle was just how do you feed your kids, how do you keep your house? For people whose partners ended up in the services or in prison or in hiding or in communities that were fractured and internally torn, there were hierarchies of 'deservedness'. Ultimately we need women to feel like its ok to have an abortion. To heed all the calls: We've had calls from women as old as 47 and girls as young as 13. We've heard from fathers and mothers and daughters and aunts and friends and brothers and cousins and all sorts of different people calling on behalf of women who need abortions. To examine priorities: When Savitha died there was a great outpouring of collective frustration from how people felt at being treated so badly by their own country. If it's a competition between a woman and a foetus, a foetus will win in Ireland. To discard stigma: Every single person has a story about abortion in Northern Ireland. Every. Single. Person. Obviously not all of them are positive but certainly not all of them are negative. They are just all secret. To hear about choices: Many times when I have spoken to people they would say 'Yeah it should be a choice, shouldn't it.' In 2009, the United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, recommended that the Northern Ireland Assembly "amend the abortion law to bring it in line with the 1967 Abortion Act with a view to preventing clandestine and unsafe abortions in cases of rape, incest or foetal abnormality." Alliance for Choice is calling on the Northern Ireland Assembly to hear the UN, medical professionals and, most importantly, the Northern Irish public and review the current abortion laws, extend the 1967 Abortion Act to Northern Ireland, and end the practice of forcing individuals to continue with unwanted pregnancies, travelling unsupported to access abortion services in England, and using illegal abortion pills or other illegal – read unsafe – methods. Please sign the petition. To hear why your support is important, listen to the podcast here. To participate, you can share and comment on daily posts from Alliance for Choice Belfast’s facebook page as well as @alliance4choice and @NIextend1967 on Twitter. To stay updated on abortion access in Northern Ireland, check out Alliance for Choice’s Belfast site or the NI site.  |
| Trade Unions run domestic violence survey Posted: 10 Dec 2013 06:56 AM PST
Domestic violence may happen behind closed doors but it has far reaching consequences and is known to have an impact on the working lives of those living with an abusive partner. On 25 November 2013, the Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC) along with the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), launched a survey to find out more about how domestic violence affect affects working life and the role that employers, colleagues, and union reps can play in supporting those experiencing domestic abuse. Speaking on behalf of the TUC, Scarlet Harris said, "The survey is entirely anonymous. You will not be asked for your name, contact details or any information which could be used to identify you or your employer. "We would ask people to take a few minutes to share their experience with us and to pass the link on to any friends or colleagues who might want to participate. "The results from this survey will help trade unions develop policy and actions to support those experiencing domestic violence." "Domestic violence continues to affect our members and their ability to remain in employment," the STUC's assistant secretary Ann Henderson said. "The Scottish Government will shortly be publishing a Violence Against Women Strategy, to which trade unions have a very valuable contribution to make. "This joint trade union survey will go some way towards improving workplace policies and the support we can all give to those experiencing abuse" And Clare Moore, the ICTU's Equality Officer, echoed the call for maximum participation in the survey. "Research shows that approximately 1 in 4 women in Northern Ireland have, or currently experience domestic violence whilst domestic violence accounts for approximately one-fifth of all recorded violent crime in Northern Ireland," she said. The survey closes on 1 February 2014. To take part, click here.  |
| Welsh men support White Ribbon campaign Posted: 10 Dec 2013 03:55 AM PST
The National Federation of Women's Institutes-Wales (NFWI-Wales) and Joyce Watson, Assembly Member for Mid and West Wales, have been working together to recruit male ambassadors to pledge their support to ending violence against women. Each year, the White Ribbon Campaign urges men and boys to wear a ribbon for one or two weeks, starting on 25 November, the International Day for the Eradication of Violence Against Women. One in four women in Wales will experience domestic violence at the hands of a partner during their lives, and 150,000 women in Wales will suffer some form of gender-based violence. Wearing a white ribbon is a personal pledge never to commit, condone or remain silent about violence against women. NFWI-Wales and Joyce Watson hosted a cross-party stakeholder event at the Welsh Senedd on 19 November to mark White Ribbon Day and discuss the importance of engaging with boys and men to eliminate male violence against women. Prior to the event, politicians and other supporters gathered on the steps of the Senedd holding Not in my Name posters signed by male groups and organisations. Politicians also signed a giant white ribbon as a pledge of their support. NFWI-Wales chair, Ann Jones spoke about the involvement of the WI in the Not in my Name campaign and shared examples of groups recruited by WI members. In her address, Lesley Griffiths AM, Minister for Local Government, highlighted that eradicating violence against women and domestic abuse in Wales was a key priority for her and the Welsh Government. She said that getting men to acknowledge and speak out against violence against women was an important part of achieving this aim. Chris Green, UK director of the White Ribbon Campaign spoke about the successes of the White Ribbon Campaign in increasing male involvement in the campaign. And thanks to the work of the NFWI-Wales, it is increasing. Powys Brecknock Federation has recruited Brecon Ford, and Gwent Federation has secured the support of tree surgeons Birch Utilities. Wrexham AFC and Newport County AFC are also supporting the campaign. The Welsh Rugby Union is supporting the Not in my Name campaign; Wales Squad members took time out of training for their Dove Men Series clash against Argentina to sign a poster of a giant white ribbon. WI members are also recruiting male choirs to pledge support for the 2013 Campaign. Bois Goetre-Hen a’r Cylch male choir, based in Coytrahen, raised awareness of the Not in my Name Campaign at their first Annual Gala Concert, and choir members wore white ribbons during their concert and signed a giant poster as a pledge of their support; Cor Meibion Aberhonddu is supporting the campaign for the second year and performed at the Light a Candle Service in Brecon Cathedral; Dyffryn Peris Male Voice Choir wore white ribbons during their concert for members of Gwynedd Caernarfon Federation. Glamorgan Federation secured support from a number of other male choirs in their area including Bois Afan Male Choir, Pelenna Valley Male Voice Choir, Cowbridge Male Choir, Cardiff Male Choir, Plough Singers and Cancer Challenge singers. And earlier on in November male choir Bechgyn Bro Taf wore their white ribbons during their performance on the pitch of the Millennium Stadium prior to the Wales and South Africa Autumn International game. This year's campaign focus has been on younger women and girls, and work with schools and colleges to help create a culture where violent behaviour towards women and girls is unacceptable. For, as Joyce Watson said: "It is vital that boys and girls and young men and women learn to have healthy relationships early, and to support others where they see patterns of abuse developing." "It is vital that men speak out on this subject. By changing the culture, the behaviour of a minority will become increasingly unacceptable."  |
| Use the Istanbul Convention to fight rape Posted: 10 Dec 2013 01:09 AM PST
Rape continues to be one of the most devastating forms of violence against women, yet it is too often a taboo subject and remains shrouded in silence. To mark the International Day on the Elimination of Violence against women, 25 November, the European Women's Lobby (EWL) launched a video-clip to draw attention to the fact that rape needs to be seriously addressed by authorities in terms of access to justice, prevention and support to victims. Research at European level indicates that only between 2 per cent and 10 per cent of rapes are reported. A great majority of sex crimes against women are undisclosed and sexual violence remains underestimated. Some facts and figures on rape in Europe illustrate this. In the Czech Republic, one to two rapes per day are officially recorded; it is assumed that rape is reported in only 8 per cent of the cases – and rape occurring in the context of family and partnership is reported only in 3 per cent of cases. In Denmark, the Crime Prevention Council in Denmark makes statistics based on data from the rape centres and the police. They estimate that: 2000 rapes are committed in Denmark every year; 500 cases are reported to the police; in 300 cases the charges are brought and in 150 cases there is a conviction. In France, official surveys show that 198,000 women between 18-59 years old are victims of actual rape or attempted rape (2005-2006 CVS by INSEE-OND); 205 women are raped every day, only 2 per cent of perpetrators are condemned, only 1 victim out of 10 will report to the police. And 74 per cent of rapes are committed by someone the victim knows. In the Netherlands, a recent study (2012) revealed that 15 per cent of the women aged between 25-70 and 8 per cent of the women aged between 15-24 were raped at least once in their lives. The video-clip is part of a joint EWL-Council of Europe (CoE)3 project to promote the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence – also known as the Istanbul Convention – as a tool for change. The project consists of a series of events and actions aiming at mobilisation across Europe under the slogan "Act against rape! Use the Istanbul Convention!". From 25 November-10 December, during this year’s 16 Days of Activism against violence against women, EWL members and experts in more than 30 countries debated with governments to promote the signature, ratification and implementation of the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence – the Istanbul Convention – and to call for justice and support for victims of rape. All the information about the events and the video-clip can be found on the dedicated section of the EWL website. As the video-clip illustrates, the Istanbul Convention obliges states which have ratified it to improve their legislation – notably moving away from a definition of rape based on the use of physical force towards a definition based on the lack of consent. It also obliges them to improve their data collection systems; to facilitate access to justice for victims; to promote measures for prevention; and to ensure services and support for women victims, including migrant and refugee women. "The recent EWL Barometer on Rape in Europe shows that official data on rape and sexual violence against women is practically [non]existent and studies on the prevalence of violence against women are generally very weak on sexual violence," Colette De Troy, director of the EWL Observatory on Violence against Women, pointed out. "Rape is a crime and a serious violation of women bodily integrity and sexual autonomy." And Cécile Greboval, secretary general of the European Women's Lobby said, "Many aspects of public policies and legislation are completely inadequate with regards to rape in European countries, for example the fact that, there are little or no services for women victims of rape in most European countries. "The ratification and full implementation of the Istanbul Convention by all European countries and by the European Union itself is imperative."  |
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