Women's Views on News |
- Why fight poverty?
- Join the protest against TV show
- Events: 13 – 19 January
- Domestic abuse to be defined in criminal law
| Posted: 13 Jan 2014 08:30 AM PST
Julia Unwin's most recent book, ‘Why fight poverty?’ argues for the urgent need to tackle poverty in the UK. Unwin, chief executive of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) and the Joseph Rowntree Housing Trust, rejects any notion that poverty is inevitable and describes how the current discourse has reached a political stalemate, descending into an unhelpful argument about structural overhaul on the political left to the role of individual agency on the political right. And she emphasises the large part emotions and public attitudes play in being a barrier to reducing poverty. The failure to rise to the challenge of solving poverty matters, in Unwin's opinion, because it is costly, wasteful and risky for individuals as well as for us as a society as a whole. Speaking at the launch she said: "I hope my book will launch a national debate in all quarters about the need to reduce poverty in this country. "Poverty is not about a group of people over there, separate from us: it is about everyone. "Too much is at stake to ignore the costs – both human and financial – of the continuing struggle faced by many people today. "We need to create a strong shared understanding of poverty and take a comprehensive approach to tackling it, that is not just about pitting the deserving against the undeserving poor. And, "It is within our gift and power to do so." Rabbi Baroness Julia Neuberger, senior rabbi at the West London Synagogue, said: "This book makes a powerful case that we can eliminate poverty if we want to. It challenges widely held misconceptions of the poor. "Everyone, of all shades of opinion, should read this and then work out how they can help to repair our fractured society." Unwin's book is one of four launch titles in a new series called Perspectives and edited by Diane Coyle, who is an economist and herself author of several books.  |
| Join the protest against TV show Posted: 13 Jan 2014 06:01 AM PST
Last Monday, 6 January the first episode of a new ‘Reality TV’ show was broadcast in the UK, called ‘Benefits Street’. This is the latest in a long line of TV shows which are designed to demonise Social Security claimants and paint them as scroungers of "hard working people's tax money". This is deliberate misinformation, and is very much in line with the UK government insisting that unemployed people are to blame for unemployment, not the government's own austerity economics, and that people claiming out of work and disability benefits are just too lazy to earn their own money, and that people who live on benefits are doing so as a "lifestyle choice". You can view the trailer for the series by clicking here. Or if you wish to watch the entire first episode, click here . And here is some of the media fallout from the show: 1 , 2, 3, 4. Disabled People Against the Cuts (DPAC) and other campaigning organisations have had enough of this propaganda and are going to fight back. A demonstration has been organised to be held at 43 Eagle St, London WC1R 4AT, the offices of the television production company that is responsible for making this series. Ironically, they call themselves ‘Love Productions’. They are on Twitter as @LoveProdHouse The demonstration has been set for 3pm GMT on Monday 13 January. That is 10am EST. You can read the announcement here and here. As well as a demo outside the production offices, there is going to be a noise on Twitter, and your help would really be appreciated. It would let activists in the UK know that they are not alone. Tweet to the production company @LoveProdHouse and to the TV broadcaster @Channel4 to let them know that these programmes are not acceptable. If you are not a twitter user you can email the broadcaster, Channel 4, here. A web page with pre-prepared tweets that you may wish to use is now up – click here for those – or you are welcome to tweet them your own tweets. Please use the hashtags #BenefitsStreet and the hashtags #DPAC #OCAP so that activists in the UK can see that you are supporting the cause. The second episode airs on TV on Monday at 9pm GMT – 4pm EST. This second episode of this programme focuses on immigration, which means its likely to be just as toxic as the first episode – if not even more so. Tweeting in force should get our message across about the poison spread by this sort of programme. You could also sign the petition asking Channel 4 (@Channel4) to stop broadcasting Benefits Street and make a donation to a relevant charity for the harm caused. DPAC would really appreciate you joining them in this.  |
| Posted: 13 Jan 2014 04:08 AM PST
Across the UK: 19-25 January: Sundance Rising viewing parties. On 19 January, the official One Billion Rising 2013 documentary short will premiere at Sundance, the preeminent film festival founded by One Billion Rising supporter, Robert Redford. To celebrate this, One Billion Rising invites you to host a Sundance Rising viewing party as a lead up to your 2014 One Billion Rising for Justice events. Gather activists, volunteers, community members, and organisations in houses, campuses, movie theatres, stadiums, auditoriums, parks and malls between 19 January and 25 January to screen the film and help build momentum for this years' initiatives, while honouring last year’s accomplishments. The short film is available for free. You can watch it online on YouTube, Vimeo, or download it by clicking here. Bristol: 17 January: What the Frock! Comedy at Mauretania, Park Street, Bristol, from 7.30pm. Joining resident MC Cerys Nelmes will be Rachel Parris (“One sometimes doubts that Britain's got talent, but Parris has it in spades”, The Guardian), Cecilia Delatori ("a comedian of great calibre," The Stage), and Katie Lane (Funny Women runner-up 2013). This popular night ALWAYS sells out in advance, so book early to avoid disappointment. Tickets £12/ £10 advance 18 January: The Mayor, the Minister and You: Where does the power lie? at Armada House, Telephone Street, Bristol, from 3pm-5pm Is local democracy failing us? Is the system getting in the way? Bristol For Democracy are pleased to be able to host the recently promoted Junior Minister for Communities and Local Government in charge of localism, Stephen Williams. He will be discussing options for devolving power from local government to communities, as well as plans for devolving power from national government. We are equally pleased to get the Mayor at relatively short notice, as his office has a fundamental role in all these decisions. This is your chance to question the Mayor and the Minister on where they think the balance of power should lie and what power they want to devolve to both the Council or to Neighbourhood level. Edinburgh: 19 January: TRANSforming Arts Course 2014 at Out of the Blue, 36 Dalmeny Street, Edinburgh, from 12noon-4pm. The Scottish Transgender Alliance is running a TRANSforming Arts course for people of any gender identity who are interested in using creative arts to increase positive visibility of gender diversity and the lived experiences of trans people and their loved ones. The four workshop sessions will be run in Edinburgh by an experienced performance arts practitioner and will give participants the opportunity to develop the skills and confidence they need to share experiences through short theatre pieces, improvisation and comedy sketches. Participants will be given the space and support to create individual and collective pieces of work which they will have the opportunity to present at an end of course showcase. Further workshops will be held on 26 January, as well as 2 February and 9 February 2014. London: 13 January: Demonstration against Love Productions at 43 Eagle Street, London, WC1R from 3pm. This is a demonstration against the makers of Channel 4's show ‘Benefit Street’ – Love Productions. Fares to be reimbursed (by Unite) if cost is an issue. 15 January: The Reproduction of People by Means of People at Hong Kong Theatre, Clement House, London School of Economics, Aldwych, London, WC2B, from 6.30pm-8pm. This is a lecture from Professor Nancy Folbre, chaired by Professor Gilat Levy. Current understandings and analyses of the economy represent a partial picture. To provide a comprehensive understanding of the economy it is crucial to recognise that, firstly, the measurement of living standards should be expanded to include consideration of both the costs and benefits of unpaid work and intra-family transfers. Secondly, macroeconomic theory should acknowledge and measure the value of unpaid work as a dimension of output and expand its definitions of investment and consumption. Thirdly, public finance should focus more explicitly on both private and public intergenerational transfers. This lecture applies a feminist perspective on the definition of output, income, and living standards to an alternative framework for national income accounting and budget analysis. This framework disaggregates flows of money and time devoted to the care of children, other dependents, the maintenance of adult capabilities, the development of adult capabilities, and luxury consumption over the lifecycle. By so doing it is possible to recognise the significance of all the work, both paid and unpaid, that contributes to national income. Nancy Folbre is emeritus professor of economics at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Her research explores the interface between political economy and feminist theory, with a particular emphasis on the value of unpaid care work. This event is free and open to all, with no ticket required. Entry is on a first come, first served basis. 16 January: Thinking Intersectionality and the transnational at Kings College, Strand, London, from 6pm-8pm. What is meant by the term intersectionality, and how does it relate to contemporary feminist thought and activism? What does it mean to place the study of gender in transnational perspective? How can a concern with intersectionality and the transnational produce not just different knowledges, but better knowledges? This lecture by Rachael O'Neill will provide a space to think through these and other questions, introducing students to some of the key writings and debates on intersectionality and the transnational. Discussions will be grounded in case studies as we consider the intersectional and transnational dynamics of sex tourism, global capitalism and contemporary protest movements such as SlutWalk. Tickets: free. 17-18 January: From Civil Partnership to Same-Sex Marriage 2004-2014: An Interdisciplinary Workshop at the Kent Centre for Gender Sexuality and the Law, Birkbeck, 43 Gordon Square, London, WC1H. The Civil Partnership Act 2004 and the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013 are important legal, social and historical landmarks. For beyond their practical implications, same-sex relationship recognition, throughout the western world, has become a key site of political contestation rich in symbolic, material and cultural meanings. While fiercely opposed by many, within mainstream narratives they are often represented as a victory in a legal reform process that commenced with the decriminalisation of homosexuality. Yet, at the same time, for others they represent a problematic and ambivalent political engagement with the institution of marriage. Consequently, understood and labelled as 'revolutionary', 'progressive' and 'conservative' these reforms provide a space for thinking about issues that arguably affect everyone, regardless of sexual orientation or relationship status. This workshop brings together scholars and commentators from a range of professions and disciplinary backgrounds to critically reflect on the first ten years of the Civil Partnership Act and the introduction of same-sex marriage. The speakers have different views about these reforms – some are in favour, others more ambivalent. But rather than simply rehearsing the well documented arguments 'for' and 'against' relationship recognition, the papers collectively ask a different set of original questions and draw on a variety of methods. Confirmed Speakers include Rosemary Auchmuty (Professor of Law, University of Reading), Aaron Balick (Psychotherapist; Honorary Lecturer, Centre for Psychoanalytic Studies, University of Essex), Nicola Barker (Senior Lecturer in Law, University of Kent), Katherine Browne (Reader in Geography, School of Environment and Technology, University of Brighton), Christine Cocker (Senior Lecturer in Social Work, University of East Anglia), Catherine Harper (Dean of the Faculty of Creative and Cultural Industries, University of Portsmouth), Brian Heaphy (Professor of Sociology, University of Manchester), Rev Canon Giles Goddard (St John's Church, Waterloo; Chair of Inclusive Church and Member of Member Synod), Kenneth Norrie (Professor of Law, Strathclyde University), Daniel Monk (Reader in Law, Birkbeck, University of London), Flora Renz (PhD Student, University of Kent), Yvette Taylor (Professor in Social and Policy Studies, Weeks Centre for Social and Policy Research, London South Bank University), Robert Wintemute (Professor of Human Rights Law, King's College, London), Matthew Waites (Senior Lecturer, Department of Politics, Glasgow University), Jeffrey Weeks (Emeritus Professor of Sociology, London South Bank University). 18 January: Women-only NVDA (non-violent direct action) skills training at the Feminist Library, 5 Westminster Bridge Road, London, SE1 Action AWE is holding a day of women-only non-violent direct action training. It will be a safe space to learn NVDA (non-violent direct action) skills. They will share skills for planning and taking non-violent direct action, to help you form a group to plan and take effective, empowered direct action safely and confidently. Key skills covered include understanding confrontation, supporting each other, and working together as a group. There will be a focus on what women's NVDA might look like, and room to talk about fears and expectations. The trainers Denise Drake from Quaker training organisation Turning the Tide and Clare Cochrane from Action AWE are both experienced in nonviolent direct action and in training and group work. Please feel free to come with a friend or with a group of women with whom you'd like to take action! There is space for up to 20-25 women. Suggested donation for the day is on a sliding scale, between £5 – £10. However, if you cannot afford that, get in touch with Action AWE.  |
| Domestic abuse to be defined in criminal law Posted: 13 Jan 2014 01:09 AM PST
A new bill has been proposed which would make domestic abuse an offence with a possible prison sentence of up to 14 years. Currently, domestic abuse is not specifically defined in criminal law and offenders are prosecuted for crimes such as rape or assault. However, experts at the probation service union Napo suggest domestic abuse is rarely confined to just one incident and forms part of a pattern of behaviour. The new plans, which have wide cross-party support amongst MPs, would provide a legal framework in which an offender's pattern of behaviour could be examined and reflected in any sentences handed down. "It is extraordinary that domestic abuse is not a criminal offence in the UK," said Harry Fletcher, criminal justice expert and adviser to Napo, who drafted the bill. He continued: "As a consequence reporting is low and behaviour is missed by workers in the justice system. "Conviction rates are appallingly low at 6.5 per cent. "The police and the Crown Prosecution Service tend to deal with the matter before them and not long-term, repetitive abusive behaviour." Supporters of the proposals believe a new law will encourage women to report abuse. Research suggests that victims often only report abuse after 30 incidents, only 30 per cent of reports received by the police result in arrest and 16 per cent in a charge. Under the new law, domestic abuse would be defined as "intentionally, wilfully or recklessly causing, or attempting to cause, physical injury or psychological harm to a person". In addition, a protective order would be introduced which would prohibit an abuser making any contact with their victim. The new law is also the first time the psychological and physical aspects of domestic abuse will be specifically recognised in the criminal justice system. "Domestic abuse is characterised by a catalogue of incidents, a pattern of behaviour which can include coercive control and emotional blackmail as well as physical violence," said Elfyn Llwyd, the Plaid Cymru MP who is presenting the bill to parliament. "It was positive that the Association of Chief Police Officers last year amended their definition of domestic abuse to have regard of this fact. "But it is high time that the criminal law was also amended so that domestic abuse was made a criminal offence in its own right." Similar laws have been introduced in the USA, and reporting has increased by nearly 50 per cent, while incidents of violence have decreased by more than a third. Statistics provided by the Home Office suggests 1.2 million women suffered domestic abuse in the UK last year, and 400,000 women were sexually assaulted; a fifth of them were victims of rape or attempted rape. Research by the Citizens Advice Bureau suggests these statistics do not truly reflect the extent of domestic abuse in the UK. Worryingly, the Citizens Advice Bureau reckons more than 500,000 victims and they are too frightened to report what has happened – is happening – to them.  |
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