Women's Views on News |
- Remembering Scottish women
- Petition Lords to support sex education
- Events 27 January – 2 February
- This is the Year of Reading Women
| Posted: 27 Jan 2014 08:49 AM PST
All over Scotland, in towns, villages and in the countryside, there are many types of memorials, large and small, commemorating the lives and achievements of women. Some names are well known, others have been forgotten. All the women have contributed in some way to the life of the country we know today. The Women of Scotland website was set up to record this information and make it available to all, and we need your help to find these memorials. This map shows all the memorials to women in Scotland that have been mapped so far. Click on the markers for more information, or find women and memorials in your area by using the search link. There is also an A-Z list of all the women. You can also sort the map for women in a particular profession or other keywords. Perhaps you know of a memorial to a woman in your area that hasn't been marked on the map? Or maybe you know the story – or more about the story – behind a name? Some of the records on this website are not complete – you can help by finding more about these memorials and the women they celebrate. In 2011, Girlguiding Scotland took a lead in the search for Scotland’s women by encouraging their girls and young women to take part in 'The Big Name Hunt'. The site has now been opened up for everyone to contribute information about memorials. Help find the monuments, landmarks, street names and buildings that mark the lives and achievements of women (whether famous, humble or notorious) who helped to shape Scotland. If you know of a memorial that isn’t on the map, or can add more information about a memorial or woman, please click here to sign up to the site. Once you have signed up, you can log in and add new memorials, help to improve locations and add information about the women being commemorated. You can also let the site know about memorials and the women they commemorate by getting in touch by email, on Facebook or via Twitter. Or if you have seen a memorial and taken a photograph, you can share your photo through the Flickr group. This project has been developed by Women’s History Scotland, the Glasgow Women's Library, and Girlguiding Scotland. Women’s History Scotland exists to promote study and research in women’s and gender history, particularly for those working in Scotland or working on Scottish themes. It has a commitment to history at all levels and aims to provide a network of information and support to all. The Glasgow Women’s Library celebrates the lives and achievements of women, and champions their contributions to Scotland's culture. It is open to all, and is home to a lending library, archives and historical artefacts relating to women's lives, histories and achievements. It also provides an exciting range of events, activities, courses and workshops, from walking tours that explore the history of women in Glasgow to book readings by celebrated women authors. Since it is Holocaust Memorial Day today, I decided to take a look at the life of one woman the site already covers. Jane Haining, who trained in missionary work, travelled to Hungary in 1932 and became matron in the Girls' Home of the Jewish Mission Girls' Home in Budapest. She visited her home, in Dunscore in Dumfriesshire, for the last time in 1939, and returned to Budapest, against Church of Scotland advice, saying that if the children needed her in days of sunshine, they had much more need of her in days of darkness. When Hungary was occupied, Jane Haining was arrested by the Gestapo in April 1944 and taken to Auschwitz, the death camp in Poland. She died there on or about 17 July 1944, aged 47. Scotland has three memorials to Jane Haining. There is a fourth in Jerusalem, where her life is commemorated in the Garden of the Righteous at Yad Vashem in Jerusalem. She is the only Scot to be so honoured.  |
| Petition Lords to support sex education Posted: 27 Jan 2014 06:37 AM PST
On 28 January, the House of Lords will vote on making sex and relationship education (SRE) compulsory in English schools. They will be debating proposals to changes to the Children and Families Bill which would make sure all schools are required to teach sex and relationship education, as well as updating the guidance for an online generation. This will include teaching about zero tolerance of violence in relationships and the importance of respect and sexual consent. Figures show that violence in teenage relationships is increasing, and so, logically, education is one key way not only to protect young people, but to prevent violence against women too. But according to campaign groups, schools are not required to teach SRE at all. They are required to have a policy, but their policy could be not to teach it. And according to results of a Brook survey, one in four (26 per cent) of secondary school pupils gets no SRE in school at all. Another quarter (26 per cent) of those who do get SRE say the teacher is not able to teach it well. That means half of young people aren’t getting a good SRE education. Very few young people – just 13 per cent – said they learned the most about sex from their SRE teacher. Even fewer – 7 per cent said they learn about it from both of their parents. The largest number – 36 per cent – said they learn from friends their own age. Other common sources of information about sex and relationships include boyfriends and girlfriends (10 per cent), TV programmes (8 per cent) and online porn (5 per cent). None of which are reliable sources of honest, useful information. So, in the UK today, SRE teaching varies widely, with no consistent standards. Teachers are often not given any special training or preparation in the subject. And young people say they don’t learn enough about emotions and relationships – and a survey showed that 80 per cent of young people said they had no voice in what they learn about sex and relationships. And the classes can be infrequent or even – in many cases – nonexistent. Brook believes that every young person in Britain deserves sex and relationships education (SRE) that is relevant to them, focuses on relationships as well as sex, honest about human sexuality and taught by professionals who are well prepared and confident. This week House of Lords will vote on making sex and relationship education compulsory in English schools. The government is opposing the changes campaigners have been calling for, and will try to block them – again. Please help. Please show your support for better sex and relationship education. We need to take action now to stop tolerance of violence in and to teach respect in relationships. Please sign our petition today, and demand Sex and Relationships Education fit for the 21st century.  |
| Events 27 January – 2 February Posted: 27 Jan 2014 04:05 AM PST
Brighton: 27 – 29 January: Witch: The Maiden at Marlborough Theatre, 4 Princes Street, Brighton, at 8pm. This is the first of three plays coming this Spring season, each play can be enjoyed individually or as part of the full trilogy. Set in a dark and timeless speakeasy, this new trilogy captures the progress of but one night: a confrontational night of roving maidens, brutal princes, musicians, dancers and drink. We invite you to follow the adventures of three beloved fairy tale characters, as they lose themselves in a mystical and frightening reality. Inspired, in equal measure, by the likes of the Grimm brothers and Caitlin Moran, this concoction of new music, contemporary physicality and old, old tales looks at gender and its apparently stoic implications both past, present and perhaps even future. Tickets £5. London: 28 January: House of Lords vote on compulsory sex and relationship education in English schools This will include teaching about zero tolerance of violence in relationships and the importance of respect and sexual consent. The motion is being supported Eve Ensler, founder of One Billion Rising, and Yvette Cooper, Shadow Home Secretary. We know that violence in teenage relationships is increasing, and if you believe education is the key to protecting young women, you can show your support by signing the petition here. 30 January: Is Fat Still a Feminist Issue? at iNDUSTRY, 20 East Road, London N1, at 7pm. Feminist Times’ January members’ event will be a panel discussion on the theme of “New Year, New You”, featuring: Natasha Devon, director of the Body Gossip education programme, a “campaign to empower every body to be the best version of themselves”, Dr Charlotte Cooper, psychotherapist and fat activist, Sophie and Audrey Boss, founders of Beyond Chocolate, the UK’s leading anti-diet community. The discussion will be chaired by performer, artist, broadcaster and director Scottee Scottee. Space is limited and seats will be allocated on a first come first served basis, with priority given to registered Feminist Times members. 31 January – 2 February BAM: Being a Man at London’s Southbank Centre London SE1 8XX. Policy Making, Society, Getting Personal; three days of talks, debates, keynotes, performances and big ideas intermingled with free music and discussions, all looking at issues affecting men eg Akala on the history of patriarchy; Michael Kaufman, activist and cofounder of the White Ribbon Campaign, on men and feminism; Martin Daubney on porn and the brain. Men of all ages and from many walks of life lead conversations and Q&As on what it means to be a man today. 1 February: The Freedom Train: Standing in solidarity with the Women of Spain meeting at Hungerford Bridge from 1pm. The right of Spanish women to access safe and legal abortion is currently under threat with the proposal to reform the law in a highly restrictive fashion by Spain's ruling party, the Partido Popular. On 1 February, trains will depart from all over Spain carrying pro-choice campaigners to Madrid, where they will hand Spanish MPs the text 'Because it's my choice' in which Spanish pro-choice supporters demand the continuity of the current Law of Sexual and Reproductive Health and pregnancy termination to promote the moral autonomy, freedom of conscience, and a guarantee of the plurality and diversity of all women. Stand in solidarity with Spanish women and their right to access safe and legal abortion and show your support from the UK: travel to Madrid 'in spirit' via a symbolic journey from Charing Cross Station to Waterloo East, and then meet at 1pm at Hungerford Bridge, London, on 1 February. What to do and where to go: 1. Get started on decorating hangers for 1 February. It doesn't matter how artistic they are, whether they can contain messages or not – feel free to express yourself! 2. Dress in pink, red, pinky orange, purple, fuchsia, coral – whether it's a scarf or a hat, or top to toe! 3. On 1 February, travel with friends, children, partners, family, etc. to Waterloo East from Charing Cross station in order to make it to Hungerford Bridge for 1pm. 4. Take pics of your hangers on the train or at the station and then tweet/post/share them to show our support to the women of Spain. #train2madrid #bellyhangers 5. Bring whistles, music, colourful banners, food, whatever you think will cheer up the atmosphere. We will then tie our decorated hangers to the Hungerford Bridge and leave them for passers-by. Until 22 February: Blurred Lines by Nick Payne and Carrie Cracknell at The Shed, National Theatre, South Bank, London SE1. Blurred Lines is a blistering journey through contemporary gender politics. An all-female cast dissect what it means to be a woman today: in the workplace, in cyberspace, on screen, on stage and in relationships. This new piece explores the reality of equality in Britain today, where feminism is a dirty word and pornography is inescapable. Blurred Lines is a fast-paced, razor sharp glimpse of a culture which promised liberation and delivered Robin Thicke. Nick Payne’s plays include Constellations, Wanderlust (Royal Court) and The Same Deep Water As Me (Donmar Warehouse). Carrie Cracknell is Associate Director at the Royal Court Theatre. She was previously Artistic Director of the Gate. Recent work includes A Doll’s House (Young Vic and West End) and Wozzeck (ENO). Suitable for 15 years and over. Please note: The production contains references to sexual assault. 30 January – 22 March: The Mistress Contract by Abi Morgan at Jerwood Theatre downstairs, Royal Court Theatre, Sloane Square, SW1W. She and He are the pseudonyms of a real-life couple who live in separate houses in the same city on the west coast of America. She is 88. He is 93. For 30 years he has provided her with a home and an income, while she provides 'mistress services' – 'All sexual acts as requested, with suspension of historical, emotional, psychological disclaimers.' They first met at university and then lost touch. When they met again twenty years later, they began an affair when She – a highly educated, intelligent woman with a history of involvement in the feminist movement – asked her wealthy lover to sign the remarkable document that outlines their unconventional lifestyle: The Mistress Contract. Was her suggestion a betrayal of all that she and the women of her generation had fought for? Or was it brave, honest, and radical? Then — on a small recorder that fit in her purse — this extraordinary couple began to tape their conversations about their relationship, conversations that took place while travelling, over dinner at home and in restaurants, on the phone, even in bed. Based on reams of tape recordings made over their 30-year relationship, The Mistress Contract is a remarkable document of this unconventional couple, and the contract that kept them bound together to this day. The Mistress Contract is Abi Morgan's Royal Court Theatre debut. Her theatre credits include most recently 27 for National Theatre of Scotland and Frantic Assembly's Lovesong. Her previous plays for the stage include Skinned, Splendour and Tiny Dynamite. A BAFTA award-winning writer; on film, she wrote the screenplay for The Iron Lady starring Meryl Streep and Shame, directed by Steve McQueen, and on television, her credits include BBC2's The Hour; Birdsong, starring Eddie Redmayne on BBC1, White Girl and Sex Traffic on Channel 4. Tickets £32, £22, £16, £12. Until 23 March: Tate Britain – a display of artwork by Sylvia Pankhurst at Millbank, London SW1P 4RG. Looking at Sylvia Pankhurst and how she used her artistic skills in the fight for women's rights, designing badges, banners and flyers, and recording the lives of working women. Until 23 March: a Tate Britain display – Women and Work at Millbank, London SW1P 4RG. Looking at the industrial issues of the 1970s from an overtly feminist perspective. Between 1973 and 1975 artists Margaret Harrison (born 1940), Kay Hunt (1933–2001) and Mary Kelly (born 1941) conducted a detailed study of women who worked in a metal box factory in Bermondsey. Their investigation was timed to coincide with the implementation of the Equal Pay Act, which had been passed in 1970. They collected a vast amount of data through interviews, archival research and observation. Women and Work was one of the earliest projects to tackle political and industrial issues from an overtly feminist perspective. Manchester: 29 January: Dangerous Liasons! The Marriages and Divorces of Marxism and Feminism at Friends Meeting House from 6pm. Cinzia Arruzza, Italian revolutionary socialist feminist, activist and academic, member of the Fourth International, currently at the New School for Social Research in New York, is author of the 2013 book Dangerous Liaisons: The Marriages and Divorces of Marxism and Feminism. The book runs through debates over links between Marxism and feminism, ranging from the Russian and Chinese revolutions and the rise of Stalinism to the second wave feminist conceptualisation of gender as class relation and then to recognition-based politics and queer theory. This meeting is co-sponsored by organisations working together in Manchester: Socialist Resistance, the AntiCapitalist Initiative, and the International Socialist Network. It continues an urgent debate within the revolutionary left at the Beyond the Fragments event in Manchester about the role of feminism in our politics.  |
| This is the Year of Reading Women Posted: 27 Jan 2014 01:09 AM PST
Author and artist Joanna Walsh is using Twitter to address gender inequality in the literary world. Walsh started the Twitter hashtag #readwomen2014 after making New Year's cards that featured drawings of her favourite female authors and the names of 250 female writers. Her followers on Twitter asked her to tweet the names of the female writers and soon she was overwhelmed with suggestions of other women to include on the cards. Walsh then received requests for a reading list of books written by women, which she composed on her blog and is regularly extending with suggestions generated from the hashtag. Speaking to the Guardian recently, Walsh said: "I'm delighted by the response my #readwomen2014 has had. "What’s amazed me is the number of people – men and women – who have been willing to pick up on the idea, who actively want to expand their reading horizons in ways they feel are not always being catered for." Walsh was inspired to create her New Year's cards after literary critics Matt Jakubowski and Jonathan Gibbs noticed that they rarely read books by women despite their profession. "I was impressed that they were willing to make a (public) effort to read more widely," Walsh said. Like Walsh, Jakubowski believes that books written by women are overlooked, with publishers being more willing and likely to spend large amounts of money on male writers. "The result of this investment by publishers is that readers and literary critics are guided toward books by men. "We become eager to be part of what's promoted as big book news, more comfortable talking about a newly celebrated male author," he said. Jakubowski has made a resolution to read and review only books by women this year. He explained: "My reading resolution was based on the fact that the world still does not place a high value on what women have to say. "I wanted to make a choice not to be swayed by ‘big news’ about male authors." Women's marginalisation in the literary sphere, both in the UK and the US, is confirmed by statistics. Vida, the American organisation that supports women in the literary arts, found that in 2012 only 16 per cent of the reviewers at the New York Review of Books were female and 22 per cent of the books reviewed by the publication were by female authors. Worse still, the Guardian found that during March last year, less than nine per cent of the books reviewed in the London Review of Books were written by women. The Vida statistics inspired the American journal Critical Flame to dedicate 2014 to female writers and writers of colour. Daniel Pritchard, the editor of the American journal the Critical Flame, said: "Women writers and writers of colour are underserved and undervalued by the contemporary literary community. "So, while the Critical Flame may not be a powerhouse of the literary world, we have decided to embark on a project that will help our readers, at the very least, perceive and evaluate the literary landscape differently." Like Pritchard, Walsh hopes to spark a cultural movement in 2014 and promote women's literary talents. "Just for a change, make sure the next book you read is by a woman. "While female writers may encounter similar obstacles, their work is diverse as men’s: there is a book by a woman for every kind of reader," she said. You can follow the Year of Reading Women on Twitter here and find Walsh's reading list here.  |
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