Women's Views on News |
- Taking domestic violence seriously?
- Ten or more call for female EU commissioners
- Join the Ceasefire4Gaza Thunderclap
| Taking domestic violence seriously? Posted: 28 Jul 2014 08:45 AM PDT
The shadow home secretary, Yvette Cooper, is to give a speech today outlining the crimes that have been hidden during the coalition's five-year term in government – in particular focussing on the government's decision to downgrade action on violence against women. Cooper will release figures, which the Labour party obtained through a Freedom of Information request, that show the police are allowing people who commit domestic abuse to avoid getting a criminal record through what are known as 'community resolutions'. These alternative forms of punishment can be a mere apology issued to the victim by the perpetrator or some form of community service. And they often allow the perpetrator to escape without a criminal record. The information gained by Labour show that of 15 police force areas examined, the number of community resolutions issued nearly doubled between 2009 and 2013; going from 1337 to 3305 . Labour also found that despite the Association of Chief Police Officers' guidance for using community resolutions – which advises they only be used in 'less serious offences', such as low level criminal damage, minor assaults that don't inflict injury and anti-social behaviour - over 3,300 domestic abusers were given 'a slap on the wrist' via community resolutions. The Labour leadership have said that the Coalition government has ignored warnings from a report that details how community resolutions are being abused. In response to these findings, Cooper will explain not only where the government has gone wrong but what Labour would do to address the grievous shortcomings of the current system were they in power. “These figures are deeply worrying,” Cooper said. “Domestic violence is an incredibly serious crime. “Two women a week are killed by their partner or an ex and 750,000 children will grow up witnessing domestic violence. “For the police to simply take a violent abuser home to apologise risks making domestic violence worse, and makes it even harder for victims to escape a cycle of abuse. “Labour has called on the Government previously to prevent the use of Community Resolutions for serious crimes, including domestic violence. Today's figures reveal that nothing has been done. “This is just another sign that this Tory-led Government just doesn't take violence against women seriously. “Community resolutions can be very effective for things like anti-social behaviour. But they shouldn't be used for violent offences, and especially not for domestic violence. “That is why Labour is committed to banning their use for domestic and sexual violence. A Labour Government will introduce a Violence Against Women and Girls Bill to place women's safety at the heart of our legislative programme." However, according to the Guardian, a Home Office spokesman said the government has already ordered the police to stop using out-of-court settlements for serious criminality and produce “action plans” on domestic violence. And the BBC reported that a Home Office spokeswoman said that a review had already been conducted into the inappropriate use of community resolutions. She also said that every police force in England and Wales had been written to by Home Secretary Theresa May instructing them to produce a domestic violence action plan. “It is not acceptable for the police to use out-of-court settlements for serious criminality and that is why the government is already reviewing how they are used,” the spokeswoman told the BBC. Nonetheless the Home Office is yet to respond to a consultation on the use of out-of-court disposals, which ended in January. Cooper’s speech in Birmingham will also highlight the drop in prosecutions and convictions for rape, child sex offences and domestic violence, even though reported offences are going up. She will also criticise the loss of 9,000 frontline, visible police officers and the government’s refusal to introduce compulsory sex education to teach zero-tolerance of violence against women. Cooper spoke out about domestic violence this morning, pointing out on BBC Radio 4 that two women are killed by their partner or ex each week. “If this happened at football games there would be a national outcry,” she said.  |
| Ten or more call for female EU commissioners Posted: 28 Jul 2014 04:12 AM PDT
The new EU President Juncker is currently negotiating with Member States to form the new European Commission and a campaign is calling upon him to respect a crucial requirement, to guarantee gender equality in the nomination of commissioners. In the outgoing Commission, only 9 commissioners of 28 were women. The European Union is committed to making continual progress towards gender equality; hence an increase in the number of female commissioners in the new EU Commission is an urgent matter. Junker should nominate 14 female commissioners, but Member States seem not likely to fill this moral obligation. The candidates presented by 11 countries in the beginning of July are all men and the Italian female candidate to become High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini, hasn't been approved by the Council. Europolitics collected and cross-checked information about women in Member States who could be valuable candidates for the European Commission. The result of this work is a list of 70 women perfectly worthy of becoming commissioners and fitting for the position in the actual political situation. Sign the petition asking for at least ten female commissioners: click here! You can also join the #TenOrMore campaign called by female EU commissioners asking for more women commissioners. If we reach this objective not only would the EU Commission thereby be more diverse and more effective, but it would also be more representative of its citizens, half of whom are women. For more information, please read the following letter sent to Jean-Claude Juncker by female European commissioners. Dear Jean Claude, We wish to support your call for member states to support more women as new commissioners. Over the past ten years, around one-third of European commissioners have been women, largely because José Manuel Barroso put his foot down and insisted on this. It is also increasingly clear via research and anecdote that large organisations perform better with a diverse leadership; this corresponds with our experience in the Barroso I and Barroso II commissions. The European Union is committed to making continual progress towards gender equality. Such progress demands an increase, not a decrease, in the number of female commissioners, particularly as we have grown to be a family of 28 member states. We therefore urge member states to nominate at least 10 female commissioners, with your support. You deserve a flying start – and with 10 or more female commissioners in your team, you will get it. The letter ends ‘Kind regards’ and has been signed by: Androulla Vassiliou, Catherine Ashton, Maria Damanaki, Máire Geoghegan-Quinn, Kristalina Georgieva, Neelie Kroes, Cecilia Malmström and Connie Hedegaard.  |
| Join the Ceasefire4Gaza Thunderclap Posted: 28 Jul 2014 01:30 AM PDT
Between 8 and 27 July, Israeli military strikes have killed at least 760 civilians in Gaza, including 226 children, 117 women, and at least 37 elderly people. Another 6,233 Palestinians have been injured and over 215,000 have been internally displaced. Schools, hospitals, water infrastructure and homes have been completely destroyed. Shelters are full, sewage is flooding Gaza's streets, children are traumatised and families are in desperate need of food, water and a safe place to sleep. Hospitals, medics and ambulances have come under fire, and health facilities and emergency rooms are in crisis over the lack of fuel and medical supplies. In Israel, indiscriminate rocket fire from Gaza continues to endanger the lives of Israeli civilians, killing 2 Israelis and 1 foreign national, and injuring dozens more. For the third time in less than six years, the Gaza Strip is suffering a horrific round of violence. Israeli air strikes and a ground offensive are devastating human life and civilian infrastructure, compounding the effects of seven years of blockade and isolation and increasing the toll – physical, financial, psychological, emotional – on Gaza's civilians, especially its children. The root causes of this protracted crisis must be addressed and a permanent ceasefire must be reached. The violence must stop once and for all. Palestinians and Israelis deserve security and a just, durable peace. All parties must work to address the root causes and reach a ceasefire that lasts. The blockade on Gaza must be lifted. We cannot return to the status quo. The crossings to Gaza must be open, in accordance with international humanitarian law, so that aid and recovery efforts can start and so that people in Gaza can realize their rights and live a dignified life. Join the Thunderclap and call for a lasting #Ceasefire4Gaza: The violence must stop. Recovery must start. This campaign is organised by international NGOs which are also members of the Association of International Development Agencies (AIDA) – a membership body and coordination forum of the international non-governmental organisations (INGOs) that share a common interest in promoting appropriate development and humanitarian programmes in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt) – and other regional coordination networks, organisations of faith, and UN agencies. Among us are humanitarian, development, and rights based agencies. ActionAid; Asamblea de Cooperación por la Paz – ACPP; CARE International; Catholic Agency for Overseas Development (CAFOD); Caritas Jerusalem; Cesvi; Christian Aid; COOPERAZIONE INTERNAZIONALE (COOPI); COSPE; DanChurchAid (DCA0; Diakonia; Doctors of the World – Médecins du monde (MdM) France, Spain, Switzerland and International Network; EAPPI UK and Ireland; Fares Al Arab for Development and Charity Works (FAFD); Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) office in East Jerusalem; Gruppo di Volontariato Civile (GVC); Handicap International (HI); Heinrich Böll Foundation, Palestine/ Jordan office; HelpAge International; Islamic Relief USA; Liberal Democrats Friends of Palestine; Medical Aid For Palestinians – MAP – UK; medico international; Mennonite Central Committee (MCC); Norwegian Association of Disabled (NAD); Norwegian Church Aid (NCA); Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA); Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC); Oxfam; PAX; Pax Christi International; Première Urgence – Aide Médicale Internationale (PU-AMI); Quakers in Britain; Save the Children; Secours Islamique France (SIF); Solidaridad Internacional- Alianza por la Solidaridad (SI-APS); Terre des hommes Foundation – Child Relief; Terre des Hommes Italy; The Swedish Organisation for Individual Relief (SOIR); The Lutheran World Federation (LWF); UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA); UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR); UN Women; UNRWA; Vento di terra; Volontariato Internazionale per lo Sviluppo (VIS); War Child – Holland and UK; World Health Organization (WHO) Eastern Mediterranean Region; We Effect and World Vision International. We share a simple message: the violence must stop, international humanitarian law must be respected, civilians on both sides must be protected, and the urgent needs of Palestinians in Gaza must be addressed. Click here to sign up and allow Thunderclap to share this message ‘ I call for a lasting #Ceasefire4Gaza: The violence must stop. Recovery must start.’ once on your behalf, along with other supporters. The message will be shared today, 28 July, at 4pm GMT: 6pm IDT. Your support for this Thunderclap campaign will help this message be heard around the world.  |
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