Friday, July 4, 2014

Women's Views on News

Women's Views on News

Warning about corporate responsibility

Posted: 03 Jul 2014 08:15 AM PDT

fraces raday, women's rights, corporate responsibility, un working groupIncreasing resource and income inequalities have especially harsh implications for women.

In the emerging area of corporate responsibility, disparate harm to women from business and trade policies has been largely invisible, the United Nations Working Group on Discrimination against Women in Law and Practice has warned in its latest report to the UN Human Rights Council on discrimination against women in economic and social life.

"Moves to export processing zones, deplorable working conditions in sweatshops and land dispossession, where compensation is restricted only to owners, who are usually male, are a breeding ground for violation of human rights, and most victims are women," human rights expert Frances Raday, who currently heads the Working Group, explained.

"Furthermore, the dramatic increase in resource and income inequalities, resulting from economic and corporate policies, has especially harsh implications for women, who are lower on the value chain.

"States have a due diligence obligation, under international human rights law, to prevent discrimination by business entities within their jurisdiction."

"We call on Governments to ensure that the principles of corporate responsibility take account of women's different interests and needs, and to identify, prevent and remedy the harm caused to women by corporate activities," she said.

Raday further urged UN Member States to put an end to laws, including personal laws that discriminate against women, restricting their autonomy, right to property and freedom of movement, precluding as a result their equal participation in economic activities.

The Working Group report documents the significant contribution made by women to the business sector through findings which consistently show the advantages of gender diversity in enhancing company performance and increasing economic sustainability.

Nevertheless, as the report highlights, there is a severe gender gap in top economic leadership at both global and national levels.

Women are almost invisible in the top echelons of international organizations such as the IMF, GATT and the WTO, and currently account for only 4.8 per cent of chief executive officers in Fortune 500 companies and less than 10 percent of central bank governors.

"Good practice in eliminating discrimination against women in this area includes mandating gender quotas for corporate boards and advancing women's business and entrepreneurship opportunities through provision of training, information, credit and saving facilities and government procurement policies that target women's businesses," Raday said.

To see The Working Group's report, click here.

The UN Working Group on the issue of discrimination against women in law and in practice was established by Human Rights Council in September 2010 to identify, promote and exchange views on good practices related to the elimination of laws that discriminate against women.

The Group is composed of four independent experts from all regions of the world: Frances Raday (Israel/United Kingdom), Chair-Rapporteur; Emna Aouij (Tunisia); Eleonora Zielinska (Poland); and Kamala Chandrakirana (Indonesia).

To learn more, click here.

New child safety campaign launched

Posted: 03 Jul 2014 03:45 AM PDT

new campaign, child safety, Northern Ireland, CSE, ‘There are a number of different forms in which CSE can present itself’.

A public awareness campaign on Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) in Northern Ireland has been launched.

The campaign, The More You Know, The More You See, aims to increase public awareness around this form of child sexual abuse by targeting members of the public, including key groups, who may have the opportunity to recognise Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) and take action if they have concerns.

Helen McKenzie, the Professional Officer leading on Child Sexual Exploitation said: “Safeguarding is everyone's business so the Safeguarding Board have developed this campaign, The More You Know, the More You See, to raise public awareness of Child Sexual Exploitation.”

Child Sexual Exploitation can happen to any young person regardless of social or ethnic background.

It is a form of child sexual abuse which sees children and young people manipulated or forced by their abuser into taking part in some form of sexual activity in return for something the young person needs or wants, for example affection, alcohol, drugs, accommodation.

There are a number of different forms in which CSE can present itself; these can range from internet sexual exploitation, sexual exploitation at house parties and the movement of young people for the purpose of sexual exploitation.

The young person might think that their abuser is their friend or girl/boyfriend but the abuser is likely to be violent and/or abusive to get the young person to do what they want for them.

They will control and manipulate the young person and try to isolate them from friends and family.

"We are encouraging the public to read the information available on our literature or our safeguarding website. Many sources of information and support are available,” McKenzie explained.

You can also look on the Facebook page.

The key target audience for this Phase 1 of this campaign is the general public and specific groups in the community who may have the opportunity to identify CSE, for example taxi drivers, hotel staff and B&B operators, off-licence staff and leisure staff.

The campaign's message is being publicised via outdoor advertising, and the distribution of posters, leaflets, cards, and window stickers to GPs, pharmacists, taxi companies, off-licences and leisure services.

And a series of local workshops will take place across Northern Ireland involving the local safeguarding panels and police and community strategic partnerships.

The second phase of the campaign is to be rolled out later in the year or early in 2015. It will specifically target children and young people, parents and carers.

McKenzie said: "I am delighted with the response so far from our member agencies and partners, particularly in the private sector. They have shown a great willingness to get involved in getting our message out to the public."

Who to contact if you are concerned about CSE in Northern Ireland:

If a child or young person is in immediate danger call 999 or contact the police on 101.

You can also speak to Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or call the NSPCC adult helpline on 0808 800 5000; or Barnardo's NI Safe Choices 028 9065 8511; or the Social Services Gateway Teams: Belfast HSC Trust on 028 9050 7000; the South Eastern HSC Trust on 0300 1000 300; the Northern HSC Trust on 0300 1234 333; the Southern HSC Trust, on 0800 7837 745; or the Western HSC Trust on 028 71314090.

Thousands have multiple children in care

Posted: 03 Jul 2014 01:09 AM PDT

Women need more support to break destructive cycles and get their children back

Destructive behaviour and children being taken into care a vicious cycle.

New data revealed by the BBC recently shows thousands of women in England have had more than one child taken into care.

The Nuffield Foundation-funded study, led by the University of Brunel and Manchester, examined English court records for the last seven years.

The results show that 7,143 mothers were involved in repeat care cases, losing custody of 22,790 children collectively.

Half the women involved in the cases were 24 years old or younger at the time of the first care application. The youngest mother was just 14.

Retired family court judge Nicholas Crichton was not surprised by the findings.

“The work of the family courts for years has been removing the second, the third, the fourth child from the same mother. Not infrequently the sixth, the seventh, the eighth," he said.

“In one case I’ve removed the 14th and I know two judges that have removed the 15th child from the same mother.”

The research highlighted how destructive behaviour and children being taken into care can become a vicious cycle through the story of a young mother who had lost two children.

Sexually abused as a teenager, this young woman started taking heroin when she was 14 as a coping mechanism and found herself sofa surfing and living on the streets.

When she became pregnant at 16 her boyfriend left her, and she struggled to look after the baby alone – and turned again to heroin as a coping mechanism.

After having her first child taken into foster care she met another partner who supported her to try and give up heroin. But once she realised how unlikely it was she would get her child back, her drug use increased.

Following the birth of a second child, social services almost immediately issued care proceedings because of her history and continuing drug addiction, giving her little time to access rehabilitation and leaving her feeling suicidal.

Just 20 years old, the young woman told researchers she wanted help and a different life because she desperately wanted her children back.

Dr Karen Broadhurst of the University of Manchester, a lead author of the study, said that an important finding of the research was that infants are taken within a month of their birth in approximately 42 per cent of cases.

In 70 per cent of cases infants were subject to proceedings within the first year of life and there was an average gap of 17 months between the first time a mother appears in court with a child and the second time she appears with another child.

Broadhurst highlighted these figures to show how little time mothers have to focus on their own rehabilitation, turn their lives around or prove their capability.

She argues that the research shows the need for family courts to change their approach from purely focusing on the children's welfare to also supporting women to change their behaviour, to access treatment or rehabilitation programmes and feasibly stand a chance of keeping their children.

Nicholas Crichton agreed that the new research underlines the need for the expansion of projects which help parents break the destructive cycle.

“The emotional cost to those families, and to their children, is immense but the financial cost to the taxpayer is immense as well and we really have to find a different way of dealing with these cases,” he said.

Two initiatives trying to encourage women to access support and rehabilitation services are the  Strengthening Families Project and the Family Drug and Alcohol Court.

The Strengthening Families Project, funded by Salford council and run by a specialist social worker and a community midwife, warns women of the risks of abusing drugs and alcohol – but it also provides positive support and advice.

The Family Drug and Alcohol Court has had encouraging results since its launch in 2008: it has helped 35 per cent of mothers reunite with their children, compared to a 19 per cent rate in ordinary family courts.

But these are isolated examples in a system which often has no adequate support systems for women who do want to fight to bring their children home.

Of course the welfare of children must always come first, but the welfare of children and the welfare of their mothers are far from mutually exclusive.