Women's Views on News |
| Women, you are now working for free Posted: 27 Nov 2014 07:14 AM PST
A new analysis has revealed the strategies needed to tackle the growing gender pay gap which sees women effectively working for free two months a year. The analysis, by the Fawcett Society, has revealed that for every year a man works full-time, a woman has to work approximately an extra sixty full-time days to achieve the same pay. In other words, this year women in full-time employment effectively stopped being paid on 4 November if you compare their pay to men's all-year around full-time wages. This news has led some campaigners to dub the fourth of November 'Equal Pay Day'. The new analysis is based on the mean gender pay gap for full-time employees. It widened for the first time in five years last year from 14.8 per cent in 2012 to 15.7 per cent in 2013. Some critics have argued that the figures are distorted by the fact that more women work in part-time jobs. However, the gender pay gap for part-time workers is even wider, at 34 per cent, meaning their 'Equal Pay Day' would have fallen back on 28 August – and a woman working part-time would have to work a year and three months to earn as much as her male counterpart. Remarking on this, Dr Eva Neitzert, deputy CEO of the Fawcett Society said: 'It is disgraceful that in 2014, women in the UK still effectively work for free for nearly two months of the year relative to men.' The Fawcett Society has cited the economic recovery in the UK as an exacerbating factor of the gender pay gap, because the six fastest growing sectors have been low-wage sectors such as care work, where women employees predominate, and high-pay areas such as real estate, where men dominate, leading the two to diverge. Others factor could be the increase in private sector jobs, where the gender pay gap is wider, and the decrease in public sector jobs, where the gender pay gap is slighter narrower. In addition, newly-created jobs tend to be part-time, temporary or be zero-hour contracts, leading to overall insecurity in the job market. The UK's slow progress on the pay gap in recent years contributed to it falling down the rankings to number twenty-sixth in the World Economic Forum's global gender equality figures released last month. 'It is small wonder that Britain is plummeting down the international league tables when it comes to gender equality,' Frances O'Grady, general secretary of the Trade Union Congress said. 'It feels like the glass ceiling is getting stronger not weaker and we need a much tougher approach to stop future generations of women from suffering this pay penalty.' There are ways to tackle this problem. For example, raising the minimum wage to £7.65 nationwide and £8.80 in London would instantly knock 0.8 per cent off the gender pay gap – more than double the average annual rate of reduction seen in recent years. Better policies around childcare for working parents, such as expanding the UK's free childcare policy, would help alleviate the 'motherhood penalty' where women are effectively forced to take career breaks or take on part-time, low-paid roles in order to raise their children. The Fawcett Society argues that facing the gender pay gap will need concerted effort on a number of fronts, including work to promote pay transparency and the abolition of up-front employment tribunal fees which prevent women from pursuing justice when they are being paid less than a male counterpart. More than four decades after the Equal Pay Act was passed in 1970, it would be nice to say that progress has been made. However current trends suggest it will be more than another four decades again before men and women will be paid equally.  |
| Posted: 27 Nov 2014 04:12 AM PST
One Law for All, Southall Black Sisters, the Centre for Secular Space, Nari Diganta and the Iranian and Kurdish Women's Rights Organisation have welcomed the Law Society's recent action: withdrawing a Sharia-compliant wills practice note. The practice note in question had advised solicitors on how to draw up 'Sharia-compliant' wills, stating that "… illegitimate and adopted children are not Sharia heirs … The male heirs in most cases receive double the amount inherited by a female heir … Non-Muslims may not inherit at all … a divorced spouse is no longer a Sharia heir…" In the ensuing protest campaign, organised by women's rights advocates Pragna Patel, Maryam Namazie, Gita Sahgal, Yasmin Rehman, Dianna Nammi, Rumana Hashem and Chris Moos, one open letter was addressed to Asma Jahangir, the former United Nations Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief. Another, sent to the Law Society, included signatories such as scientist Richard Dawkins, writer Taslima Nasrin and founder of Secularism is a Woman's Issue Marieme Helie Lucas. On 28 April this year, a well-attended protest at the offices of the Law Society featured speakers such as human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell; Muslim Institute Fellow Yasmin Rehman; Rumana Hashem from Nari Diganta – Women in Movement for Social Justice, Secularism and Equal Rights, and Diana Nammi, Chief Executive of the Iranian and Kurdish Women's Rights Organisation (IKWRO). The organisers of the campaign also obtained legal advice from Karon Monaghan QC of Matrix Chambers. Advice which stated that the practice note was unlawful as it provided guidance to solicitors that promoted an interpretation of Sharia that was discriminatory on the grounds of gender, religion and ethnicity and thus gave rise to the possibility of direct discrimination by solicitors. This came after the Solicitor's Regulatory Authority had already withdrawn its endorsement of the Law Society's Practice Note on 10 July, following the threat of legal action from Southall Black Sisters (SBS). In addition, the campaigners also found that the Law Society had used the works of an extremist cleric – who has advocated flogging and stoning for "fornicators" – for their practice note. The campaign received extensive press coverage and political support, including from Justice Secretary Chris Grayling, who warned that the Law Society's practice note risked undermining the rule of law. Remarking on the Law Society's move, Pragna Patel, director of Southall Black Sisters, said: "SBS welcomes the Law Society's decision to withdraw the discriminatory guidance. "We also acknowledge that it has publicly apologised for having produced the ill-advised guidance in the first place. "Let this episode serve as a warning to other public bodies that may be contemplating instituting 'Sharia compliant' measures that flout equality and human rights law and values, which must be regarded as universal and non-negotiable. "We now look forward to working with the Law Society to address the devastating impact of the legal aid cuts which also prevent many abused and marginalised women from minority backgrounds from accessing justice." Commenting on the change, Maryam Namazie, founder of One Law for All, said: "The Law Society has finally succumbed to our pressure and withdrawn its guidance a week before women's rights groups were to meet with them to step up our pressure against the discriminatory nature of their Sharia-compliant guidance. "This is another huge victory for equality, one law for all and civil rights and yet another loss for the religious far-right. "We congratulate all those who took part in this campaign. One law for all is not an empty slogan but must mean something particularly when it comes to the law." Gita Sahgal, director of the Centre for Secular Space (CCS), said: "We are delighted that the Law Society has finally seen sense and made clear that they do not wish to condone discrimination, have withdrawn the note entirely and will not seek to replace it. Their apology is very welcome. "This is a victory against the institutionalisation of religious law. Secular values protect the rule of law far better than the regulators do. There are many battles ahead to protect human rights and access to justice. We have a common interest in these struggles." And Chris Moos, one of the organisers of the campaign, concluded: "The Law Society has done the only sensible thing – withdraw the guidance for good and apologise for promoting the use of discriminatory practices in the first place. "Hopefully, those who have defended the practice note will now realise that the only way public bodies and representative organisations can be sure to meet their equality duties is by adhering to the principle of secular neutrality in matters of belief."  |
| Posted: 27 Nov 2014 01:09 AM PST
Breast Cancer UK has added its voice to a call by the European Environmental Bureau and 54 other human health and environment public interest groups, including doctors, green chemical producers, and health and environmental organisations, for the Commission to reject the continued use of the phthalate, DEHP. Few of us realise that a key risk factor for breast cancer is our daily exposure to some of the synthetic and man-made chemicals that are found in our environment, food and everyday products. We need to reduce our exposure to these harmful chemicals to stop breast cancer before it starts. And breast cancer rates are rising rapidly. Today, as many as 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with the disease at some point in their lives. In England, incidence rates have increased amongst women by 90 per cent and amongst men by as much as 60 per cent in just one generation. The root causes of breast cancer need to be tackled so that these rates reduce. A letter delivered to the Commission explained why the organisations oppose the continued use of plasticiser, DEHP, in PVC plastic. They point out that: DEHP is a substance of very high concern. It is a highly toxic and hormonally active substance; If the Commission were to grant authorisation for the continued use of DEHP in a wide range of PVC products and in recycled PVC plastic, it would fail to the protect public health and the environment, the main objective of the EU's chemicals regulation (REACH); DEHP is widely used, so there is ongoing exposure; and Safer alternatives to DEHP are generally available; Many phthalates have already been banned in certain applications, such as toys. And as an acknowledged toxicant, Bis (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate DEHP is due for phase out in 2015. However, six European companies are requesting permission to continue using it, which would prolong European citizens' exposure. After a flawed review process, including inadequate assessment of the benefits and risks of the wide use of the substance of very high concern and key documents not being made public, the European Chemicals Agency recommended DEHP's continued use be approved. The final decision lies with the European Commission – and it must decide by early 2015. Lynn Ladbrook, chief exective of Breast Cancer UK said: “We support calls for the Commission reject the continued use of DEHP in PVC. “To allow it would not only undermine the aims of the REACH system, but raise questions as to whether that system can adequately protect the health of EU citizens and the environment from exposure to hazardous chemicals.” The read the letter, click here. To read the civil society organisations' position statement click here. Breast Cancer UK wants the next government to stop breast cancer before it starts by making these 5 pledges for prevention, along with associated policy measures, to improve public health, protect future generations and save lives. These pledges are to: Prioritise the primary prevention of breast cancer; Improve the regulation of chemicals; Protect the unborn child by offering advice to pregnant and breast feeding women; Ban the use of Bisphenol A in food and drinks packaging; and Improve labelling laws and implement our 'right to know' about harmful chemicals. Write to your political representative today and ask them to pledge their support for our Manifesto.  |
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