Women's Views on News |
| Sex education and political parties’ responses Posted: 12 Feb 2015 07:45 AM PST
Campaigners who wrote to the leaders of five English political parties asking them to commit to compulsory Sex & Relationships Education (SRE) if elected in May have published the responses they received. While Nick Clegg, for the LibDems, Ed Miliband for Labour and Natalie Bennett, for the Greens, all said that they were committed to introducing compulsory SRE as a key measure for preventing abuse of women and girls, David Cameron said that the Conservatives would leave the decision of whether and how to teach SRE to individual schools. Citing public concern about the Rotherham 'grooming' scandal, high levels of sexual assaults on young women and the easy availability of online porn, the End Violence Against Women Coalition (EVAW) and the Everyday Sexism Project launched an online petition in September asking party leaders to pledge to introduce compulsory Sex and Relationships Education (SRE) if elected next May. They also wrote directly to the leaders of the five parties – the Conservatives, the Greens, the Liberal Democrats, Labour and UKIP, asking their views. Sex and Relationships Education, which deals with consent, equality and respect is not currently compulsory, despite being overwhelmingly popular with the public and being recommended as a key abuse prevention measure by every expert in the field. The Everyday Sexism Project's founder, writer Laura Bates, said: "While we warmly welcome the Liberal Democrat, Labour and Green recognition that compulsory SRE is an absolutely essential measure for trying to stem the tide of abuse of women and girls in our society, we are obviously disappointed that the Prime Minister appears not yet able to match this commitment. "Daily entries to the Everyday Sexism Project reveal a great deal of confusion and misinformation amongst young people about issues such as sexual consent. "The Prime Minister’s response about existing PSHE [Personal Social Health and Economic education] and SRE guidelines belies the reality that current provision is patchy and inadequate. "When the UK Youth Parliament surveyed almost 22,000 young people about SRE, 40 per cent said theirs was either poor or very poor, and 43 per cent said they hadn't received any at all. "We would urge David Cameron to speak to young people about their lives – from daily encounters with misogynistic and explicit sexual material, to routine sexual harassment which schools don't know how to deal with. "Ask them what they think the solution is and they will tell you that they need time and support in school to talk about sex and respectful, healthy relationships." The EVAW Coalition‘s director, Sarah Green, said: "There is a clear public consensus that recognises the time has come for sex and relationships education for all young people in school, and that it must talk about respect, consent and equality. "Experts and those who provide services for survivors of abuse all agree this is the key long term prevention measure that we need – in order to tackle attitudes that make excuses for abuse before they set in, and to empower those at risk of abuse to seek support. "We hope to see this issue feature prominently in the election debate next year, and we hope to hear some new thought and resolution from the Prime Minister David Cameron, from the Education Secretary Nicky Morgan and from senior colleagues around them," she continued. "We note that the Prime Minister's letter acknowledges the impact of new technology on young people's lives, and that his Government is taking action on this in other policy areas. "We hope his party might make connections between these and look at SRE as part of child protection, child safety and anti-bullying where it is already agreed that schools should not have an opt out." The Labour Party and Green Party responses are both full and considered and clearly situate the need for compulsory SRE in the context of abuse of women and girls and the need to give young people space to talk about consent, respect and equality between men and women. Both parties have made MPs vote on the issue over the last two years by putting motions and Bills before Parliament. The Liberal Democrats response is shorter but very clear that they would require all state-funded schools to teach age appropriate SRE, including free schools and academies. UKIP failed to respond to the campaigners' letter asking for their commitment to compulsory SRE, and their party policy has recently been revealed to be in confusion. The campaigners want to see SRE made part of Personal Social Health and Economic education (PSHE). The full petition calls for: All schools, primary and secondary, to teach SRE including sexual consent, gender stereotypes, healthy and respectful relationships and the harms of online pornography; Teacher training and statutory guidance to back this up; and A wider programme of work to prevent abuse of women and girls as part of the Home Office-led Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy. To sign the petition click here. Campaigners are tweeting it via #SREnow.  |
| The 2015 election: looking at what’s at stake Posted: 12 Feb 2015 04:31 AM PST
Let's face it. Things aren't great are they? I won't reel off a list of figures about inequality, living standards, and the super-rich, but things aren't great. Now we have a general election to think about. Judging by the furore around a pink bus this week, the whole thing will be an unedifying spectacle characterised more by trivial distractions than real issues. At a time when most people's pay packets are shrinking, it seems rather a travesty that the media is most interested in the colour of a light goods vehicle. Luckily, if you want to talk about policy, you don't have to rely on the press. Today Class is launching an election series called Election 2015: What's at stake?. The series will produce six election guides around key policy issues affecting British people. Each one will be released over the next six weeks at free debates around the country. The first guide focuses on work, pay and trade unions. Its contents will be discussed at a debate in Glasgow with Neil Findlay (MSP), Angela O'Hagan (economist), Dave Moxham (STUC Deputy General Secretary), Samantha Ritchie (STUC Youth) and chaired by Libby Brooks (Guardian). The guide is an important summary of what's at stake for workers in the 2015 general election. It collates statistics and information on issues related to work and pay, including the cost of living, low wage-growth, insecure work, including zero-hours contracts, attacks on rights at work and weakening of trade union power. In response to these issues, the guide puts forward a series of policy proposals including implementing a living wage, introducing a pay ratio, strengthening trade union power, and closing the gender pay gap. It is a culmination of all of the research Class has collated on this policy area since its foundation. I'm biased, admittedly, but I think it's a really useful resource for any progressive journalist, activist or academic who wants to get to grips with the key issues. I did the press work for most of the research Class has carried out, and even I found myself nodding along to the guide as though I was learning about its contents for the first time. Those of you who are pressed for time will also be pleased to know Class is releasing shorter fact sheets, which encapsulate the main themes of the guides in two pages. If work, pay and trade unions isn't your bag, or you can't get to Glasgow, there are five other guides which will be launched at five more events around the country. Here's the schedule: Housing guide – to be released in Newcastle on 19 February Economy guide – to be released in Birmingham on 26 February NHS guide – to be released in Manchester on 5 March Welfare state guide – to be released in Cardiff on 12 March Tax guide – to be released in Bristol 19 on March You can get full details and register for all those events here. If you're a Geordie, I strongly recommend you come to the housing event in Newcastle, as the glorious comandante – our very own Mark Ferguson – will be speaking at it. Did you know he was named one of the most well-connected men in the UK by GQ recently? GQ stands for "Gentlemen's Quarterly," so do expect Mark to arrive in a perfectly-tailored suit and then challenge you to a game of billiards afterwards. Every election some breathless commentator announces "this is the most important election ever!" Readers of LabourList, let me be that commentator. THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT ELECTION EVER. Let's get our facts right. A version of this article appeared in LabourList on 12 February 2014.  |
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