Women's Views on News |
- Killing Palestinian civilians: deplorable
- Maternity Leave Directive blocked
- New Bill in attempt to save the NHS
| Killing Palestinian civilians: deplorable Posted: 02 Jul 2015 01:55 AM PDT
Seven in 10 of those killed in Israel's 50-day military offensive against Gaza in 2014 were civilians: 551 children, 299 women. The Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) recently delivered a statement calling on the member states of the Human Rights Council to adequately transform the findings of the Commission of Inquiry report on the 2014 Gaza conflict into tangible and effective accountability mechanisms that would bring justice to Palestinian victims. It also highlights the importance of incorporating a gendered analysis to the conflict, whereby Palestinian women are given the opportunity to deliver their analyses and recommendations at the international level. The statement on the accountability for human rights violations in Palestine was presented on behalf of the Palestinian Women National Coalition of 1325 to the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC) reads: Since its creation in 2006, member states of the Human Rights Council (HRC) have passed fifty-seven resolutions condemning human rights violations of Palestinians and requiring immediate and urgent action from the State of Israel. It has also established a number of independent inquiries or fact-finding missions to investigate abuses, including extreme military actions, committed by Israel against the people whose territory it occupies. Nonetheless, even as the HRC notes and condemns on-going human rights violations and acknowledges the deteriorating situation in the Occupied State of Palestine particularly in besieged Gaza, there has been no corresponding translation into real obligations by member states to ensure that Israel, the occupying power, is held accountable for these violations. As a result, the HRC has done nothing to prevent further abuses and consistently fails to protect the Palestinian people. The recent Report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territory released 22 January 2015 offers a strong statement about the effects of Israel's human rights violations on the Palestinian people, making specific mention of the impacts of the 50-day 2014 Israeli-wide scale military offensive, "Operation Protective Edge", against besieged Gaza. UN figures indicate that 551 children and 299 women are among those who were killed in this military offensive or, as the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights concludes, 7 in 10, or 76 per cent of victims, were civilians. While these numbers speak volumes about the scale of the devastation and the enormous price paid by civilians, even these numbers cannot do justice to the intensity of human suffering or reveal how the conflict post trauma, will continue to impact on Palestinians, specially women and children, both those living in Gaza and outside the Strip – for months and years to come. The specifically gendered impacts of the on-going conflict have received little public attention. Palestinian women's organisations remain a lone voice arguing that women's experiences of daily insecurity – whether in their families or in the public sphere – qualify them to bring a different analysis, discourse and set of solutions. Women's organisations are also among the few who remind the international community that human rights are not selective: they apply to all people at all times regardless of nationality, race, religion or gender and must be applied without discrimination or prejudice, especially given the extreme vulnerability of a people displaced and controlled through prolonged military occupation. The images that were seen around the world almost a year ago showed the full impacts of the destruction in Gaza on ordinary civilians, particularly on women. Hundreds of thousands around the globe stood in solidarity with Palestinians, demonstrating and calling on their governments to take action to protect the population of Gaza. They expected a full response from the member states gathered here today. Yet their hopes for justice have not been met. To date it is clear that exigencies of political and economic allegiance have overridden human rights obligations in the HRC some of the positions adopted here seek to justify violence, further to justify or protect the impunity of Israel. Member states are effectively doing nothing – either to prevent the conflict from deepening even further, or to take concrete measures of accountability that will save lives. While pursuing its policy of denying full and free access to the Commission of Inquiry as to other human rights mandates established by the Council and violating its duty and responsibility as a member state to respect and protect human rights, Israel, in its report "The 2014 Gaza Conflict: Factual and Legal Aspects", released on Sunday June 14th, abrogates its responsibilities as a UN Member State, excusing its military for committing war crimes and defending its continuous violation of international law. The report seeks to maintain Israel's apparent impunity from prosecution and is intended to pre-empt any independent investigation that would lead to sanctions or any other effective response. Its goal is to discredit and undermine the findings of the Commission of Inquiry report on Gaza even before it is officially released. Obligations to implement WPS agenda It is the collective responsibility of the international community to ensure women's protection and security in accordance with UNSCR 1325, 2122 and CEDAW GR30, to take seriously what women advise and to act on the new ideas and observations they present. Yet nothing has changed on the ground. As Palestinian women have repeatedly observed, this inaction marks yet another set of broken promises and failed assurances. It seems to indicate that this Council is not capable of producing the political will necessary to uphold and protect universal human rights without bias. Intent, once more, on reminding this Council of its obligations, Palestinian women national coalition reiterate the recommendations they made at the 26th session of the Human Rights Council. They remain firm in their position that the mind-set of the member states of this Council must change, and that all the necessary means and available mechanisms to address on-going human rights violations – as a collective responsibility of the States gathered here today – must be brought to put an end to Israel impunity and ensure ways and means to protect civilians. Member states have the duty to guarantee the fulfilment of Palestinian human rights including their right to freedom and self-determination by bringing an end to the military occupation of Palestine and the unceasing violence with which it is maintained and deepened. Continued failure to act will only increase extremism, violence and insecurity in the occupied State of Palestine, Israel and in neighbouring countries, including those that have harboured Palestinian refugees for decades and are under increasing strain to maintain their protection of the world's oldest refugee population. This Council has the mandate, and must produce the political will, to act decisively, to end Israeli impunity, to safeguard Palestinians, and to signal to the world that upholding human rights brings hope and human security. Recommendations: 1. The only way to achieve sustainable peace and security is for Israel, the occupying Power, to end its prolonged occupation, in accordance with international law and relevant United Nations resolutions. We, the Palestinian women organisations of the National Coalition, urge member states to use all necessary efforts to ensure the ending of the Occupation, including the provision of immediate international protection for all civilian population in the Occupied State of Palestine; 2. High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention affirmed in their declaration of 17 December 2014 that "no violation of international humanitarian law by any party to a conflict can relieve the other party from its own obligations under international humanitarian law." All members of the international community must take immediate action and implement effective punitive measures in order to hold Israel accountable for its violations of international law. Legal accountability must be sought including through the International Criminal Court. We urge the Government of Switzerland and contracting parties, to ensure convening a Conference of the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention without further delay to take adequate measures to insure Israel's obedience to the Fourth Convention and First Additional Protocol; 3. We perceive recommendations of the Independent, International Commission of Inquiry, as an additional step towards accountability of the Israeli violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law in the Occupied State of Palestine. We, the national Palestinian women coalition call on all member states of the Human Rights Council to ensure that the findings of the Commission form a base for developing immediate concrete adequate accountability measures to prevent the recurrence of Israeli crimes and provide justice for Palestinian victims; 4. As the situation in Gaza worsens, with fully 70 per cent of the population now entirely dependent on humanitarian aid, we Palestinian women reiterate our concern that the situation will deteriorate further. The international community must sanction Israel for continuing to violate humanitarian law by refusing to lift the ongoing siege on Gaza and for pursuing its policies of demolitions of houses, evictions, expanding settlements and forcible transfer of Palestinian community in West Bank and East Jerusalem and ensure the rights of mobility, free access and movement from and to Occupied Palestinian territory for people and goods; 5. We call for accountability for arbitrary detention and the ill treatment of detainees notably children and women. 6. We urgently call on the international community to ensure women's protection and security in accordance with UNSR 1325, 2122 and CEDAW GR30. We call upon the United Nations Member States and the Human Rights Council to ensure immediate action for reconstruction in Gaza, to hold Israel accountable for the destruction and to guarantee the prevention of any further destruction perpetrated by the occupying power. Israel must compensate all those who are affected. In the process of reconstruction, the international community should see to it that Israel would not profit from the reconstruction operation in any way. We also urgently call for the consultation and inclusiveness of women and a holistic gender perspective the reconstruction process. 8. We, the Palestinian women organizations, urge the Human Rights Council to support and hold a special session on the human rights situation of Palestinian women both under occupation and in refugee camps. The member organisations of the Palestinian Women National Coalition of 1325 are: The General Union of Palestinian Women (GUPW). The Women's Affairs technical committee (WATC), Palestinian Working Woman Society for development (PWWSD), The Palestinian Initiative for the Promotion of Global Dialogue and Democracy (MIFTAH), Filastinyat, Women Media and development (TAM), Women Studies center, Women's Center for legal aid and counseling (WACLAC) The National, YWCA of-Palestine. The Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) is an international non-governmental organisation (NGO) with National Sections covering every continent, an International Secretariat based in Geneva, and a New York office focused on the work of the United Nations (UN). Since its establishment in 1915, WILPF has brought together women from around the world who are united in working for peace by non-violent means and promoting political, economic and social justice for all. WILPF's approach is always non-violent, and we use existing international legal and political frameworks to achieve fundamental change in the way states conceptualise and address issues of gender, militarism, peace and security. WILPF has found that its strength lies in its ability to link the international and local levels, and WILPF is proud to be one of the first organisations to gain consultative status (category B) with the United Nations, and the only women's anti-war organisation so recognised. And War on Want has just launched its new report ‘Arming Apartheid’, along with the Campaign Against Arms Trade and Palestine Solidarity Campaign UK. They are demanding that the UK government #StopArmingIsrael now. A year after Israel’s attack on Gaza last summer, the UK government continues selling weapons to, and buying them from, Israel. In 2014 alone, the UK government approved export licences for over £11.6 million worth of military goods to go to Israel, with full knowledge that they are used to enforce Israel’s Occupation. Join the campaign to end this deadly arms trade. Read the report, order a copy and take action. Thanks.  |
| Maternity Leave Directive blocked Posted: 02 Jul 2015 01:27 AM PDT
While it may have been on the cards for some time, the actual official announcement on 1 July by Commission Vice-President Timmermans to withdraw the Maternity Leave Directive is one more sign that the European Union (EU) and its Member States are failing women in Europe. The aim of the draft directive was to strengthen women's rights by ensuring 20 weeks of fully paid maternity leave across the European Union, and make sure women are protected upon their return to work. The withdrawal of the Maternity Leave Directive is yet another example of a failure by the leadership of the EU to take positive action for women's rights and gender equality in Europe. The announcement comes a week after the launch of the second Gender Equality Index of the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE). This index shows that in the past 10 years, progress in achieving equality between women and men has stagnated across Europe and in some countries even regressed. Overall, women are still only halfway to equality and continue to earn 16 per cent on average less than men. It is often at the moment of childbirth that the gender pay gap begins, with life-long and often irreversible consequences, including a 39 per cent pension gap and higher levels of poverty as women age. Despite existing laws that protect pregnant workers, the EWL sees that more and more women today are experiencing discrimination in the work place as a direct result of pregnancy and parenthood. Clearly, the withdrawal of the Maternity Leave Directive from the legislative process also seriously undermines the democratic process of the European Parliament's adopted position of 2010. Women make up more than half of the population and their rights are not red tape to be negotiated in a 'better regulation' scheme which deprioritises ourr work, ourr salaries and fails to act to put a stop to the discrimination we face. The EWL is worried about the replacement of the Maternity Leave Directive with a Roadmap as it carries the risk of diluting women's rights and equality between women and men through a soft law approach. The EWL and its members will continue to call for stringent legislative measures grouped in an ambitious new EU Strategy for Equality between women and men post 2015. Equality between Women and Men is a founding value of the EU and yet progress has stagnated. A new strategy should set out clear, accountable commitments for EU action to address this persisting inequality and connected to the new global post-2015 framework – the sustainable development goals. EWL's campaign #DeliverNow has been running since October last year and has pushed for the strengthening of women's rights, their protection during pregnancy and their return to work through a full paid statutory rights to maternity leave, as well as paid paternity leave. Withdrawing the Maternity Leave Directive Joanna Maycock, the EWL’s Secretary General, said, "sends a very bad message to women and men in Europe about how much the EU can do to support working women and families in their everyday struggle for a decent work-life balance. "The European Commission and the Member States must take action to show their commitment to invest in women's rights in Europe, if gender equality is to become a reality for all women and men in Europe." And as she said, the time to do that is now. The European Women's Lobby (EWL) is the largest umbrella organisation of women's associations in the European Union working to promote women's rights and equality between women and men. EWL membership extends to organisations in all 28 EU member states and three candidate countries, as well as to 21 European-wide bodies, representing a total of more than 2000 organisations. The proposed Maternity Leave Directive, which was adopted democratically by a large majority of the European Parliament in its first reading on 20 October 2010, has been blocked by Member State governments (Council) for over three years despite ongoing attempts to find a negotiated position and subsequent decision which never materialised. It would have been an all-encompassing set of proposals to strengthen the rights of pregnant workers and women returning to work following childbirth and/or who are breastfeeding. These were to include, up to 20 weeks fully paid leave, a mandatory six-week rest period before or after birth whenever they choose, extension of the same rights to domestic workers and adoptive mothers, specific measures for multiple births and disabilities, protection from dismissal for six months, protection from imposed night shifts and overtime and flexibility for breastfeeding mothers. In addition, a two-week fully paid paternity leave provision was included in the European Parliament's adopted position, which bridged the gap in relation to paternity leave (also available to same sex couples) as there is no European Directive on this form of leave. It should also be noted that a passerelle clause was included for countries where a strong parental leave framework is in place, which means that the reality of the situation in different countries is taken into account and that women who are pregnant, have given birth and/or who are breastfeeding have the same rights throughout the European Union. The proposal to withdraw the proposed Maternity Leave Directive, as a gesture of 'legislative management' was included in the Regulatory Fitness and Performance Programme (REFIT) in 2014. But despite everyone’s efforts to find a compromise including with the European Parliament and the Council, the Commission will withdraw the Maternity Leave Directive at the end of July and replace it with a general Roadmap. To see the EWL Maternity Leave Campaign #delivernow click here.  |
| New Bill in attempt to save the NHS Posted: 02 Jul 2015 12:42 AM PDT
By Caroline Lucas. The cross-party NHS Reinstatement Bill which was backed last week by the British Medical Association, [the BMA], seeks to reinstate the NHS based on its founding principles and rid our health service of the inefficiencies and fragmentation of the market. The creeping marketisation of our NHS began in 1990 when trusts were created as atomised accounting centres, every trust to operate as if it were a separate business. This was then developed by Alan Milburn (the Labour Health Secretary) in 2003, who took the model even further with foundation trusts and Independent Sector Treatment Centres. The 2012 Health and Social Care Act went still further by handing the private sector unprecedented access to NHS markets. In an excellent article for this website Paul Evans revealed, just before the election, that over the last year private firms have won £3.5bn worth of new clinical contracts – an increase of 500 per cent on the previous year. Each year, more and more NHS contracts are forced out to tender and the private sector hoover up the profitable stuff. Why wouldn’t they. Cherry picking might make good business sense for private firms but it is very bad news for our NHS. Private firms grab the predictable and lucrative work, thus depriving the NHS of vital income and training opportunities. Orthopaedics departments in the NHS are a good case in point. They have traditionally had surgeons who carry out both emergency operations, on a broken leg, for example, and at other times they do elective work, such as hip or knee replacements. But recent research by Professor Tim Briggs, a consultant orthopaedic surgeon shows that NHS trusts in England are typically losing between 10-40 per cent of their elective workload to other providers – while keeping the more expensive emergency work. Not only that, the corporate lawyers have been through the contracts to make it clear that when there are complications in an elective procedure, the NHS sorts it out. "The private providers don't readmit their emergencies, and that is putting all the risk on the trust," says Briggs. The loss of expertise means people with shoulder fractures may have to wait for treatment at another centre because the surgeon in trauma hasn’t had enough experience of elective shoulder replacement to give them the confidence they need to deal with the problem locally. That is worse for the patient and more expensive for the NHS. So private sector involvement does not magically create greater efficiency – quite the opposite. On top of the inefficiency created by private sector involvement in healthcare we face the looming threat of the services the NHS must provide being cut. Under the 2012 Act, the list of services that foundation trusts must provide after April 2016 will be reduced compared with the list they must provide now – that is the expectation of Monitor (the expensive regulator that marketisation of the NHS demands). There is a serious danger that the NHS in England will be whittled down to a core service. Critically, in reinstating the NHS, from the bottom up and without imposing yet another top-down reorganisation, the Bill tackles the waste of administering the artificial internal market that has been created over the last 25 years and the situation post-2012 which forces NHS contracts out to tender. Our Bill, guided by the principles of the 1946 Act, would both reverse the costly marketisation we've seen and re-instate the Secretary of State's duty to provide services. Now, more than ever, faced with five years of a Tory Government, we must stand together and fight for the NHS we believe in. Just last week we saw local people in Cornwall stop the privatisation of pathology services at their local hospital-and these fights are happening up and down the country. People fighting in local communities need a response from those of us in Parliament. Labour, known for so long as the party of the NHS, now has a real opportunity to go beyond political tribalism and back this cross-party bill to save our NHS. Already one of the leadership candidates for Labour, Jeremy Corbyn, has backed the bill: I hope the others will show the same vision and follow suit. Since its inception our NHS has never been in greater danger. MPs in Parliament who believe in a truly public NHS must now do all we can to save our health service by backing this bill. Caroline Lucas is Green MP for Brighton Pavilion. A version of this article appeared in Open Democracy on 1 July 2015. A petition in support the passage of the NHS Reinstatement Bill has been set up: please sign and share.  |
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