Women's Views on News |
| Sexual violence in schools inquiry ends Posted: 14 Jul 2016 02:27 PM PDT
The Women and Equalities Committee held the final evidence session of its inquiry into Sexual Harassment and Sexual Violence in Schools with evidence from three Ministers. Karen Bradley MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office; Caroline Dinenage MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Women and Equalities and Family Justice, Department for Education and Edward Timpson MP, Minister of State for Children and Families, Department for Education spoke on 12 July 2016. To hear what they said, click here. During the course of the inquiry the Committee heard how sexual harassment is a routine and everyday occurrence in many schools in both England and Wales. Statistics received from Girlguiding UK showed that 59 per cent of girls and young women aged 13-21 had faced some form of sexual harassment at school or college in the past year. And research by Bristol Public Health found that “sexual bullying, sexism and harassment are normalised, everyday occurrences” that are often positioned as “a joke” and therefore not reported. The Committee also heard from students themselves about the barriers young people face to reporting incidences of sexual harassment. As one anonymous submission to the inquiry revealed: “I have been experiencing this kind of harassment my whole life. [As a child], I learned to equate aggression and cruelty with affection…to hate my body for making [boys] do this to me…and that complaining about sexual harassment is silly and makes you look like a typical ‘oversensitive’ female.” Given the weight of evidence submitted to the inquiry on the prevalence of sexual harassment in schools, the Committee wasvto ask ministers if enough was being done by Government to tackle this serious issue. The Committee was also to ask ministers whether they will commit to making personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education and sex and relationships education (SRE) compulsory subjects. Evidence supplied to the Committee has overwhelmingly demonstrated that compulsory PSHE/SRE could play a significant role in reducing levels of sexual harassment and sexual violence in and ouside school. As Laura Bates, from the Everyday Sexism Project, explained to the Committee: “All the evidence I have seen suggests that the single most effective measure to tackle this problem would be the introduction of compulsory sex and relationships education on issues such as sexual consent, online pornography, healthy relationships and gender stereotypes in all schools, including coverage of LGBTQ identities and rights, starting from primary school level.” Ministers were also asked to explain how the Government planned to address the impact of the increased availability of pornography on young people’s attitudes to sexual relationships and consent. The chair of the Women and Equalities Committee, Maria Miller, said: “The evidence we have received shows that the problem of sexual harassment in schools is widespread and is not being adequately tackled. "We want to hear exactly what the Government plans to do to ensure that schools, teachers, parents and young people are able to work together to address this issue.” Data published in September 2015 showed that 5,500 sexual offences were recorded in UK schools over a three-year period, including 600 rapes. And a 2010 YouGov poll of 16-18 year olds found 29 per cent of girls experienced unwanted sexual touching at school and a further 71 per cent said they heard sexual name-calling towards girls at school daily or a few times per week. In 2015 Girlguiding UK found that 75 per cent of girls and young women said anxiety about potentially experiencing sexual harassment affects their lives in some way. The same survey found that 90 per cent of young women aged 13-21 agree that the government should make sure all schools are addressing sexual harassment and bullying in schools. Women's groups, parenting website Mumsnet and 17 named Girlguides also urged the MPs on the Women and Equalities Select Committee to press Ministers hard on why schools are failing when they questioned them on 12 July during the final hearing of their inquiry into sexual harassment and sexual violence in schools. Mumsnet has long campaigned for more attention to these issues and for Sex and Relationships education (SRE) to be made compulsory in schools. Girlguiding produces an annual survey of girls' attitudes to many areas of life and this regularly highlights the way sexism and harassment at school holds girls back. In an open letter, women's groups, Mumsnet and the Girlguides – once more – drew attention to the alarming levels of sexual harassment and sexual violence in schools: a third of girls have been 'groped' at school and police have recorded a rape on school premises on average every day of the school year. As Mumsnet and the Girlguides pointed out when they gave evidence to MPs, this is far worse than any adult woman is expected to put up with in the workplace. They called on the Committee to ask the three Ministers to be questioned why current practice aimed at preventing this behaviour is failing and to press them on commitments to making Sex and Relationships Education compulsory, to reviewing schools' safeguarding guidance and teacher training and school leadership in this area. The End Violence Against Women Coalition, and many of its members, have also submitted evidence to the Inquiry, highlighting the scale and everyday nature of the problem, and how safeguarding guidance is inadequate. The full text of the letter and names of the signatories: Today [12 July] Parliament's Women and Equalities Select Committee will question Government Ministers on their approach to dealing with endemic levels of sexual assaults on and harassment of girls at school in England. A YouGov poll revealed that a third of girls had experienced 'groping' while at school, and that most heard sexual name-calling (including "slut" and "slag") frequently. A BBC Freedom of Information investigation last year revealed that more than 5,500 sexual assaults, including 600 rapes at schools, were recorded by the police in a three year period. There is enormous concern about young people’s exposure to pornography and its impact on their attitudes to sex. Boys are also abused and bullied at school, especially those who do not conform to the straight 'norm', but girls are disproportionately victims of assaults and harassment. Many girls at school are experiencing an environment that adult women no longer have to tolerate in decent workplaces. Too many girls drop out of school after serious sexual assaults and some never return to education. This should shock and horrify all of us. We hope MPs will question Ministers today on why current measures on bullying and safeguarding are failing to deter and prevent this behaviour. They need to ask why guidance to schools, and Ofsted's inspection regime in this area, seem to be inadequate. Ministers need to commit to using every means necessary to tackle this problem including introducing compulsory Sex and Relationships Education, reviewing safeguarding guidance to schools, improving teacher training and empowering school leaders to make eradicating this behaviour a top priority. Yours, Justine Roberts, founder, Mumsnet; Rachel Krys, co-director, End Violence Against Women Coalition and Katie Horsburgh, Girlguiding Advocate Panel; Elena Veris Reynolds, Girlguiding Advocate Panel; Niamh Griffin, Girlguiding Advocate Panel; Charlotte Elizabeth Forrester, Girlguiding Advocate Panel; Mathilde Tranter, Girlguiding Advocate Panel; Larissa Kennedy, Girlguiding Advocate Panel; Ashvini Rae, Girlguiding Advocate Panel; Susanna McGuinness, Girlguiding Advocate Panel; Hannah Brisbane, Girlguiding Advocate Panel; Victoria Jenkinson, Girlguiding Advocate Panel; Abiee Harris, Girlguiding Advocate Panel; Katherine Bradfield, Girlguiding Advocate Panel; Hannah Stubbs, Girlguiding Advocate Panel; Annabel Davies-Ray, Girlguiding Advocate Panel; Emma Cooper, Girlguiding Advocate Panel; Olivia Taylor, Girlguiding Advocate Panel; Maria Angelica Fernandes, Girlguiding Advocate Panel; and Pragna Patel, Director, Southall Black Sisters; Dawn Thomas and Dianne Whitfield Co-Chairs, Rape Crisis England and Wales; Polly Neate, Chief Executive of Women's Aid; Naomi Dickson, Chief Executive, Jewish Women’s Aid; Sam Smethers, Chief Executive, Fawcett Society; David Bartlett Chief Executive Officer White Ribbon Campaign UK; Jacqui Hunt, Director, Europe office, Equality Now; Gurpreet Virdee, Director of Operations and Development, Women and Girls Network; Vivienne Hayes MBE, CEO Women’s Resource Centre; Donna Covey CBE, Director, and Jo Sharpen, Policy Manager, AVA; Dr Madeline Coy, London Metropolitan University; Eleri Butler, Chief Executive, Welsh Women’s Aid; Nicole Jacobs, CEO, Standing Together Against Domestic Violence; Jo Todd, CEO, Respect; Dr Helen Mott, Bristol Fawcett and The Intervention Initiative; Sophie Bennett Co-Director UK Feminista; Nicola Sharp-Jeffs, Director, Surviving Economic Abuse; Cullagh Warnock, Regional Co-ordinator, North East End Violence Against Women and Girls Network. Rachel Krys, co-director of the End Violence Against Women Coalition, EVAW, said: "The breadth of our signatories, who include 17 young women not long out of school and leading parenting community Mumsnet, shows the enormous concern and alarm about the everyday reality of harassment and much worse faced by girls in schools all over the country. "We need to hear Ministers explain why current policy and practice seems unable to prevent this behaviour, and we need commitments to radical change. "The new Prime Minister, Theresa May, has driven action to tackle violence against women and girls and we hope she will want to see this issue prioritised." You can help too, by contacting your MP and asking them to ask in the House of Commons exactly what the government plans to do to ensure that schools, teachers, parents and young people will be able to work together to address this issue – and when.  |
| Posted: 14 Jul 2016 01:35 PM PDT
The TUC hosted a meeting of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) at Congress House in London on 11 July. The meeting, which was made up of leaders from trade unions and confederations from throughout Europe, was their first chance to discuss the challenges faced by workers in Britain and the European Union following the UK's vote to leave the European Union (EU), known as Brexit. The leaders called for national governments and the EU to tackle the root causes of local people's concerns" regarding migration, including "action to stop wage undercutting and ensure that workers doing the same job, in the same workplace, get the same pay". They also agreed that "negotiations on Brexit … should not undermine the foundation of the European Union: a single market based on free movement and commonly applied rules that protect workers, consumers and the environment"; Also that "there should be no postponement or suspension of action to create a fairer and more equal Europe, to create more and better jobs, to re-balance economic governance with strong social and progressive fiscal policies"; That the EU needs "to deliver on sustainable growth, quality jobs and hope for the future" and end austerity if it is to tackle the "anger and disillusionment of voters", which the leaders note "is not confined to the UK"; And “the EU must be relaunched with reforms that promote transparency, democracy, equality and decent working and living standards for all”. In a joint statement, the trade union leaders affirmed their ongoing commitment to "commonly applied rules that protect workers, consumers and the environment". The statement also identified a need for the EU "to deliver on sustainable growth, quality jobs and hope for the future" if it is to tackle the "anger and disillusionment of voters" which the leaders note "is not confined to the UK". The ETUC’s General Secretary Luca Visentini said: "The European trade union movement is determined to promote and protect the interests of working people through the negotiations on a new relationship between the EU and the UK." And the TUC’s General Secretary Frances O'Grady said: "Many British people work in Europe, as well as lots of EU migrants working in the UK. It's vital we work together to protect their rights to remain in their current countries of work and residence. "We warned throughout the referendum campaign that Brexit would put workers' rights at risk. "Our allies in European unions want to help us protect those rights, both because of their solidarity with British workers and because they do not want a nation on the EU's doorstep undercutting them with weaker rights. "Leaving the EU does not mean weakening our alliances with European unions – in fact they will be more important than ever. "We will continue to strive for stronger social and workers' rights in Europe, and a future trading relationship between Britain and the EU that ensures our workers keep the same guaranteed workplace rights as EU workers." According to new polling published by the TUC on 13 July, two-thirds (66 per cent) of voters want a cross-party team of politicians, employers and trade unions to negotiate Brexit. The poll – of 2,716 adults – found that both Remain (69 per cent) and Leave (65 per cent) overwhelmingly believe that politicians (from across the House of Commons), business people and unions should all play a key role in talks. Only one in ten (10 per cent) voters favour the government acting unilaterally. However, the majority (52 per cent) of respondents think Nigel Farage should have no role in Brexit negotiations, with fewer than one in three (32 per cent) supporting his attendance. Other key findings from the poll include: Brexit was a verdict on elites as much as the EU. More than two-thirds of Leave voters (71 per cent) said politicians, business leaders and other members of the 'establishment' had "let most ordinary people down". Among Remain voters this number drops to 54 per cent; Although immigration was important, the vote was not all about immigration. A quarter of Leave voters (28 per cent) did not regard immigration as one of their three most important reasons for voting to leave. Overall, just 43 per cent of voters said immigration was one of the most important considerations in deciding their vote; Concern about immigration has fallen since 2013. The proportion of people who think "it is essential for the immigration system to reduce the number of migrants coming to Britain" is down from 73 per cent to 62 per cent; and The EU referendum campaign increased support for free movement. In March, voters were against free movement by a margin of 8 points; in June they were in favour by 8 points. The vast majority of Remain and Leave voters also back post-Brexit policies of safeguarding vital rights like maternity leave (73 per cent of Remain and 69 per cent of Leave voters) and maintaining protection against discrimination at work (80 per cent of Remain voters and 77 per cent of Leave voters). Similarly to other recent polling, the TUC's poll found that the public overwhelmingly backs the right of current EU migrants to stay in the UK: nearly two-thirds of voters (64 per cent) think EU nationals currently living and working in the UK should be guaranteed the right to remain. Frances O'Grady said: "These findings show that people chose how to vote at the referendum for a range of reasons. It was not a straightforward call for immediate exit from the EU without a plan. "That's why I am today calling for reflection before Article 50 is triggered. "The British people are clear. Leaving the EU must be done carefully, and with the involvement of people from across British society – unions and businesses as well as politicians from all parties. "We need a proper plan for life outside the EU. If we rush, lasting damage will be done to our economy and to the livelihoods of working people. "Our poll shows that many voters feel let down by political elites and want more control over their lives – be it more security at work, better jobs in their area or fairer pay. The new Prime Minister must listen, and make sure that Brexit negotiations deliver the best deal possible for working people." And the TUC has published a brief post-Brexit action plan, with the title 'Working people must not pay the price for the vote to leave the EU: an action plan to protect the economy, jobs and workers' rights', which can be read here.  |
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