Women's Views on News |
- Tribunal fees still blocking justice
- Sharia Councils: what women want
- University UK’s taskforce report out
| Tribunal fees still blocking justice Posted: 10 Nov 2016 07:11 AM PST
The TUC has joined other groups who have been condemning the steep tribunal fees introduced in 2013 which can cost between £390 and £1,200 and now allow bad bosses to get away with discrimination and unfair treatment. Figures published by the TUC recently show that the number of working people challenging discrimination or unfair treatment at work has fallen by 9,000 a month since charges of up to £1,200 came in. The analysis shows that in the period from 2012-13, the year before tribunal fees were introduced, on average 16,000 people per month took a claim against their employer to tribunal. But in 2015-16, the average number of people taking claims had dropped to 7,000 a month. This includes a drop of nearly three-quarters – 73 per cent – for unfair dismissal claims. There have also been sharp falls in challenges over sex discrimination which are down 71 per cent, race discrimination – down 58 per cent, and disability discrimination – down 54 per cent. The TUC says the figures show that a key mechanism established to stamp out discrimination and stop unfair sackings is broken, allowing discrimination to "flourish unchecked". The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) was due to publish a review on the impact of this level of fees by the end of 2015. However, nearly a year on, nothing has happened. Although in June 2016 the Justice Select Committee, after a review of court and tribunal fees, concluded "the regime of employment tribunal fees has had a significant adverse impact on access to justice for meritorious claims" and "if there were to be a binary choice between income from fees and preservation of access to justice, the latter must prevail as a matter of broader public policy." The TUC says the Ministry of Justice’s review must be published urgently – and is also calling on Prime Minister Theresa May and the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Phillip Hammond, to abolish fees in this month's Autumn Statement due to be presented in the House of Commons on 23 November 2016. Referring to the new figures, the TUC's General Secretary, Frances O'Grady, said: "These figures show a huge drop in workers seeking justice when they've been unfairly treated. "Now bosses know they can get away with it, discrimination at work can flourish unchecked and people can be sacked without good reason. "The evidence is there for all to see. These fees – of up to £1200, even if you're on the minimum wage – are pricing out thousands each month from pursuing cases. "Theresa May has repeatedly said she wants to govern for ordinary working people. Here is a perfect opportunity. "She could reverse employment tribunal fees, and make sure workers can challenge bad employers in court."  |
| Sharia Councils: what women want Posted: 10 Nov 2016 07:08 AM PST
The Muslim Women's Network UK (MWNUK) published an open letter earlier this month regarding the current ongoing Shariah Council inquiries. The letter is aimed at the government and also the Home Affairs Select Committee. Both are investigating the treatment of Muslim women by Shariah Councils. To read the full letter click here. The letter’s signatories urge the government and the Select Committee to prioritise the voices of Muslim women, as they must be at the forefront of informing the solutions that must work for them. This is an unprecedented move. The letter has been signed by over 100 Muslim women from across the religious spectrum from 34 towns and cities, and includes lawyers, health professionals, academics, community activists and others from a range of other professions as well as students and homemakers. Two thirds of the signatories know someone – a family member, friend or client – who has used a shariah divorce service, 25 per cent have used one themselves and others want the option should they need it. They say that despite sometimes traumatic experiences, most Muslim women do not want Shariah Councils to be shut down and instead want them to raise their standards. They also want the government to ensure there is accountability and to strengthen civil law so that Muslim women are less reliant on Shariah Councils for divorce, which would make most of them naturally redundant in the future anyway. The full range of solutions has been listed in a comprehensive report produced by MWNUK: 'Information and Guidance on Muslim Marriage and Divorce in Britain.' Solutions could include making civil marriage compulsory prior to a religious marriage as not all Muslim women are in legally recognised marriages. Then in most cases a civil divorce could then be recognised as an Islamic divorce and be something that Shariah Councils should also accept too rather than put women through the trauma of another divorce process. Making a civil marriage compulsory could also reduce – and eventually eliminate – polygamy. The Divorce (Religious Marriages) Act in 2002 could be amended too, so it includes Muslim women, as it currently only applies to Jewish women. This would remedy the unbalanced bargaining power of the husband in some divorce cases where there is pressure to agree to unfair custodial and financial demands during the civil divorce in return for not contesting a religious divorce. The judge would be able to withhold finalising the civil divorce until the woman received her religious divorce from the husband. Shaista Gohir, chair of Muslim Women's Network UK, said: "Anyone advocating for the immediate shutting down of Shariah Councils are using women's rights as a guise to further their anti-faith agendas and do not represent the best interests of Muslim women. "Abolishing Shariah Councils would result in Muslim women being trapped in abusive marriages and drive divorce services underground, leading to even less transparency and more discrimination." "Muslim women are fed up of being used as political football and being treated like children," she continued. "Everyone wants to listen to Muslim women when highlighting their terrible experiences. However, when it comes to the solutions everyone thinks they know what is best for them."  |
| University UK’s taskforce report out Posted: 10 Nov 2016 06:21 AM PST
In recent years there has been evidence, much of it generated by the notable efforts of the National Union of Students (NUS), which shows that some students have experienced episodes of harassment, hate crime, or sexual violence, and that their university may not always have responded effectively. In recognition of this, and in response to a letter from the universities minister which asked Universities UK (UUK) to take action to address the issues raised, UUK established a Taskforce to examine violence against women, harassment and hate crime. The Taskforce consisted of university leaders, student representatives and academic experts and considered harassment in all its forms, but prioritised issues of sexual violence and harassment. Established in 2015, it met four times over a 12-month period and considered a vast range of evidence from individual universities, the National Union of Students (NUS) and other organisations including Rape Crisis, Tell MAMA, the Union of Jewish Students and Stonewall. The resulting report summarises the evidence considered regarding violence against women, harassment and hate crime affecting university students, and makes a series of recommendations for universities and UUK. These recommendations cover both prevention activities and how universities can respond to these issues more effectively in future. The report also includes a number of case studies from individual universities as well as links to key support agencies that can assist students who have experienced violence, harassment or hate crime. The Taskforce agreed that there are several steps that universities can take to promote and reinforce positive behaviour within the student population. These include making use of evidence-based bystander initiative programmes and facilitating a culture of zero tolerance. Such activity will have knock-on benefits for wider society given the large numbers of students who progress through the UK's higher education system. It also acknowledges that this initial work covered by the Taskforce does not capture the full breadth of issues that universities must seek to prevent and respond to effectively. This report therefore represents the completion of the first stage of what will be an ongoing programme of work for universities. The Taskforce recommended that all university leaders should afford tackling violence against women, harassment and hate crime priority status and dedicate appropriate resources to tackling it. The Taskforce also recommended that universities should: take an institution-wide approach to tackling violence against women, harassment and hate crime. (One way of adopting this institution-wide approach to responding to incidents of sexual violence is to use the points set out in chapter 5 of this report as a guide); provide their governing bodies with regular progress reports summarising what progress has been made towards adopting a cross-institution approach. This should include reporting on the resource made available and used to support an effective cross-institution approach, including any recommendations for additional resource; carry out a regular impact assessment of their approach; and involve their students' union in developing, maintaining and reviewing all elements of a cross-institution response. Looking at prevention, the Taskforce has recommended that universities should: adopt an evidence-based bystander intervention programme; ensure that partnership agreements between the student and the university highlight up-front the behaviours that are expected from all students as part of the university community, set out disciplinary sanctions and state the university's commitment to ensuring the safety and wellbeing of students; embed a zero-tolerance approach across all institutional activities including outreach activities with schools and further education colleges, engagement with local bars and nightclubs, student inductions (including international student inductions),and student information; and take meaningful steps to embed into their human resources processes (such as contracts, training, inductions) measures to ensure staff understand the importance of fostering a zero-tolerance culture and are empowered to take responsibility for this. Regarding response, the Taskforce recommends that universities should: develop a clear, accessible and representative disclosure response for incidents of sexual violence and rape, working with relevant external agencies where appropriate; take reasonable and practicable steps to implement a centralised reporting system; conduct a thorough assessment of which staff members need to be trained and what training needs to be provided. A clear, multi-tiered training strategy covering different types of incident can then be developed; build and maintain partnerships with local specialist services to ensure consistent referral pathways for students; and establish and maintain strong links with the local police and NHS in order to develop and maintain a strategic partnership to prevent and respond to violence against women, harassment and hate crime affecting students. To read the full report, click here.  |
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