THE UKPAC's FLAGSHIP PROJECT

  

 

 

There are five areas of concern under the UKPAC's umbrella Violence Against Women project:

1. Domestic Violence
2. Elder Abuse
3. Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)
4. Forced Marriages and 'honour' killings
5. Trafficking and the Sex Trade

By clicking on the above links, or at the foot of this page, where you'll see subpages, you will be taken to dedicated pages for each area of concern (plus a sixth for the United Nations). Do visit these pages often, as they are being continually updated.

 

LEAFLET ON WORK ON VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN

The UKPAC has produced a leaflet for clubs and Regions in the UK to use to promote their work to the media. They are available from us - free of charge - or can be downloaded and printed. The entire leaflet is in stark black and white and, if you do intend printing them off yourself, we would ask that you try to print them on good quality 100g paper for better effect.

We have also produced a sample letter (written by a member in SI Chelmsford) that can accompany the leaflet. We hope you make use of this, it is intended to raise the profile of the work that you do within your local communities.

 

 

IN THE NEWS

Government launches Forced Marriage consultation (12 December 2011)

Over the next 12 weeks the Home Office is seeking views on whether making forcing someone to marry should be a criminal offence in England and Wales, or whether current arrangements provide adequate protection. They are also interested in views on what more could be done to prevent forced marriage from happening. There are clear arguments both for and against making forced marriage a criminal offence. The consultation period ends on 30 March 2012.

Read the 22-page Forced Marriage Consultation Paper at the link.

 

All-Party Parliamentary Group on FGM launched (7 December 2011)

Jane Ellison MP was elected chairman of an All-Party Parliamentary Group on Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). The new Group, made up of over 50 MPs and Peers from all the main political parties, has been formed to raise awareness of FGM in the UK and overseas and to work with the Government and NGOs towards eradicating the harmful practice. The Group was addressed by Efua Dorkenoo OBE, Advocacy Director and expert on FGM from the charity Equality Now, who highlighted the main challenges that are faced in tackling the issue.

Speaking after the meeting, Jane said, "FGM is usually performed on minors and is recognised by the UN as a serious human rights violation, both here and overseas. The strong support that this new Group has received reflects the desire in Parliament for progress to be made on this issue. It was particularly encouraging to receive a statement of support for the new Group from Lynne Featherstone MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Home Office, who has FGM in her portfolio. I look forward to working with her and other Government Departments on this important issue."

Though FGM has been illegal in the UK since 1985, no one has ever been prosecuted under its FGM Acts (1985, 2003) even though reporting on FGM has actually increased.

All-Party Groups (APGs) are informal cross-party groups, run by and for the Members of the Commons and Lords, although many groups involve individuals and organisations from outside Parliament, such as Equality Now, in their administration and activities. APGs have no official status within Parliament.  

 

Increase in UK 'Honour' attacks  (3 December 2011)

A request from a women's rights group for information under the Freedom of Information Act has revealed that police in the UK recorded at least 2,823 so-called honour attacks last year. The request, by the Iranian and Kurdish Women's Rights Organisation (IKWRO) revealed that nearly 500 of these were in London. However a quarter of police forces in the country were unable or unwilling to provide stastistics. For more information on this story and on the work of IKWRO please go to their website.

 

New Law Against Forced Marriages comes into effect in Scotland (28 November 2011)

New legislation has come into force to protect people in Scotland from being married against their will. The law gives courts the power to issue protection orders which, if breached, could carry a two-year prison sentence.Men and women who are already victims of forced marriage are also being offered greater help.

The Forced Marriage (Protection and Jurisdiction) (Scotland) Act is the first in the UK to make it a criminal offence to breach an order. Courts can tailor the terms of the order to the needs of the victim, for example, making sure someone is taken to a safe place if in danger of being sent abroad for marriage. Existing powers to annul a forced marriage have also been reformed to make the process easier.

 

Preventing Violence Against Women and Girls (12 October 2011)

"Violence against women is not inevitable – through measures like raising awareness in schools and protecting women's organisations from funding cuts, we can help change attitudes and prevent abuse" says Caroline Lucas MP.Green Party leader, Go to the link to view the full text of her speech..

 

Metropolitan Police launch FGM film (4 July 2011)

From the Met's website: "The school summer holidays are approaching, bringing an increased risk of female genital mutilation (FGM) to over 6,000 young girls in London. The Metropolitan Police Service, in partnership with the Foreign & Commonwealth Office and Kids Taskforce, is today, Monday 4 July, launching a new teaching resource to help tackle this form of child abuse.

"The pack will be launched in South London and will see the first showing of 'Cut - Some Wounds Never Heal' a film by the Kids Taskforce and pupils at Lilian Baylis Technology School, Kennington. The hard-hitting film features model, author and human rights activist Waris Dirie, ITV's Dr Hilary Jones and other experts in dealing with FGM."

 

Arbitration Bill tabled in the Lords (7 June 2011)

A parliamentary Bill has been tabled in the House of Lords; the Arbitration and Mediation Services (Equality) Bill, was introduced on 7 June 2011 by Baroness Caroline Cox (Independent). The Bill addresses human rights issues and applies to all arbitration tribunals,

Lady Cox said: “Equality under the law is a core value of British justice. My Bill seeks to preserve that standard. I have no desire to interfere in the internal theological affairs of religious groups, and my Bill does not do that. My Bill seeks to stop parallel legal, or ‘quasi-legal’, systems taking root in our nation. Cases of criminal law and family law are matters reserved for our English courts alone. Through these proposals, I want to make it perfectly clear in the law that discrimination against women shall not be allowed within arbitration. I am deeply concerned about the treatment of Muslim women by Sharia Courts. We must do all that we can to make sure they are free from any coercion, intimidation or unfairness. There is considerable evidence that many women are suffering in many ways (such as domestic violence or unequal access to divorce) due to discriminatory practices in our country today and we cannot continue to condone this situation.”

You can read the full text of the Bill at this link. For background reading go to the websites of One Law for All or to Islamic Sharia Council

There is a long journey to be undertaken before any Bill can become an Act (Law). This Bill is only at its First Reading stage; there are ten more stages before it can receive the Royal Assent and become law. The Second Reading of the Bill has not yet been scheduled, but we will keep this page updated on any developments.
 

Home Office launches Violence Against Women Action Plan (8 March 2011)

On 8 March the Home Secretary, Theresa May, said, "Ending violence against women and girls is a priority for this government. On 25 November 2010, I set out our guiding principles in this area over the spending review period in a 'Call to end violence against women and girls' and announced that we will be committing Home Office funding of £28 million to fund specialist services in this area over the next four years. Today, to mark International Women’s Day, I am publishing a set of supporting actions (Action Plan) to realise our ambition in this area. This includes a full response to Baroness Stern’s review (Government response to Stern Review) into how rape cases are handled in England and Wales."

The Action Plan contains measures for central government to:

• prevent violence from happening by challenging the attitudes and behaviours which foster it and intervening early where possible to prevent it.
• provide adequate levels of support where violence does occur.
• work in partnership to obtain the best outcome for victims and their families.
• take action to reduce the risk to women and girls who are victims of these crimes and ensure that perpetrators are brought to justice.

Female genital mutilation guidelines
New guidelines on the Foreign and commonwealth office website support frontline professionals such as teachers, health professionals, police officers and social workers in preventing female genital mutilation (FGM). The guidelines:

• explain the complex issues around FGM
• identify the signs that girls and women may be at risk or who are dealing with the consequences of FGM
• set out the actions that professionals should take, often in conjunction with other agencies, to protect girls and women and offer them the support they need

Read the FGM guidelines at this link. 

Teenage relationship abuse
Earlier this year the Home Office ran a campaign to challenge the attitudes of teenagers to violence and abuse in relationships. Find out more about this campaign, including advice for school and teenagers.

 

Purple Teardrop Camaign launches Soroptimists 11-4-11 campaign

SI Poole's hugely successful anti-trafficking campaign has just launched their 11-4-11 campaign, eleven things that clubs in the UK can do to combat trafficking. Do go to the link for more information.

 

 

UN Women becomes fully operational (1 January 2011)

UN Women became fully operational on 1 January this year. Formed from the merging of four UN agencies and offices: the UN Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), the Division for the Advancement of Women (DAW), the Office of the Special Adviser on Gender Issues (OSAGI), and the UN International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women (UN-INSTRAW).

“UN Women will promote the interests of women and girls across the globe,” Ban Ki-moon

Official Launch

On 24 February there was the official launch in New York of UN Women. To read a transcript of the remarks of the new head of UN Women, former Chilean President, Ms Michelle Bachelet, click on the link.

 

Watch on YouTube the powerful video that was shown at the opening ceremony.

 

How will civil society be involved with UN Women?

Years of advocacy by the global women’s movement have been instrumental in the creation of UN Women. Civil society, in particular women’s organisations, such as Soroptimist International, play a vital role in promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment, and strong and dynamic relationships between UN Women and civil society partners in all parts of the world will be crucial in working towards the achievement these goals. As such, non-governmental organisation partners will have a strong voice in the priority-setting, policies and programmes of UN Women which, in turn, will provide support to women’s organisations and networks
 

The main roles of UN Women are:

• To support inter-governmental bodies, such as the Commission on the Status of Women, in their formulation of policies, global standards and norms.
• To help Member States to implement these standards, standing ready to provide suitable technical and financial support to those countries that request it and to forge effective partnerships with civil society.
• To hold the UN system accountable for its own commitments on gender equality, including regular monitoring of system-wide progress.UN Secretary-General's message on 25 November.

The first 100 days

On 24 January, the new head of UN Women, former Chilean President, Ms Michelle Bachelet, set out a 100-day action plan, embracing a full spectrum of issues from supporting national partners to promoting coherence within the UN system.

In his message on 25 November 2010, the International Day of Elimination of Violence against Women, the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, underlined that violence against women and girls has no place in any society. He welcomed countless efforts by the civil society, rights activitsts and individuals worldwide and called the business community to highlight the role it can play in women's empowerment all over the world. The full text of the UN Secretary General's message can be read at the link. 

 

Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Violence Against Women (CEDAW)

The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), adopted in 1979 by the UN General Assembly, is often described as an international bill of rights for women. It defines what constitutes discrimination against women and sets up an agenda for national action to end such discrimination. The Convention defines discrimination against women as "...any distinction, exclusion or restriction made on the basis of sex which has the effect or purpose of impairing or nullifying the recognition, enjoyment or exercise by women, irrespective of their marital status, on a basis of equality of men and women, of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the political, economic, social, cultural, civil or any other field." By accepting the Convention, States commit themselves to undertake a series of measures to end discrimination against women in all forms. For more information on the Convention, visit the website. 
 

UN Newsletter on Violence Against Women

Since October 2008 the UN has produced a quarterly newsletter, Words to Action, dealing with the subject of Violence Against Women and providing a wealth of information. The current and back numbers of these may be accessed at the link.

 

 

Matrix of Soroptimist work (updated October 2010)

The UKPAC has completed the most detailed analysis it has ever undertaken of the work being done around the UK on the subject of Violence Against Women. The outcome of this analysis is a detailed 24-page Matrix of the five aspects of VAW, Region by Region and club by club of work, across the country; from Easter Ross, our most northerly club in the Scotland North Region, to Jersey, in the South West and Channel Islands Region.

A copy of the updated Matrix has been sent to Theresa May, the Home Secretary and Minister for Women.

 

To view this document (it is a PDF so will download quickly) go to the above link or click on the front cover image above.

 

Go to the sub pages 

Within the sub-headings at the foot of the page you will find information on current events. For example, on 2 July 2010 the government's Forced Marriage Unit released figures that show a marked increase in the number of people willing to come forward to seek protection from forced marriages. By August last year the Unit has received 770 calls or emails. For the full story and to download a PDF of that report, click the link.

 

THE THOUGHTS BEHIND THE UKPAC'S FLAGSHIP PROJECT

We all work on a multitude of projects. Every year our clubs work on new Programme Action topics but sometimes this work can be random or uncoordinated. Every four years we had a new Programme Focus, and the emphasis changed again.

We on the UKPAC felt that we wanted to engage with a specific area of Programme Action work and continue with it for the foreseeable future.

The Committee agreed that it should be on the theme of violence against women; this would incorporate many areas, such as trafficking, domestic violence, FGM etc. As we do not feel that this subject will ever go away, it is intended that we will continue to work on this project on a permanent basis. We say “continue”, as many clubs are, or have been, already working on aspects of this for years. It is just that the UKPAC will now have an umbrella project, under which all this work will fall.

All your own work!

Let's be clear - we will not be taking any credit for club or Regional work that has been or will be done! The plan is to bring disparate themes of Programme Action together so that we all work for the same goal; bringing it under one roof as it were. To echo Past Federation President, Janet Garnons-Williams' theme for her year, Together We are Strong.

The UKPAC has direct access to government ministers and other influential people, and has representatives on a number of outside organisations; to be able to speak with one national voice on matters concerning violence against women is far more effective than many single voices.

This page will be dedicated to the work that is being done around the country on the subject, in the hope that a coordinated effort will produce results. Armed with the information we will lobby and draw media attention to the problems of violence that women face in the UK. And we will continue to produce literature (see above leaflet) and offer help and guidance for clubs and Regions.

For example, FGM (which, regrettably, happens all too often in this country, not just 'abroad') has been illegal in the UK for over 12 years but, incredibly, not one single prosecution has been made to date. Why? The practice certainly goes on here. This is an area in which we can lobby and question the government on its record. SI Tenby received a much deserved Good Practice Award from the Federation in November 2007 for the splendid work they have done, and continue to do in this field.

And there are clubs, right across the country, that have been doing sterling work - often in isolation - on trafficking or domestic violence. Pulling all these threads together will give us far more muscle.

 

Working with Partner organisations

Representing the membership of the British Isles as it does, the UKPAC is in a strong position to work in concert with outside organisations to increase the impact of our campaigns.
 

Stern Review

The Government Equalities Office (GEO) has released a PDF of the 157-page Stern Review of how reports of rape are handled in the UK. You can download this by clicking on the above link. Also available is the 30-page Interim Government's Response to the Stern Review.

 

NEWS

SI Yeovil's Bookmark

 

Baroness Glenys Kinnock takes on Violence Against Women overseas (March 2010)

On International Women's Day in 2010, Baroness Kinnock became the first Special Representative for tackling violence against women overseas. Then Prime Minister Gordon Brown announced the role coordinating the UK's efforts to tackling violence against women, working in particular with the United Nations to ensure international commitments are met and action is taken.

Baroness Kinnock will focus on coordinating UK efforts to tackle the problem, working across departments including DFID, the MOD and the FCO. The appointment is the first time such a dedicated responsibility has existed.

 

 

Ban Ki-moon launches UNiTE Network of Men Leaders (November 2009)

On 24 November, 2009, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon marked the 10th anniversary of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women by launching a Network of Men Leaders, a major new initiative bringing together current and former politicians, activists, religious and community figures to combat the global pandemic.

He said it was unacceptable that as many as 70% of women would experience some form of physical or sexual violence from men - mostly from their husbands, intimate partners, or someone they knew, during their lives. Men must teach each other that real men do not violate or oppress women - and that a woman's place is not just in the home or in the fields but in schools, offices and boardrooms.

Archbishop Desmond Tutu, the South African Nobel Peace Laureate, said: "You are a weak man if you use your physical superiority to assault and brutalise women. I will continue fighting until the end of my days for the right of women and girls to live a life free from violence and abuse."

The Secretary-General said, “As I launch this Network, I call on men and boys everywhere to join us. Break the silence. When you witness violence against women and girls, do not sit back. Act. Advocate. Unite to change the practices and attitudes that incite, perpetrate and condone this violence. Violence against women and girls will not be eradicated until all of us – men and boys – refuse to tolerate it.”

Each member of the Network, part of the “UNiTE to End Violence against Women” campaign that Ban Ki-moon launched last year, will work to support the longstanding efforts of women and civil society organisations worldwide to end violence, undertaking actions from raising public awareness to advocating for adequate laws.

The Secretary-General continued, "Everyone can do something. For my part, I commit to doing everything in my power to ensure the success of this fight. Within and outside the United Nations, I will continue to use my Campaign to highlight the issues. Create partnerships with women to end this violence. As I launch this Network, I call on men and boys everywhere to join us.

"Violence against women and girls will not be eradicated until all of us – men and boys - refuse to tolerate it. Together let us make that pledge."