WRC have made a statement in support of the campaign to save the Women’s Library in London:

“WRC supports the campaign to save the Women’s Library in London. We want to see this important historical resource for women maintained and developed as an archive of women’s and feminist history as well as providing a women-only meeting and event space for women and women’s organisations. These spaces are increasingly being removed and marginalised and we must not lose another example of women’s collective action and herstory which can inspire future generations.”

Find out more about the campaign here.

A lot of people are having a difficult time in the recession – and pregnant women and new mums are getting a particularly hard time of it.

A whole raft of maternity benefits have been axed or restricted. The Health in Pregnancy Grant, Sure Start Maternity Grant, Child Benefit and Tax Credits are all affected, leaving women with less money at a time when they really need it.

We are hearing more reports of employers unfairly – and unlawfully – forcing women out of their jobs. Before the recession, 30 000 women each year lost their jobs because of pregnancy discrimination and the situation is getting worse.

The Government’s plans for changes to maternity and parental leave risk taking us backwards on gender equality. We are seeking to influence these policies to get the best possible outcomes for parents and their babies.

At the same time, frontline NHS maternity services are being cut.

This has to stop. The Valuing Maternity campaign is calling for Government to champion pregnant women and new mothers, not make life more difficult.

The campaign calls for job security for pregnant women and new mothers, maternity and parental leave that promotes real equality, and services to support a safe and healthy pregnancy.

The Valuing Maternity campaign involves more than a dozen unions, women’s organisations, parents’ groups and advice services. This broad-based engagement reflects widespread concern about the situation of pregnant women and new mothers.

Anyone with an interest in fair treatment of new mums are urged to sign up to the campaign.

Valuing Maternity are collecting women’s stories about their treatment at work. Women can use an interactive tool to rate their employer’s compliance with the law. They want to hear what is happening to maternity services locally.

You can also follow Maternity Action on Twitter and spread the word using the hash tag #valuingmaternity.

As part of St Mungo’s Action Week on Women’s Homelessness and to celebrate the launch of their Rebuilding Shattered Lives campaign, Homeless Link, WRC and St Mungo’s held a Spotlight on Women’s Homelessness event on the 20th June.

The event aimed to promote partnership working between women’s and homelessness organisations and to improve knowledge, skills and highlight best practice when supporting homelessness women, many of whom have complex needs.

The event was a fully booked success and featured a variety of speakers including: Shadow Equalities Minister Kate Green MP, staff from the Department for Communities and Local Government and experts from the homelessness and violence against women sectors. Attendees participated in interactive workshops on topics including: sex trafficking and the Olympics, and joint working between domestic violence and substance misuse organisations.

Over the next 18 months, St Mungo’s will be continuing this great work and exploring ways to support homeless women through its Rebuilding Shattered Lives campaign. As part of the campaign they are inviting organisations, front-line workers and especially women themselves, to talk about how best to prevent women’s homelessness and support their recovery. The objective of their campaign is to increase awareness, promote good practice and ultimately achieve policy change. 

Learn more about the Rebuilding Shattered Lives campaign and how you can get involved here.

Find out more about WRC’s future training and events here.