Tomorrow, Saturday 8th Sept: An evening of music, food and drinks in North London’s Peace Garden - all proceeds go towards the next Million Women Rise march and activities in March 2013!

Women’s Resource Centre on the Chrissy B Show, featured as last week’s ‘Good Cause’!

Our CEO’s interview starts 15 minutes in to the show.

Elections in England and Wales for the new Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) will be held on 15th November.

This new critical role will fund local victims’ services, hold the Chief Constable to account and publish a Police and Crime Plan.

End Violence Against Women, Rape Crisis England and Wales and the Women’s Resource Centre have published a leaflet to help women’s groups ensure that VAWG is a priority.

Please download the flyer here and send it out far and wide!

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.

• How can we ensure that the WL remains open and accessible to all?
• How does this sell-off relate to wider cuts in higher education and attacks on research culture at widening participation universities?
• What is the government doing to protect our museums and archives in a climate of austerity?
• How can we make The Women’s Library an even better resource for feminist activists and the East London community?

For more information email savetwl86@gmail.com

Natalie Ntim, policy officer for the Women’s Resource Centre, on whether women can make the most of opportunities granted to communities under the Localism Act:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/local-government-network/2012/may/28/localism-act-women-communities?CMP=twt_gu

As many as 100,000 women in Britain have undergone female genital mutilations (FGM) with medics in the UK offering to carry out the illegal procedure on girls as young as 10, it has been reported.

Investigators from the Sunday Times said they had secretly filmed a doctor, dentist and alternative medicine practitioner who were allegedly willing to perform FGM or arrange for the operation to be carried out. The doctor and dentist deny any wrongdoing.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/apr/22/female-genital-mutilation-uk-medics

WRC is offering a FREE training and consultation event about holding national and local government to account on women’s human rights.

Place: Taunton, Somerset County Cricket Club
Time: Monday 16th April, 10.30am
 
The training is intended for all organisations in the women’s sector that wish to learn more on how to use international and UK legislation as a lobbying tool to influence policy. Individual service users of women’s sector organisations and activists are also welcome.
 
You will learn about CEDAW and the Equality Act and how to use these to influence what local public authorities are doing.

The event is organised in partnership with South West Forum, Equality South West, Fair Play South West and South West Foundation.

Book your place via our website!

Following the launch of their campaign on making London the safest city for women, End Violence Against Women are hosting a major London Mayoral and Assembly elections hustings event.

Experts on violence against women, frontline workers from across London, activists, students and members of the local community will be there to ask questions.

When: Thursday 12 April, 6-8pm; event to be followed by drinks

Where: Auditorium, Human Rights Action Centre, 17-25 New Inn Yard, EC2A 3EA

Confirmed speakers: Natalie Bennett (Green), Kit Malthouse AM (Conservative), Caroline Pidgeon AM (Liberal Democrats), Val Shawcross AM (Labour)

You can read the EVAW Coalition election manifesto online here.

Members of the press may also reserve places at the hustings by emailing sarah.green@evaw.org.uk or phoning 07984 717 817.