capitalwoman06
Date: Saturday 4 March 2006
Venue: QEII Conference Centre, Westminster, London

The Mayor of London's free annual conference for women in London is taking place from 9am-5.30pm on Saturday 4 March 2006.

It provides a unique forum for discussion and debate on the priorities and issues of importance to the lives of women in London - 52 per cent of the capital's population.

For more information and to register, please visit http://www.london.gov.uk/capitalwoman

Black Women's Mental Health Project

Our web-site is now up and running - please go to http://www.www.bwmhp.org.uk

Email for this is info@bwmhp.org.uk

Phone number 0208-961-6324
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Brave Burmese Women

The civil courage of Burmese women are quite amazing.

Since the current military regime first came to power, Burmese women's sufferings are immeasurably huge. As soon as, military regime came to power, they put student girls who protested against the regime into jail. There, student girls were cruelly gang-raped. Internationally well-acclaimed writer Pascal Khoothwe wrote in his memoirs that his girl-friend suffered the same fate in jail.

And then even today, girls and women are being endlessly raped in the ethnic minority areas as part of the regime's ethnic cleansing program.

When they are not raped by soldiers, Burmese girls are exploited by human traffickers_ Burmese girls are sold as sex-slaves in Thai brothels. Military regime never make any serious attempt to stop that sex-slave-trade.

And some Burmese girls have to work as house-maids in neighbouring countries, and get physically and sexually abused by their masters.

Even when they are working as labourers in Burmese garment factories, Burmese girls get unbelievably low wages and have to work for long hours in difficult working conditions with no labour-rights at all.

On the other hand, there is no woman in the Cabinet of the Military Government. There is no woman head of department in any government department. But Burmese military regime have formed government-sponsored women's associations, to which girls and women are forced to join. Once they join, they are trained to believe that a woman's life is meant to be just an obedient house-wife and to serve her husband like a domestic slave.

Despite all those oppressions, brave Burmese girls never surrender. They fight for democracy. They fight for human rights. And they fight for women's rights.

The most well-known and well-respected brave Burmese woman is our leader Aung San Suu Kyi. She is, nowadays, the icon of democracy for all democracy loving people around the world.

And there is Cho Cho Kyaw Nyein, a well-known pro-democracy activist inside Burma. And then lately, Su Su Nwe in Burmese prison because she fights for labour rights.

In Thai-burma border region, Dr. Synthia Maung's clinic for refugees and internally displaced people and exploited Burmese labourers in Thailand is standing like a sanctuary for all those people.

And recently, the S.W.A.N, an ethnic minority Shan women's association has done many courageous actions to save the lives of ethnic minority girls from rapes and exploitations by Burmese soldiers. President George W Bush saw one of the leaders of S.W.A.N and praised her courageous works and discussed with her for the ways and means to improve human rights conditions in Burma.

And as a widely respected leader in pro-democracy community, we must also mention Maureen Aung Thwin who have been providing great help to Burmese political activist around the world especially those resettled in U.S.
So Burma Digest give a whole-hearted salute to all these brave Burmese women. SALUTE!

A Burma Digest editorial about Burma's women
http://www.tayzathuria.org.uk
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Young people's website challenges attitudes to rape

"Flirting women are NOT asking for rape"
says Maggie Baxter, Executive Director of WOMANKIND Worldwide.

The high levels of social acceptance of rape reported recently in the national press, need to be challenged.

On 24th November as part of its schools programme to address issues of violence against women WOMANKIND Worldwide will be launching a website for young people containing activities and information about sexual consent, rape, domestic violence and sexual bullying.

The site has been designed by Redmoth, winner of the Best Use of New Media: UK Charity Awards 2005.

The address of the new site is http://www.respect4us.org.uk

The site will be launched at a young people's consultation around sexual bullying, being held by WOMANKIND Worldwide to highlight the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against women (25th November) which falls in Anti-bullying week.

Maggie Baxter added: "This is why we are bringing young people together to draw up a code of practice. The code will enable schools to address sexual bullying and to challenge the kinds of behaviours and attitudes which support the high level of social tolerance towards rape brought to light in Amnesty International UK's recent survey"

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Aylesbury Vale Rape Crisis are selling purple wrist bands to raise awareness of domestic violence. If women in Aylesbury want to buy them at £1.00 each please contact us on 01296 392468. Or contact through www.avrc.org.uk

MAKING A DIFFERENCE

THE MAYA CENTRE is a professionally-staffed, multi-ethnic, women’s counselling centre. The core of the Centre’s work is the provision of free, one-to-one psychodynamic counselling, offered once a week for a maximum period of one year and a range of group therapy. As a result of the very specific targeting of our services - to women on incomes below £8000 per annum and without degree level education or previous experience of counselling - we are reaching women who would not normally gain access to long-term therapeutic support.

The Maya Centre offers counselling to women who live or work in the borough of Islington. We accept referrals.

For more information visit www.mayacentre.org.uk
The Maya Centre, Eastgate Building, 131B St John's Way, London N19 3RQ. Tel: 020 7281 2673 Fax: 020 7272 8530
Email info@mayacentre.org.uk Registered Charity No. 101288

25th November is White Ribbon Day

History Of The International Day For The Elimination Of Violence Against Women

On the 17 December 1999, the General Assembly at its 83rd plenary meeting of the fifty-fourth session, on the basis of the Report of the Third Committee (A/54/598 and Corr.1 and 2), adopted Resolution 54/134 on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. http://www.womenaid.org/16days/english/resolution.html

The General Assembly expressed alarm that endemic violence against women was impeding women's opportunities to achieve legal, social, political and economic equality in society. The Assembly reiterated that the term "violence against women" refers to acts capable of causing physical, sexual or psychological harm, whether in public or private life.

The UN General Assembly invited Governments, the relevant agencies, bodies, funds and programmes of the United Nations system, and other international organisations and non-governmental organisations, to organise on that day activities designed to raise public awareness of the problem of violence against women.

Previously, 25 November was observed in Latin America and a growing number of other countries around the world as "International Day Against Violence Against Women". With no standard title, it was also referred to as "No Violence Against Women Day" and the "Day to End Violence Against Women". It was first declared by the first Feminist Encuentro for Latin America and the Caribbean held in Bogota, Colombia (18 to 21 July 1981). At that Encuentro women systematically denounced gender violence from domestic battery, to rape and sexual harassment, to state violence including torture and abuses of women political prisoners. The date was chosen to commemorate the lives of the Mirabal sisters. It originally marked the day that the three Mirabal sisters from the Dominican Republic were violently assassinated in 1960 during the Trujillo dictatorship (Rafael Trujillo 1930-1961). The day was used to pay tribute to the Mirabal sisters, as well as global recognition of gender violence.

The Mirabal Sisters

The three sisters, Patria, Minerva, and Maria Teresa were born to Enrique Mirabal and Maria Mercedes Reyes (Chea) in 1924, 1927 and 1935 respectively in the Cibas region of the Dominican Republic. All three were educated in the Dominican Republic, Minerva and Maria Teresa going on to achieve university degrees.

All three sisters and their husbands became involved in activities against the Trujillo regime. The Mirabal sisters were political activists and highly visible symbols of resistance to Trujillo's dictatorship. As a result, the sisters and their families were constantly persecuted for their outspoken as well as clandestine activities against the State. Over the course of their political activity, the women and their husbands were repeatedly imprisoned at different stages. Minerva herself was imprisoned on four occasions. Despite Trujillo's persecution, the sisters still continued to actively participate in political activities against the leadership. In January 1960, Patria took charge of a meeting that eventually established the Clandestine Movement of 14 June 1960 of which all the sisters participated. When this plot against the tyranny failed, the sisters and their comrades in the Clandestine Resistance Movement were persecuted throughout the country.

In early November 1960, Trujillo declared that his two problems were the Church and the Mirabal sisters. On 25 November 1960, the sisters were assassinated in an "accident" as they were being driven to visit their husbands who were in prison. The accident caused much public outcry, and shocked and enraged the nation. The brutal assassination of the Mirabal sisters was one of the events that helped propel the anti-Trujillo movement, and within a year, the Trujillo dictatorship came to an end.

The sisters, referred to as the "Inolvidables Mariposas", the "Unforgettable Butterflies" have become a symbol against victimisation of women. They have become the symbol of both popular and feminist resistance. They have been commemorated in poems, songs and books. Their execution inspired a fictional account "In the Time of the Butterflies" on the young lives of the sisters written by Julia Alvarez. It describes their suffering and martyrdom in the last days of the Trujillo dictatorship. The memory of the Mirabal sisters and their struggle for freedom and respect for human rights for all has transformed them into symbols of dignity and inspiration. They are symbols against prejudice and stereotypes, and their lives raised the spirits of all those they encountered and later, after their death, not only those in the Dominican Republic but others around the world.

Sixteen Days of Activism Against Gender Violence Campaign

The 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence came out of the Global Campaign for Women's Human Rights. In June 1991, the Centre for Women's Global Leadership (CWGL) with participants of the first Women's Global Institute on Women, Violence and Human Rights, a forum involving 23 women from 20 countries called for a global campaign of 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence. The campaign would highlight the connections between women, violence, and human rights from 25 November to 10 December 1991. The time period encompassed four significant dates:
25 November, the International Day Against Violence Against Women;
1 December, World AIDS Day;
6 December, the anniversary of the Montreal Massacre, when 14 women engineering students were gunned down for being feminists;
10 December, Human Rights Day.

Co-ordinated by the Centre for Women's Global Leadership, the annual campaign, is observed globally by activities at the local, national, regional and international levels. Activities include radio, television and video programming; press conferences; film screenings; workshops, seminars, panels and other meetings; demonstrations, protests, marches and vigils; photo, poster, art and book exhibitions; lectures, debates, testimonies and talks; petition drives; public education campaigns; concerts, plays and other theatre performances; street dramas and other community programmes; distribution of posters, stickers, leaflets, information kits and other publications;

The 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence Campaign is inspired by the strength and commitment of the movement that works tirelessly to eliminate gender-based violence in the home and in the world. Over the years, the 16 Days network has multiplied and now includes participation from more than 800 organisations in over 90 countries. The growth of the Campaign exceeded initial expectations - not just in the numbers of those participating but also in spirit. The 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence has become an annual event in many towns, states and regions. Women's human rights activists have used this 16-day period to create a solidarity movement which raises awareness around gender-based violence, works to ensure better protection for survivors of violence and calls for its elimination. The 16 Days solidarity network welcomes those who join the campaign annually by co-ordinating activities in their own regions.

The organising strategies employed by groups during the Campaign vary and are reflective of the region and its current political situation. In 2000, the Centre urged that organisations link to global events such as the recent five-year review of the Fourth World Conference on Women (Beijing +5) and the upcoming World Conference Against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance (31 August - 7 September 2001 in South Africa) to pressure local and national governments to implement promises made and increase their commitment to women's human rights in the future. The Centre encourages activists to use this 16-day period to raise awareness in student, local, national and regional communities by co-ordinating events such as tribunals, workshops, festivals, etc.

SOURCE: This note was provided by the Division for the Advancement of Women of the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs.

The "feminist encuentros" are conferences of feminists from Latin America who come together every 2-3 years in a different Latin American country in order to exchange experiences and to reflect upon the state of the women's movement. Sexuality and violence in their wide ranging forms and contexts have always been included in the wide ranging themes of these gatherings. These encounters have stimulated the creation of regional networks, workshops, video and radio programs, women's studies curricula, and a growing number of women's documentation centers throughout the region which are dedicated to collecting and making available information about the history and priorities of the women's movement. They have also provided a space for formulating and discussing the focus of a growing number of women's magazines and newsletters, which contain articles, analysis and reports of the wide ranging actions being undertaken by women throughout the region.

http://www.womenaid.org/16days/english/25november.html

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25th November also marks the start of 16 days of action against violence against women which ends on 10th December

The theme this year is:

For the Health of Women, For the Health of the World:
NO MORE VIOLENCE

Violence against women is traumatic to the body, mind, and spirit and can prevent women from being fully active participants at home and in the world. This year's 16 Days campaign theme, as a continuation from 2004, emphasizes the connections between women's human rights, violence against women and women's health, and the detrimental consequences violence against women has on the well-being of the world as a whole.

Thousands of activists globally commemorated the 14th annual 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence campaign last year. The 2004 16 Days International Calendar of Activities bears testimony to the depth and breadth of their work underscoring violence against women as a pervasive human rights violation, a public health crisis, and an obstacle to equality, development, security, and peace. In 2005, the movement to end violence against women has seen further victories. At Beijing +10 in March, the Beijing Platform for Action was unequivocally reaffirmed and United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan emphasized the critical importance of combating violence against girls and women to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. In addition, activists worldwide have been working to ensure that gender concerns, including violence against women, are featured prominently in the outcome document of the 2005 World Summit this September.

There remain many opportunities in the coming year to continue this momentum, particularly with regard to the link between violence and women's physical, sexual, reproductive, psychological and social health. Research soon to be released, including a World Health Organization multi-country study on women's health and domestic violence and a UN Secretary General's worldwide study on violence against women called for by the UN General Assembly, will provide activists with new advocacy tools. Several events through 2006, including the release of the Secretary General's study at the GA next September, will place the spotlight squarely on governments to uphold commitments made to work toward eliminating violence against women. NGOs are also exploring these links. For instance, the Women Human Rights Defenders Campaign will host a consultation in December 2005 focusing on violations against women human rights defenders, many of whom face violence because of the work they do to promote women's rights, especially sexual and reproductive rights.

Addressing the connections between violence against women and the HIV/AIDS pandemic remains imperative. Violence limits women's ability to protect against infection and can compromise access to a range of critical health information and services, including testing and treatment. This year, the theme of the UNAIDS World AIDS Campaign is "Stop AIDS. Keep the Promise." The campaign demands governments keep their policy commitments related to HIV/AIDS. World AIDS Day (1 December) falls during the 16 Days campaign, which provides an ideal opportunity to remind governments that in order to keep their promises on HIV/AIDS they need to fulfil commitments on violence against women as well. Other international venues in the coming year, such as the five-year review of the UN General Assembly Special Session on HIV/AIDS in mid-2006 and in August, the XVI International AIDS Conference in Toronto, Canada can be targets for focused advocacy on violence against women and HIV/AIDS. 16 Days activities in 2005 can link to and build on vibrant women's leadership in these fields such as that offered by many NGO networks and organizations, as well as the UNAIDS Global Coalition on Women and AIDS, to call for increased public awareness, more comprehensive healthcare services, stronger national policies and greater government accountability to end violence against women and fight HIV/AIDS.

For the health of women: physically, psychologically, emotionally, socially, at home, at school, at work, at worship, in their communities and in their nations. For the health of the world: its peoples, its cultures, its environments, in protecting human rights, in fostering sustainable development and creating peace: NO MORE VIOLENCE.

160 Ryders Lane , Rutgers University , New Brunswick, NJ 08901-8555 USA
E-mail: cwgl@igc.org
Web: http://www.cwgl.rutgers.edu
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Violence Against Women - Global Statistics
http://www.amnesty.org.uk/svaw/vaw/global.shtml

* Current Actions
Amnesty are asking people to send appeals on behalf of six cases:

* DRC: Rape and Sexual Violence as Weapons of War
A soldier broke into Kavira Muraulu's home late one night and raped her. The next day she lodged a complaint about him, and he and his friends returned to her home and beat her. Undaunted, she continued complaining. So they bayoneted her in the stomach. Take action ...

* Colombia: Women's bodies used as a battleground
Terror and exploitation have made women's bodies a battleground in Colombia. All sides in the 40-year internal armed conflict - the security forces, army-backed paramilitaries and armed opposition groups - have sexually abused and oppressed women, both civilians and their own combatants. Sexual violence has indelibly marked Colombian women's lives. Take action ...

* Israel and the Occupied Territories: Lives blown apart
Ibtisam is one of many thousands of Palestinian women to have their homes and family lives wrecked by house demolitions. In the past four years the Israeli army has demolished some 4,000 Palestinian homes in the Occupied Territories as well as vast areas of agricultural land in Israel and in the Occupied Territories. Take action ...

* Iraq: Living with fear
Asma (not her real name), a young engineer, was abducted in Baghdad in 2003. She was shopping with her mother, sister and a male relative when six armed men forced her into a car and drove to a farmhouse outside the city. There she was repeatedly raped. Take action ...

* Iran: In search of justice - the case of Mahmoubeh Abbasgholizadeh
Mahboubeh Abbasgholizadeh was arbitrarily arrested on 1 November 2004. She was the Director of the Iranian NGO Training Centre and the editor-in-chief of Farzaneh - both endeavours which support the recognition the recognition of women's rights and the promotion of international human rights standards. Take action ...

* Myanmar: Nuns sentenced for the campaign for rights improvement
Amnesty International calls for the immediate and unconditional release of two women human rights defenders and Buddhist nuns, Ma Than Htay and Ma Tin Tin Oo. The nuns, both in their early 20's, were arrested on 16 January 2003, after protesting for the release of political prisoners. Take action ...

http://www.amnesty.org.uk/svaw/action/#current

* 10 things you can do RIGHT NOW to help end violence against women
A fact sheet is available online that tells you ten ways in which you can help right now. Find out more ... http://www.amnesty.org.uk/svaw/rightnow/

* Send an E-Postcard
Send an e-postcard to your family and friends to tell them about Amnesty International's campaign to Stop Violence Against Women. Take action now ... http://www.amnesty.org.uk/deliver/postcard/65.html

* Amnesty's Global Actions Against Violence Against Women
http://web.amnesty.org/actforwomen/index-eng
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VAW UK Statistics

* Domestic Violence
http://www.endviolenceagainstwomen.org.uk/facts_d.asp

* Rape and Sexual Violence
http://www.endviolenceagainstwomen.org.uk/facts_r.asp

* So-called 'Honour' Crimes
http://www.endviolenceagainstwomen.org.uk/facts_h.asp

* Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)
http://www.endviolenceagainstwomen.org.uk/facts_f.asp

* Forced Marriage
http://www.endviolenceagainstwomen.org.uk/facts_fm.asp

* Trafficking
http://www.endviolenceagainstwomen.org.uk/facts_t.asp

* Stalking
http://www.endviolenceagainstwomen.org.uk/facts_st.asp

* Prostitution
http://www.endviolenceagainstwomen.org.uk/facts_pr.asp

* Costs of violence against women
http://www.endviolenceagainstwomen.org.uk/facts_fc.asp
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End Violence Against Women - Early Day Motion (EDM) 15.11.2005
Baird, Vera

That this House condemns all forms of violence against women; notes that almost half of women experience domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking in their lifetime and that at least 200 women are forced into marriage and 2000 women are trafficked into the UK for sexual exploitation each year; and therefore supports the End Violence Against Women Campaign's call for an integrated approach to addressing violence against women in all its forms.

MP's Signatures in support of this EDM (to date 24th November 2005)

Diane Abbott; David Anderson; Vera Baird; Colin Breed; Annette Brooke; Vincent Cable; Gregory Campbell; Martin Caton; David Chaytor; Derek Conway; Ann Cryer; Jim Devine; Andrew Dismore; David Drew; Mark Durkan; Jeff Ennis; Andrew George; Julia Goldsworthy; Paul Goodman; Mike Hancock; Lindsay Hoyle; Glenda Jackson; Stewart Jackson; Brian Jenkins; Diana R Johnson; Piara S Khabra; David Lepper; Elfyn Llwyd; Judy Mallaber; Chris McCafferty; Alan Meale; Madeleine Moon; Andrew Pelling; Mike Penning; Adam Price; Iris Robinson; Bob Russell; Jim Sheridan; Alan Simpson; David Simpson; Bob Spink; Desmond Turner; Rudi Vis; Mike Weir; Betty Williams; Stephen Williams; Ann Winterton; Nicholas Winterton;

You can read the Early Day Motion (EDM) and keep a check on whether your MP has signed the EDM by going to http://edmi.parliament.uk/EDMi/EDMDetails....D=29380&SESSION=875


Encourage your MP to sign - Send an e-postcard

You can help to improve the lives of millions of women throughout the UK by joining thousands of others in sending a message to the UK Governments to live up to their responsibilities. Just follow the simple steps below and we'll make sure your MP gets it.

The postcard asks your MP to sign up to an Early Day Motion No 1038 ( EDM 1038) tabled by Vera Baird MP on behalf of the End Violence Against Women Campaign. The EDM calls upon the House of Commons to support the call for an integrated approach to addressing violence against women in all its forms.

We want at least 200 MPs to have signed the EDM by the next International Women's Day on 8th March 2006. Please help us to make this happen!

Note: we will not pass on your name or email address to anyone else and you can choose not to be contacted by End Violence Against Women in the future.

To send an e-postcard to your MP go to
http://www.endviolenceagainstwomen.org.uk/action_1.asp
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End VAW Other Actions

As well as sending an e-card to your MP to sign the EDM (see previous message)

ACTION 2: Learn more about the violence against women pandemic in the UK - download our campaign information pack

Click here http://www.endviolenceagainstwomen.org.uk/publications.asp to download the End Violence Against Women Campaign information pack. In this pack you'll find further information about our campaign, and just why we need the UK Government and devolved administrations to commit to developing and implementing an integrated strategy.

ACTION 3: Add your voice to the End Violence Against Women campaign now

Our coalition of individuals and organisations committed to working towards ending violence against women in the UK is constantly growing. The more voices we can rally together, the louder we'll be. And the louder we shout, the more likely government is going to listen and act.

If you want to formally endorse the campaign or receive regular mailings to keep you up to date on news, events and publications please send your contact details to info@endviolenceagainstwomen.org.uk

http://www.endviolenceagainstwomen.org.uk/action.asp
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Parliamentary Launch of the End Violence Against Women Campaign

Is on 29th November 2005 at the Jubilee Room, House of Commons, 4 pm to 5.30 p.m

Speakers include Gloria Mills, President of the TUC and Malcolm Chisholm, Minister for Communities, Scottish Executive.

Entry is by invitation only. If you are interested in attending this event please contact Lucy Wake:

Email lucy.wake@amnesty.org.uk

http://www.endviolenceagainstwomen.org.uk/news_detail.asp?id=10
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Northern Ireland Launch of the End Violence Against Women Campaign

Is on 6th December 2005 at the Long Gallery, Parliament Buildings, Stormont 11:00am to 12.00pm

The launch is hosted by Councillor Arlene Foster MLA and coalition partners in Northern Ireland; Amnesty International UK ( Belfast office), the Rape Crisis and Sexual Abuse Centre NI and Northern Ireland Women's Aid Federation.

If you are interested in attending this event please contact Patricia Campbell:

Email patricia.campbell@amnesty.org.uk

http://www.endviolenceagainstwomen.org.uk/news_detail.asp?id=11

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