Equal Pay Day 2009: the countdown begins

Friday 30 October is Equal Pay Day in the UK and in the run-up, we are calling on the Government to get tough on pay inequality in the UK.

Why 30th October? It’s the day that women effectively receive their last pay cheque of the year. This is because the 17.1% full-time gender pay gap is equivalent to men being paid all year round while women work for free after 30th October.

The gender pay gap isn’t inevitable. Equal Pay Day 2009 is your opportunity to do something about it.

To find out more about the campaign, check out the Equal Pay Day blog.

Courts to get new powers to protect victims of domestic violence

Refuge, the leading organisation combatting domestic violence, has welcomed recent changes to the law.

From late September, courts in England and Wales have greater powers to grant restraining orders to protect victims of domestic violence.

Previously, courts were only able to issue restraining orders following conviction for specific offences. Now abused women will be able to obtain protection without having to go to a separate court or to find the funding to pay for civil orders.

Enforcement of any restraining orders remains key to protecting victims.

In the most extreme cases, men who have been allowed to breach bail conditions with impunity have gone on to murder their partners. Refuge say it is essential that bail conditions and restraining orders are more rigorously enforced, and the Government must provide the courts and police with the resources and training needed to ensure that this happens.

More information is available from the Refuge website.

Fawcett Society AGM 2009: Saturday 17 October

Fawcett supporters are invited to join staff and trustees at our Annual General Meeting on Saturday 17 October from 1pm to 4.30pm in London EC1 (nearest tube: Old Street).

The event is open to all supporters with an active regular gift to the Fawcett Society by Standing Order or Direct Debit. Fawcett supporters are welcome to bring guests, but please note that only those with an active regular gift are entitled to vote. Angela Mason CBE (Chair) will deliver a key note speech, and you will get the chance to meet our new Chief Executive, Ceri Goddard. To attend, please email wendy.hall@fawcettsociety.org.uk.

Fawcett at ‘Feminism in London 09′

The Fawcett Society will have a stall at the Feminism in London event on Saturday 10 October where you can learn more about their work and speak to staff and members of Fawcett.

The event, organised by the London Feminist Network, offers a forum to discuss and develop feminist perspectives on topics as diverse as racism and sexism, poverty and motherhood, prostitution and more.

Speakers include Susie Orbach, Beatrix Campbell, Sabrina Qureshi, Gunilla Ekberg, Marai Larasi and Southall Black Sisters.

Find out more or register online here.

London Mayor Boris Johnson is off to Manchester this week, but can’t leave his broken promises behind

Members of the London-based Boris Keep Your Promise campaign are attending the Tory Party conference in Manchester to highlight Conservative Mayor of London, Boris Johnson’s current failure to live up to his manifesto commitments.

Boris promised to give £744,000 a year to the beleaguered London Rape Crisis network. Now campaigners are asking if this broken promise is a pattern that will be repeated by the Conservatives, regarding their national pledge to increase funding to Rape Crisis.

Matty Mitford of the Boris Keep Your Promise campaign says. “In their most recent manifesto, The Conservative Party make admirable promises to reverse the massive reduction in Rape Crisis Centres throughout the country but considering Boris Johnson’s failure to deliver on his commitment to Rape Crisis is London, how can anyone possibly take this policy seriously?

“The only way to reverse the blow to credibility of the Tories is for the central party to tell Boris he must stand by his word as a Conservative and elected representative and provide the £744,000 a year he promised.”

Boris Keep Your Promise makes BBC News

Meeting update

Hi everyone

There will be no meeting this month (July) or August. Back in September. Email us if you’d like to be added to the mailing list as there will still be virtual activities.

Back soon!

We made a film!

Boris Keep Your Promise campaign launch night

Well, we’ve got the campaign up and running and we’re kicking off with a launch night at The Resistance Gallery in Bethnal Green.

So, please consider yourself invited to our campaign launch night! It’s a comedy cabaret night with added activism and is the first step in a long campaign to remind Boris that we were listening when he promised to support rape victims and we’d like him to KEEP HIS PROMISE!

This is the amazing line up has been arranged for your delectation and is FREE!

Josie Long (Perrier newcomer )
Fancy Chance, (Alternative Miss World)
Andrew O’Neill (Saxondale)
Miss Behave (Olivier Award Winning member of La Clique)
Amundsen and Slade’s Sonic Sideshow
Lady Carol
Ophelia Bitz
Music from:
Daniel Orcese
The Stillhouse Orchestra

With deck spinning by Miss Vinci and Uncle Tom’s Wedding Reception.

We’ll have a letter board called ‘Stick it Boris’ where we’ll ask you to write a letter to Mr Johnson reminding him of his pledge and stick it up on the wall. You’ll also be able to write to your local GLA representative asking them to petition the mayor themselves. We will provide you with paper, pens, templates, address info and then we’ll put it in the post for you.

We’re also asking people who can manage it to give £2 a month to the Croydon Rape Crisis Centre, standing order forms supplied!

Please come and show Boris how you feel on this issue. It’s not too late to make him cough up.

Violence against women: have your say

The Home Office has opened a public consultation on
domestic violence against women.

There are a number of ways to
respond, including a very short survey. Or you can email your views to vawconsultation@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk.

Thanks to Rachel and Kim for the links!