Feminism in London 2009

Written by Cordula Bieri

On the 17th of October women from all over the UK, from various backgrounds and of all ages came together at the Feminism in London Conference 2009 to celebrate feminism and womanhood. It was a wonderful day with inspiring speeches and empowering workshops. I am writing about some of my impressions of the day.

The opening speeches were held by Susie Orbach and Beatrix Campell. Both held very powerful speeches.

Susie Orbach talked about how women’s bodies are under ongoing pressure to be beautiful. The pictures we see every day on the billboards, in the magazines and on TV influence the image we have of ourselves. But the pictures we see every day are so thoroughly airbrushed that these bodies have no connection to reality. But still women aspire to have those bodies. In the US it is getting normal that girls from the age of 16 are getting breast implants. Women and even girls are trying to change every part of their bodies. Inspired by pornography they even choose to do surgeries like labiaplasty. (If someone is interested to read more about this issue, I can recommend Susie Orbach’s book “Bodies” or Sheila Jeffreys “Beauty and Misogyny”.)

After this inspiring start there was a wide range of workshops to choose from. There was self-defence training, a panel on racism, an anti-porn slideshow and even a workshop for pro-feminist men. I went to the anti-porn workshop, which was really interesting, but also extremely shocking. As a lot of women (me included) don’t watch porn, we’ve been showed some pictures to realise how women are presented in porn. It was really disgusting. Most porn didn’t seem to be about sex at all, but just about naked brutal violence against women and girls.

The workshop showed how porn is trickling in every part of our life. How fashion is adapting to porn and even the appearance of Disney’s female characters changed over the years to look more “sexy”.

During the lunch break I visited some of the many stalls. Many different women organisations were present. Some were campaigning against objectification, others against violence against women and there was also WILPF along other women’s peace groups. It was great to see how many women fight day by day to improve women’s rights and lives around the world.

In the afternoon I went to a panel on “what’s wrong with prostitution”. There Denise Marshall, a campaigner from Eaves and Rebecca Motts and Anna Travers two survivors of prostitution who talked about their experiences. This was one of the most moving talks I have ever been to. Women in the audience were crying while listening to these strong women’s speeches. You just had to listen to them talking about their life out there as prostitutes without any protection to know how totally wrong prostitution is. When the last speaker finished her speech, all the women in the audience rose from their seats to give them a standing applause. That was a very touching moment.

There were many more interesting workshops and speeches. In the evening they was a fabulous fundraiser event with the funniest comedians and the most magical magicians I have ever seen. But I can’t go on forever, so if you would like to know more about the conference visit their website http://www.fil.btik.com/home.ikml and make sure that you don’t miss next year’s conference. It’s going to be even bigger than and as great as this year’s.

Y-WILPF Recruitment

Written by Talyn Rahman

Since being elected as the new coordinator in April 2009, Y-WILPF UK has taken a major turn with its capacity building programme within the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom. As Y-WILPF’s aim is to empower new and young members in WILPF, the new partnership with Changemakers has enabled Y-WILPF to have access to young women in clubs, schools and colleges across East London. Changemaker’s Development Manager, Marie Lyse Numuhoza and I are working together in bringing young women into Y-WILPF so that they can engage in WILPF activities, fundraise and expand WILPF as an organisation.

To enable new members to be as active as possible, Y-WILPF endeavours to host a Talent Show in April 2010 as part of WILPF’s annual birthday celebration. The Talent Show will be a ticketed event to showcase the work of women through forms of art, drama, dance and other entertainment avenues. In order to organise this mammoth event, Y-WILPF will be recruiting committee members within the network with specific duties. The idea of forming a committee will not only allow new members to learn about WILPF, but will encourage young women to contribute to the growth of WILPF and gain valuable experience from an international organisation.

The Talent Show is not the only event we will be working on. Y-WILPF will be engaged with UK WILPF’s three core campaigns and collaborate in outside events such as the Blockade of Aldermaston in February 2010. It is essential that Y-WILPF members participate in as many events as possible so that they can learn about global issues, network with professionals, and encourage like-minded women to join WILPF.

By recruiting young women through the Y-WILPF committee, we hope that new and young members can share fresh ideas with our current executive members with the aims of making WILPF a stronger and more united organisation.

The position of Marketing Officer and Membership Officer is still available. If you are interested, please get in touch with me as soon as possible.

Announcement: UK WILPF joins European GEAR Coalition

Reported by Fiza Fatima Asar

WILPF has recently joined the network of NGOs campaigning for stronger Gender Equality Architecture Reform (GEAR). Worldwide, women and girls are less likely to go to school, receive adequate health care, own property or participate in decision-making structures. The United Nations has a key role in working for women’s rights at global level and although it has several policies protecting the causes of women, they merely exist on paper and not in action. Furthermore, the UN bodies dealing with gender equality are under-resourced and fragmented.

The Gender Equality Architecture Reform (GEAR) Campaign calls for the creation of a strong new women's entity at the UN. It aims on achieving this by demanding:

1. Universal field presence of women’s entity.
2. A female Under-Secretary General to ensure the necessary representation and decision-making at higher levels of women.
3. Substantial resources vital for the women’s entity to deliver its tasks – starting with $1 billion USD and rising over time.
4. Accountability by way of including civil society, particularly NGOs, in its governance and programming
5. Mandate to promote and hold the UN system accountable for gender mainstreaming throughout the UN and particularly in the UN Country Teams.

The UN General Assembly will make a decision on the structure of the new gender equality entity in September 2009. We must act now to influence governments to ensure that the new entity can really make a difference to women’s lives around the world! For further information or to join the campaign, please visit the website: http://www.un-gear.eu/takeaction.shtml

Voices of African Women BULLETIN

Voices of African Women Bulletin

After a brief hiatus, our Voices of African Women bulletin is up and running again. Since the seminars last year, WILPF has been busy getting support for women’s organisations. The declaration is online and keeps gaining more support. On WILPF’s 94^th birthday, African women with WILPF activists delivered the declaration and the signatures we had received so far to Downing Street. We have since received a reply and will be engaging in dialogue to increase support to African women’s organisations.

On the same day, the Scottish branch of WILPF hosted an event on women in the Democratic Republic of Congo in Scottish Parliament, which was well attended by MSPs.

In the coming months we will be meeting with African embassies, calling on African governments to support women’s organisations in their country. We will also be starting to work on Security Council Resolution 1325 in African countries to increase women’s participation in decision making.

Come along to our next meeting on the 22 August to find out how you can contribute to this important campaign.

News

A call to action: Implement the Africa Women's Rights Protocol

In the five years since the adoption of the Protocol to the Africa Charter on Human and People’s Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa, some 26 countries have ratified Africa's first regional human rights instrument. But with 27 countries yet to do so, the challenge remains to see each African nation commit to fully upholding women's rights. Moral arguments aside, implementing women's rights offers clear social and developmental benefits for all, argues Norah Matovu Winyi, benefits which will only be realised through sustained political will. Read the whole story http://pambazuka.org/en/category/features/57219

Promoting women's land rights at the 13th AU summit

With Sirte, Lybia, hosting the 13th African Union summit this week, Lyn Ossome of Solidarity for African Women's Rights (SOAWR) challenges African heads of state to keep women's land rights on the developmental agenda. At a time of marked global economic difficulty, women remain acutely vulnerable to unstable food prices and restricted access to land, meaning that African governments must now more than ever challenge discriminatory laws and customs, Ossome argues. If the AU's summit is offer progress, Ossome contends, African heads of state must make strong commitments to policies favourable to women's empowerment such as subsidising non-industrial agriculture and securing women's land tenure. Read the full story at http://pambazuka.org/en/category/features/57220

Safeguarding women’s rights will boost food security

African women play a critical role in ensuring the food security of the continent, writes Mary Wandia in the run-up to the 2009 African Union Summit (24 June-3 July), which has its official theme ‘Investing in agriculture for economic growth and development’. Highlighting that women contribute 60-80 per cent of the labour used to produce food both for household consumption and for sale, Wandia writes that improved women’s ‘access, control and ownership of land and productive resources are key factors in eradicating hunger and rural poverty’. Yet while land is ‘critical for improving women’s, social security, livelihoods and their social status’, culturally embedded discrimination continues to weaken their land rights and livelihood options, Wandia cautions. It is therefore essential, Wandia argues, for governments to ensure that women’s rights are comprehensively addressed in the AU ‘Africa land policy framework and guidelines’, scheduled for adoption at this year’s summit. Read the full story http://pambazuka.org/en/category/features/57225

Denied the right to a dignified life

Traditionally African culture dictated that elderly citizens be treated with respect, writes Anushka Sehmi, but as economic constraints erode the extended family system and fuel rural-urban migration, many old people languish in villages with no-one to care for them. With a quarter of African women left widowed by mounting conflict, disease and poverty, Sehmi explores abuse of and discrimination against elderly women in the light of cultural practices such as widow-inheritance and land ownership. Noting that ‘there is almost no legal or policy framework’ that safeguards the rights of elderly women in Africa, Sehmi calls for states to ratify and implement treaties that protect them, such as the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa and for marginalised groups to ‘be engaged and educated regarding their civic and political rights’. It is up to us to lobby and push our governments to perform this task, says Sehmi, or ‘these forgotten women will forever be denied the right to a dignified life’. Read the full story http://pambazuka.org/en/category/features/57227

Actions

Stop Nigerian Military Attacks in the Niger Delta!

“The helicopter gunships hovered low over a crowded street, where people had gathered to celebrate an annual festival, and opened fire with machine guns and rockets…” --BBC Report

On May 14th, the Nigerian Joint Military Task Force (JTF), laid siege to towns along the coast, attacking from air, land, and sea. Although the Nigerian government maintains that the attack was targeting militant groups that obstruct oil flows, what transpired was a massive assault on the communities and villages of Gbaramatu kingdom.

Thousands of lives have been lost and upwards of 20,000 persons displaced in the ongoing military offensive. This is an inexcusable abuse of military power and authority by a government which is heavily supported by the United States .

Nigeria is slated to receive approximately $4.5 million in military training, hardware sales, and counter-terrorism and counter-narcotics education in 2010. It is intolerable that the U.S. taxpayer must subsidize a repressive government’s slaughter of its civilians. President Obama should make it clear to Nigerian President Umaru Yar'Adua that the U.S. will not support leaders who abuse their own citizens.

Voice your concern today by signing this letter to President Obama!

Solidarity statement on the SOAS cleaners

Nine cleaners from the School of Oriental and African Studies were taken into detention after a dawn raid by immigration police on Friday 12th June. Five have already been deported, and the others could face deportation within days. One has had a suspected heart attack and was denied access to medical assistance and even water. One was over 6 months pregnant. Many have families who have no idea of their whereabouts. This petition is an expression of solidarity, and well as a call for a halt to the deportations. Sign the petition.

Events

Moyo Wa Taifa Fundraiser

Moyo Wa Taifa Pan Afrikan Woman’s Solidarity Network warmly invites you to their bi-annual fundraiser for the 1^st Pan Afrikan Solidarity Resource Centre in Accra, Ghana. A night of pure entertainment, there will be spoken work from OneNess, ShakaRa, AmeN NoiR, and Black Arts Production, music from Sarina Leah, Nkhem, Nutty NRG and more. There will also be a raffle on the night to win return tickets to Accra.

When: 6-10pm, Saturday 18 July

Where: Clapham Methodist Church Hall, Nelson’s Row, Clapham High Street, SW4 7JR (beside Sainsbury’s)

For more information call 07757 060 313 or email njeri4freedom@yahoo.co.uk

Get Involved

Voices of African Women Follow-Up Meeting

Join the core group who is driving this campaign forward. At the next meeting Alice Ukoko will be speaking about the current issues facing women in the Niger Delta.

When: 1pm, Saturday 22 August

Where: Ground floor, Tindlemanor, 52-54 Featherstone St, London EC1Y 8RT

For more information contact us on 0207 250 1968 or email office@ukwilpf.org.uk

On 5-8 November, grassroots African women campaigners from diverse nations travelled to London to share their stories. The seminar series included a forum at Parliament House, a round table discussion at Chatham House and a seminar discussion at the Amnesty International office.

This Voices of African Women Bulletins aims to keep you up to date with what is happening in Africa, and what you can do about it. If you would like to unsubscribe please email us at office@ukwilpf.org.uk Please feel free to circulate to your friends and networks.

Cop 15 - Observer Status

Written by Talyn Rahman

Women's International League for Peace and Freedom may be given an 'observer status' within the Climate Change COP 15 meeting in 7-15 December. This is a very exciting opportunity to watch world leaders in formulating a new agenda from the Kyoto Protocol.

Having participated at the Youth Forum with Global Humanitarian Forum, starting a working group based on the Copenhagen Manifesto we had created would be a great start to communicating our message to world leaders. It would be great to get Y-WILPF and other youth forums involved in this so that we can also push for gender-persepective within this manifesto. Join WILPF and help get our message for climate change at COP 15.

Join WILPF!

January 2008 - WILPF's Office Administrator

Reported by Talyn Rahman

Joining WILPF was the best thing I could have done in realising my capabilities and achievements in a political NGO. Working internally helped me understand WILPF's movements and policies, thus innovated me to become an active member and create working groups that supports WILPF's agendas. From now on, I will keep WILPF's news updated on this blog, covering my time with them and how young members are involved.

I was featured on SOAS's newsletter regarding my experience with WILPF. Check it out.

http://mercury.soas.ac.uk/e-newsletter/e-news_1-2008/enews1-rahman.html


To join WILPF UK, please visit this website: http://www.ukwilpf.org.uk/

We are always looking for new members and I will be happy to tell you about what we do in more detail.

Re-launch of Scotland WILPF

Tuesday 26th May

Reported by Talyn Rahman

As the YWILPF representative, I was invited to join Diane and Sasha to travel to Scotland. This was my first visit whereby I had a short presentation to make about YWILPF. It was exciting to journey to Edinburgh for a possible re-establishment of the Scottish WILPF branch. Diane, Sasha and I had an inspiring time meeting activists in Edinburgh, who were excited to restart the WILPF branch up there. WILPF women present in the meeting were Sasha Jesperson, Diane Brace, Helen Kay, Janet Fenton and myself. 5 non-members, who later joined WILPF, were also present.

The meeting itself began with a small photo exhibition of WILPF’s past and present, followed by Helen Kay’s short history of Edinburgh and WILPF. For an insight to WILPF, Janet discussed why she had joined WILPF and her current project in Edinburgh. Diane did an excellent job explaining WILPF’s current standing and international status, which intrigued many of the women in the room.

In order to encourage the younger members in the meeting, I thought it fitting to explain why I joined WILPF and how, after one year, I got on the WILPF executive board. YWILPF is about members being active, and I went on to explaining future initiatives planned, with the possibility of expanding YWILPF into Scotland through the Scottish parliament. We had two young people in the crowd who worked for the Scottish parliamentary and two other women who worked at universities in Scotland, which was a very encouraging start.

Sasha emphasised the importance of national WILPF branches and what strategic changes are coming about the organisation. It is fundamentally important that Scotland have a branch as it is not possible for Scottish WILPF members to travel in and out of the country for meetings or events. Furthermore, with such close ties to the Scottish parliament and prestigious universities, Edinburgh (as Scotland’s capital) have a flourish of events, which WILPF can participate in, throughout the year.

Janet and others discussed the unique opportunities that they have with the Scottish Parliament, and Helen has sent through this you tube video as an example.

MSPs have joined together in song to say that it is Crunch Time for Trident. They were filmed in the Scottish Parliament to promote the Sing Out for Peace march and rally in Glasgow on Saturday 20 June.
Rob Gibson (SNP), Cathy Peattie (Labour) and Robin Harper (Green) sang the new song, Crunch Time for Trident, written by Ian Davison for the event. They are introduced by Mike Pringle (Lib Dem).
The video is on Youtube at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SC2WAerrp1Q

Well done Scotland, and WILPF women to have the enthusiasm to re-establish the Scottish branch. It was a great success.