ARCHIVE NEWS

NEW YEAR BIRTHDAY HONOURS

NCW President Sheila Eaton on behalf of members warmly congratulates those who received recognition in the Queen's Birthday Honours. She would particularly like to mention:

Joan Ruddock MP, an Honorary Associate of NCW, who is appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire, for public and political services

Ethel Swann OBE, a long-standing member of both NCW's Nottingham branch and the Social and Employment committee where she has contributed much to NCW's policy work. Her award is for her services to children and families as Co-founder of Play in Schools, Nottingham.

Jeanette Orrey MBE School Meals Policy Adviser, Food for Life Partnership. Her award is for services to food in schools. Jeanette gave an inspirational talk about her life and work to an audience of sixth form girls and NCW members at an intergenerational seminar in Nottingham.

Latest edition of Newsletter

The Newsletter includes

• Seminar: Where has the care gone from the caring professions?
• NCW's part in the history of women in the police force
• Do we need a UK Bill of Rights? NCW consults members
• NCYW Viewpoint - young women report on seminar
• Support for women in Afghanistan
• Violence against women - ECICW want action

Look on NCW Newsletter page to view it.

PROVOCATIVE ADVERTISEMENT BANNED

A perfume advertisement showing a 17 year old sitting on the floor with a perfume bottle between her thighs has been banned by the Advertising Standard Authority, on the grounds of being sexually provocative. NCW welcomes this action following its campaign through resolutions, seminars and publications to alert the public and Government to the dangers of the early sexualisation of children.

UK BILL of RIGHTS
Do we need one?

NCW consulted members and responded to this Government consultation in November. To read the full text of our response click here.

NCW Annual Conference

"Best conference in years", say members.
Nottingham October 2011

President Sheila Eaton comments "The theme Equality and the Empowerment of Women was so appropriate for this significant year for women, with the centenary of International Women's Day and the formation of UN Women at the United Nations and now the Commonwealth agree a girl can succeed to the British throne. Conference speakers were inspirational Women of Achievement. Presentations by the Health Committee and the National Council of Young Women engaged delegates. We worked hard, enjoyed delightful entertainment and still had time to meet old and new friends".

The resolutions, all topical, provided the opportunity for lively debate; the outcome is that strong representations can be made to Government on issues including: child benefit, transport problems, forced marriage and the reform of women's justice.

Full details of the Resolutions debated at Conference can be accessed, click here.

The 12-page Conference Report can be accessed - click here.

The 2012 conference will be on 12th 13th 14th October. Venue to be confirmed.

HELP VULNERABLE WOMEN IN THE JUSTICE SYSTEM!

Women not mentioned in the Reform bill currently before Parliament. Urgent action needed!

At NCW's Annual Conference in October, delegates voted unanimously for a resolution, presented by NCW Affiliate, the Prison Reform Trust. Too many vulnerable women are unnecessarily sent to prison for non-violent offences, while local women's centres - which have had better results in reducing offending - face an uncertain future. NCW President, Sheila Eaton has sent a copy of the resolution to the Prime Minister, David Cameron, Justice Secretary, Ken Clarke and shadow members of the Opposition, asking them to prioritise the sustained and determined implementation of measures to divert women from crime, reduce offending and reoffending by women, and stop sending so many women to prison. This includes amending the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill currently in Parliament which, when it was introduced this summer, made no mention of women whatsoever. The President has also called on NCW members to support the resolution by writing to their MP.

For more information from Juliet Lyon CBE, Director Prison Reform Trust, click here.

FAB

The Foreign Affairs Bulletin from NCW's Foreign Affairs Committee includes reports:

• The inauguration of UN Women
• Rural India - a project to empower adolescent girls
• Fair Trade fortnight
• Closing the gender gap in agriculture

BUS CUTS - LETTER TO GOVERNMENT

Impact on People, Communities, the Economy and the Environment

NCW members have been reporting that local authorities are planning to reduce support for local bus services, following funding cuts. Concerned that buses enable economic activity and are also vital in achieving a low carbon future, NCW has joined 27 organisations in expressing concern to the Prime Minister.

To read the letter, click here.

NCW LOOKS FORWARD!

A NEW OPTION FOR THE ENERGY CRISIS! - THE SUPERGRID!

At their recent Conference, NCW members heard of another option available for the energy crisis facing us. Despite present financial difficulties, our country needs to increase its supply of renewable energies and we were delighted to learn of recent research into a Super-Grid which would link together all available forms of renewable energy, to include tidal power, solar power, wind power and biomass.

This energy could be gathered in all areas of Europe, North Africa, Western Asia and Arabia and would produce a much more consistent supply than is obtainable from a single source. Scientists in Europe are already working on this concept and in Africa the hydropower potential of the River Congo is being studied.

Obviously such an innovative undertaking will be expensive. However the annual cost for the new installations would equate very nearly to what is currently spent upon the present energy system investment in fossil and nuclear fuels.

For more information click here.

Annual NCW Conference

October 14, 15, 16 - Nottingham

Important resolutions to be debated on:

• integration of child benefit into a universal welfare benefit;
• feeding future generations safely;
• sexual stereotyping in education;
• dangers of mass medication;
• transport problems;
• reform of women's justice;
• funding of library services;
• forced marriages.

The National Council of Young Women have an exciting presentation. The Conference Seminar on Saturday is open to the public - speakers on Equality and the Empowerment of Women are Anna Soubrey MP and PPS at Department for Health, Pauline Stewart JP, Leadership Navigator, Author and Entrepreneur and Maddi Sharma, Entrepreneur, Ambassador for Nottingham, UK Representative in Brussels.

More details and booking form click here.

Payment by cheques to continue

NCW welcomes the announcement on 12th July by Richard North, Chairman of the Payments Council, that "cheques will continue as long as customers need them". Concerned about the effect of the possible cancellation of this method of payment on small businesses, charities and the elderly, particularly in rural areas, NCW had passed a resolution at its 2010 Annual Conference urging that transaction by cheques should continue.

NCW President quoted in national newspaper

Following NCW's concerns about the protection of children online NCW President Sheila Eaton was quoted in a Daily Mail article on Saturday 25th June 2011, as saying:
'We support the opt-in model for internet pornography 100 per cent. We know that children visit the web for good reasons - schoolwork, information, chat games and to download music - but research has also shown that children as young as eight are accessing pornography.'

For a PDF of the full article please click here.

NEW YORK SEMINAR

Every girl's right to an education
NCW at the United Nations

Access to education is a basic human right. On 25th February at the 55th session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, ICW and NCWGB together with other national councils, staged a parallel workshop led by Monica Tolman, a past NCWGB president. Every Girl's Right to an Education including Science and Technology from a Human Rights Perspective considered how girls access education especially non-traditional learning in science and technology, in order to identify the barriers they face and to explore ways these can be overcome.

A full report will follow.

NEW YEAR HONOURS

NCW TAKES RESOLUTIONS FORWARD TO GOVERNMENT

Wide ranging issues were debated at NCW's Annual Conference. The resolutions passed have now been sent to Government and responses are awaited. Topics include 'Gender Equality in Parliamentary Representation' and 'Badgers and the Protection of Cattle' For the full list and details click here.

Portrayal or Betrayal?

Are we failing our children?

NCW continues its work on the sexualisation and exploitation of children in the media. Following the results of a questionnaire to NCW members and a resolution passed at the Annual Conference, [more details of resolutions will be published in Conference News], a Seminar called Portrayal or Betrayal is to be held in Cheltenham on April 16th 2011. Details to follow.

Caring for the Vunerable.

Malnutrition in Hospitals.

The NCW Health Committee is following up their two seminars Caring and Safeguarding the Vulnerable, which led to a resolution at the recent Annual Conference Malnutrition in Hospitals, with a questionnaire to dieticians in hospitals, to see if best practice* is being followed. The questions have been set by a dietician. Branches and Regions are being asked to contact the Chief Dietician at local hospitals to seek a response to the questionnaire.
*The Government's Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool (MUST)

Birmingham Seminar

SAFEGUARDING THE VULNERABLE

An inter-generational seminar was held recently by the NCW's Health Committee and Birmingham City Hospital's Faculty of Health. The students of midwifery and social work, professionals in the field, and NCW members from all over the country took part in an informative and stimulating day.

The event was Chaired by Baroness Gould of Potterton, who is Chairman of the Women's National Commission and holds an Honorary Doctorate from Birmingham City University. More information in Newsletter and a full report is being prepared for purchase.

Baroness Gould introduces the Professor of Psychiatry to students and NCW Members at the Birmingham Seminar on Safeguarding the Vulnerable.

The Politics of Food

The South West and Midland Region of NCW recently held a seminar in Stroud on the politics of food, with help and support from the Stroud District Council and the National Farmers Union.

The Topics covered were; Why Farming Matters: Is there a risk of a food shortage? : Cattle, Badgers and TB: Robotic Milking: Plants for the Future. The seminar also had a lively question and answer session. It proved to be an excellent informative day, with first class speakers.

A Report of the seminar is being published and will be on sale at the conference.

NCWGB visits South Africa

Six members of NCWGB, led by Sheila Eaton, NCW President, attended the Triennial meeting of ICW in Johannesburg. Past Presidents Monica Hall, Amy Gibbs and Grace Wedekind also attended with Gillian Poole (Vice President) and Lois Hainsworth MBE. A full report can be found here.

From right. Lois Hainsworth, Sheila Eaton, President NCWGB; Grace Wedekind President ECICW; and Past President Amy Gibbs on the back row with some of the delegates from Nigeria and South Korea.