During the last two weeks I’ve had The Party Experience – conferences, that is. The WI has travelled to both Brighton and Manchester having been invited to the Labour and Conservative party conferences. We were invited to add our voice to debates on the Equalities Bill and the inappropriate imprisonment of the mentally ill.
At the Labour conference, a crowded room listened to Vera Baird MP and Trevor Phillips from the Equalities and Human Rights Commission as well as a representative of the Fawcett Society (who hosted the event) and Unison extolling the virtues of the Equalities Bill.
I told them that the WI had been waiting since 1921 for successive governments to address many gender inequalities, not least that of pay which the WI raised directly way back in 1943. I could only concur with the sentiment of ‘get on with it’ put by an audience member who reminded us all that in the mid 70s it was decreed that women’s pay from then on would be set at a minimum of 80% of a man’s wage for an identical job!
At the Conservative conference, many of the participants at the round table discussion set up by the Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health were really encouraged to see the WI there too.
The merits of the Bradley report were acknowledged. It’s implementation is a major undertaking that needs all relevant agencies to work together. When this joint working practice does occur then imprisonment for crimes committed after agency ‘neglect’ from a young age will drastically decrease.
The WI’s involvement in a mentoring pilot project for vulnerable women based at the Ashe Centre in Worcestershire could prove a vital step in helping vulnerable people stay out of prison and the WI’s suggestion of training prison staff, who are right there, to listen when offenders need to talk, is a step forward (incidentally, currently used in Manchester).
However the ghost at the banquet remains the lack of money for diversion services compared to the creation of new prison places. The time for talk is over and everyone must now work together to help the people at risk of slipping through the system.
Monday, 12 October 2009
Thursday, 17 September 2009
Saving our honey bees
Last Wednesday I met Sarah Brown in the garden of 10 Downing Street, with representatives from other organisations, to discuss the plight of our honey bees.
The Prime Minister’s wife is very interested in the issue and has planted bee friendly plants in No. 10’s garden. This is something we all can do and the suggestion of asking local authorities to do the same – as the WI has already done – is the obvious next step.
The veroa mite has destroyed many hives. Habitats of many species of bees and insects are also being lost because of some pesticides, lack of planting and less planting of the right vegetation. Insects are the best monitors of our environment so when the beetles, bugs and bees are not there, something is wrong.
The pollination of apple trees depends upon the bees sourcing the sweetest of pollen otherwise the apples will be made into juice rather than apples for eating.
The £10 million promised by government for research into the demise of all pollinating insects has not yet been distributed. According to the British Beekeepers Association, the same sum is still needed to reverse the plight of the honeybee according to the BBKA.
You can help by planting bee friendly plants or attending a bee keeping course at Denman College in Oxfordshire - there is always a need for more trained bee keepers.
If you want to do more, get involved in our Bee Aware Action Week: 24 – 31 October. Visit the WI website for more detilas.
The Prime Minister’s wife is very interested in the issue and has planted bee friendly plants in No. 10’s garden. This is something we all can do and the suggestion of asking local authorities to do the same – as the WI has already done – is the obvious next step.
The veroa mite has destroyed many hives. Habitats of many species of bees and insects are also being lost because of some pesticides, lack of planting and less planting of the right vegetation. Insects are the best monitors of our environment so when the beetles, bugs and bees are not there, something is wrong.
The pollination of apple trees depends upon the bees sourcing the sweetest of pollen otherwise the apples will be made into juice rather than apples for eating.
The £10 million promised by government for research into the demise of all pollinating insects has not yet been distributed. According to the British Beekeepers Association, the same sum is still needed to reverse the plight of the honeybee according to the BBKA.
You can help by planting bee friendly plants or attending a bee keeping course at Denman College in Oxfordshire - there is always a need for more trained bee keepers.
If you want to do more, get involved in our Bee Aware Action Week: 24 – 31 October. Visit the WI website for more detilas.
Tuesday, 15 September 2009
Women Reaching Women project update
A 2008 poll asked which Millennium Development Goal issues the government should focus on. Promoting gender equality and empowering women ranked last.
Our three-year Women Reaching Women campaign aims to raise awareness of world poverty, inequality and climate change, focussing particularly on how women are affected.
We want our communities to know why promoting gender equality worldwide is of vital importance to achieving sustainable development. Then together we can send a message to the government that empowering women should be at the top of our international development agenda. It is through this work at the grassroots level that we can contribute to lasting change in the lives of women around the world.
This time it’s not about fundraising. Instead, WI members are doing what they do best: bringing a marginalised issue to the forefront of national concern, to change the terms of the debate and ultimately achieve government commitment, support and funds allocated to this issue.
WIs are holding events for WI members and their communities around the country. Events so far have taken place at dinner parties, town halls, universities and even the local zoo! The main aim is to get people together to learn about global poverty and particularly how women are affected - and then spread the word.
The campaign is part funded by the Department for International Development we are working closely with Oxfam and the Everyone Foundation.
Our three-year Women Reaching Women campaign aims to raise awareness of world poverty, inequality and climate change, focussing particularly on how women are affected.
We want our communities to know why promoting gender equality worldwide is of vital importance to achieving sustainable development. Then together we can send a message to the government that empowering women should be at the top of our international development agenda. It is through this work at the grassroots level that we can contribute to lasting change in the lives of women around the world.
This time it’s not about fundraising. Instead, WI members are doing what they do best: bringing a marginalised issue to the forefront of national concern, to change the terms of the debate and ultimately achieve government commitment, support and funds allocated to this issue.
WIs are holding events for WI members and their communities around the country. Events so far have taken place at dinner parties, town halls, universities and even the local zoo! The main aim is to get people together to learn about global poverty and particularly how women are affected - and then spread the word.
The campaign is part funded by the Department for International Development we are working closely with Oxfam and the Everyone Foundation.
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