Saudi Arabia Cabinet passes ban on domestic violence

Saudi Arabia's cabinet has passed a ban on domestic violence and other forms of abuse against women for the first time in the Kingdom's history.

Read more: http://google.com/producer/s/CBIw27mL_AM

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On yer bike! How bicycles prevent rape and empower girls in rural Cambodia

"In Cambodia, school ends at the primary level for many girls simply because the nearest secondary school is too far to commute to by foot. Furthermore, this long commute is dangerous. Rape and other forms of violence against women have reached epidemic proportions in the Cambodian countryside, and parents are rightfully concerned for their daughters’ safety.

Given a sturdy bicycle, however, many of these seemingly insurmountable barriers to education disappear."

Read more: GOOD Magazine

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First X-Man Standing

Legend. Nuff said.

"In 2007, actor Patrick Stewart became the patron of Refuge, a U.K. charity that provides support for victims of domestic abuse; in 2009, he wrote about witnessing his father, a former sergeant, abuse his mother. Stewart remains devoted to the cause, and in a recent panel at Comicpalooza in Houston, he said his work with Refuge is one of his proudest accomplishments and spoke out against victim-blaming:

“As a child, I heard in my home doctors and ambulance men say, ‘Mrs. Stewart, you must have done something to provoke him. Mrs. Stewart, it takes two to make an argument.’ Wrong. Wrong! My mother did NOTHING to provoke that — and even if she had, violence is NEVER, ever a choice that a man should make. Ever.”

Watch the video: http://youtu.be/TqFaiVNuy1k

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Running against FGM

Ann-Marie and Angela are running the British 10K run in London on 14th July 2013 to raise funds for 28 Too Many which works towards ending FGM in Africa and the UK and they'd love you to sponsor them.

They are aiming to raise £500 in the next 12 weeks so any donations are gratefully received. Both of them only took up running late last year so it will be a major achievement for them to complete the race! Cheerers on the day welcome.

To find out more about the cause, please visit www.28toomany.org or look up 28toomany on Facebook or Twitter.

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Women in agriculture

This interesting resource from Oxfam covers producers of honey in Ethiopia, shea in Mali and vegetables in Tanzania - all very relevant to our focus on food and recent efforts to build bees hotels.

"Development actors are increasingly prioritising ‘investing in women’ to ensure food security and sustainability—as well as equity—in agricultural development. In this context, collective action is a critical but poorly understood way for women small-scale farmers to strengthen their engagement in agricultural markets. This report provides rigorous new evidence, from quantitative and qualitative research carried out in Ethiopia, Mali and Tanzania, on the economic and empowerment benefits of women's participation in collection action groups across different farming systems and markets."

Read more: http://policy-practice.oxfam.org.uk/publications/womens-collective-action-unlocking-the-potential-of-agricultural-markets-276159

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16 Days of Activism

Tomorrow marks the middle of the 16 Days of Activism campaign - marking the days between International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and Human Rights Day (10th December). Read our member Ann-Marie's latest blog in the Huff Post on the campaign and follow 28 Too Many's next 15 themed posts & tweets!

Do 'Like' the 28 Too Many Facebook Page if you haven't already to help them progress their cause!

"A total elimination of all violence against women and girls may be hard to imagine but each day I think about saving one girl from FGM. This means she is spared from a painful, traumatic and potentially fatal procedure."

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Bond, villain?

WARNING: PLOT SPOILERS

Last week a number of us went to see the new Bond movie. I have to say, I thought it was brilliant - great casting, exciting set pieces, pathos, thrills and just the right touch of nostalgia. That said, there was one scene that jarred with me: the moment when Bond casually walks in on Severine's shower essentially unbidden and, you know, does his thing.

It seems it I was not alone in finding this moment awkward - the excellent Giles Coren has written a searing article slamming this and other persistently chauvinist themes in the latest Bond outing. Too controversial for his paymasters at The Times (who have recently acquired the rights to the Bond canon and launched a new Sky Bond channel), Coren posted his critique on his wife's cooking blog.

"I am ashamed, as a man, that women are still compelled in the 21st century to watch movies in which the three female outcomes are:

1) Judi Dench’s ‘M’ dies, and is replaced by a man;
2) The young abuse victim is shagged by Bond and then killed for a joke; and
3) The pretty girl who manages to remain chaste despite Bond’s ‘charms’ is rewarded at the end with a job as his secretary."

Bond is indelibly linked with Britain (for what other franchise would the Queen jump out of a helicopter?!), but is it right that our country should be so proudly associated with such a character?

What do you think? Did Bond's behaviour impede your enjoyment of the movie?

If it didn't should it have?

Bringing joy to dark places

While it is definitely too early to be thinking about Christmas (though Tesco and others don't seem to have got the memo), it could be worth thinking about getting behind this fantastic campaign already...

"Sadly, there will also be children in the UK who won’t enjoy the basic luxuries a cosy family home; they will be spending Christmas in a refuge, having escaped domestic abuse – often with few of their toys, games or clothes from the home they have fled. Which is why domestic violence charity Refuge – Red’s partners in the Speak Up Save A Life campaign – run an annual Christmas Present appeal.

Every year, Refuge try to ensure that every woman and child in their refuges receive a minimum of two to three presents each to unwrap on Christmas day. As Refuge say, 'The Christmas gift initiative is vital to ensure that refuges became places of joy on a day that has the potential to very bleak and hard.'

The charity have a gift list at John Lewis for the appeal so it could not be simpler. You can go as small as a counting block for £2.99, to as big as a pair of roller blades for £40. Whatever you pick, you will know that there’s a child in a refuge somewhere who will have a present to open on Christmas morning – thanks to you."

(Source: Red Online - John Lewis Refuge gift list)

In addition, the Prison Ministry at St Barnabas Church is also running the Angel Tree Project again this year - another opportunity to bring light and hope to dark places this winter. We'll share more details about this opportunity as and when we know more.

Consultation in relation to Sex Entertainment Venues

Barnet Council is currently consulting on whether it should embrace new powers to regulate lap dancing clubs. What do you think?

Following various JM sessions in which we have lifted the lid on the world of sex trafficking and other abuses of women by men with messed up perspectives, I felt compelled to encourage our local authority to take up powers to regulate and limit these kind of establishments in our neighbourhood. If you feel the same way, don't forget to tell them so.

Have your say on this and other local issues via the council's Engage Space consultation portal: http://engage.barnet.gov.uk/

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Forced marriage has always been a crime in spirit

Baroness Warsi on the move to criminalise forced marriage:

"In deciding to criminalise forced marriage – the act of coercing a person to marry against their will – the government has made a bold statement: that this heinous, inhumane, oppressive act is never acceptable."

Read more...

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Ending violence against women

"In the UK, 25% of women will experience domestic violence in their lifetime. Both women and men need to stand together to end this horrific and all pervasive reality that affects so many women and children."

In January, Justice Matters were honoured to have Nathalie from Restored visit and share her story with us. Through her own painful life experiences she now works to raise awareness of domestic violence, equipping groups like ours to be better prepared to spot and support those suffering in this way. Her presentation was frank and unflinching in its details, provoking some lively discussion from members and practical responses for many.

We heard about the First Man Standing campaign which calls men everywhere to be the first in their family, club, church or workplace to stand up and speak out about ending violence against women. By signing up to be a First Man Standing, men are committing to:

1. Respect all women everywhere and demonstrate love and support for women and children in your family.
2. Challenge other men by speaking out to their friends and colleagues about ending violence and negative attitudes towards women.
3. Join the cause and make a personal pledge; “never to commit, condone or remain silent about violence against women”

More information on the campaign can be found here.

Continuing the theme of ending violence against women, our pub chat in early February looked at the link between glamazon culture, cosmetic surgery and FGM. Labiaplasty is on the rise in the UK (inspired in no small part by the influence of the pornography industry on public perceptions of female beauty), but women from FGM practising countries are banned from having this type of surgery, begging the question: how can the same medical procedure be considered mutilation for some and fashionable for others? We learnt about the origins of FGM as a practise to identify female slaves and considered the parallels with the objectification of women in pornography, and we explored practical ways to empower teachers and others to protect children who they suspect may be at risk of being taken abroad to undergo FGM.

Thanks to those who came and shared in the discussions. More information on the issues around FGM can be found on the 28toomany website, which is run by Justice Matters leader Ann-Marie.