SROI is a form of cost-benefit analysis that seeks to measure and value the key changes, or outcomes, created by a programme or activity.

Conducted over a two year period, ‘Journey Towards Safety’ highlights the far reaching benefits of Ashiana’s specialist refuge and outreach services the significant savings these create for the state, local economics and communities. Key findings from the report include:

• For every £1 invested into our services, Ashiana can generate £8 worth of social value to women, their children, and the state.
• 91% of women who were supported in our refuges reported their safety had increased
• Improved safety links directly to improved physical health
• 47% reported avoidance of forced marriage
• 59% of women in the refuge moved into employment, education or training
• In our outreach service, safety increased by 35% for women living in abusive homes
• On average, women’s independence increased by 20%, which is demonstrated through budgeting or managing their finances better

Vivienne Hayes, Chief Executive of the Women’s Resource Centre, said: “There is much talk about the cost of funding women’s organisations; what this report shows for the first time is the undeniable cost of not funding them.  The Government always presses charitable organisations to demonstrate their value and the findings of this report could not be clearer: women’s organisations provide high quality and cost effective, holistic services for excellent value.”

You can download a copy of the report (in pdf format) from http://www.wrc.org.uk/includes/documents/cm_docs/2011/w/wrc_ashiana_sroi_report_final_2011.pdf

We hope you find it useful reading.

Campaigns Manager Anna van Heeswijk says:

“This Inquiry presents a golden opportunity to tackle the Page 3 portrayal of women in the press. We presented the evidence, we suggested the solutions, now we keep up the pressure until Leveson, and ultimately the Government, take the action!”

Find out more

You can see the evidence hearing (from 104 minutes in) on the official Leveson Inquiry website http://www.levesoninquiry.org.uk/hearing/2012-01-24am/

You can read some of the media coverage in The Guardian, The Telegraph, BBC News and Journalism.co.uk, with even more on our website’s OBJECT in the News section – http://www.object.org.uk/resources/media-coverage

Read the joint press release from the organisations presenting evidence which you can download in pdf format from http://www.object.org.uk/files/Women%27s%20Groups%20at%20the%20Leveson%20Inquiry%20Press%20Release%20Jan%2024th%202012.pdf

Read the original submission made to the Inquiry together with Turn Your Back on Page 3 in December which you can download in pdf format from http://www.object.org.uk/files/The%20Leveson%20Inquiry%20-%20OBJECT%20and%20Turn%20Your%20Back%20on%20Page%203%20Joint%20Submission%282%29.pdf

And, read the additional witness statement presented to the Inquiry by Anna van Heeswijk, including links to exhibits – also in pdf format – from http://www.object.org.uk/files/Witness%20statement%20for%20the%20website.pdf.

Thank you

None of this could be achieved without your support, thank you.

Become a member today to help us continue our groundbreaking work against sex-objet culture. You could even encourage a friend (or two!) to join with you. Just think of the difference it would make if everybody did this.

For more details on becoming a member go to http://www.object.org.uk/support-us

Women are paired with a volunteer who has experienced sexual violence in the past themselves. Amina is not a counselling service but it has been designed to work alongside Eaves Scarlet Centre counselling and other support services that women can access.

Volunteers meet with women once a week in an area of London convenient to them both, and can:
- Help women talk about how they feel
- Help women work towards personal goals
- Accompany women to appointments
- Help to access support services
- Offer support through reporting and court proceedings.

The scheme is open to women over the age of 18, working or living in the London area. We accept referrals from agencies or women can contact us directly.

To apply to the scheme (either yourself or on behalf of a client) download the form from http://www.eaves4women.co.uk/Vacancies/Documents/AminaReferralForm2012.doc and email to amina@eaveshousing.co.uk

For more information you can contact the Amina scheme on the above email or telephone: 0207 840 7959

The report identifies the key barriers faced by women seeking safety and protection in the UK and makes concrete recommendations which, if implemented, will ensure that this particularly vulnerable group of women are able to access protection and live their lives free from violence.

Download the report in pdf format from http://www.rightsofwomen.org.uk/pdfs/Policy/Silenced_voices_speak-strategies_for_protecting_migrant_women_from_violence_and_abuse.pdf

Social Return On Investment (SROI) is a form of cost-benefit analysis that seeks to measure and value the key changes, or outcomes, created by a programme or activity.

Conducted over a two year period, ‘Hidden Value…’ highlights the far reaching benefits of the services provided by women’s organisations and the significant savings they create for the state, local economies and communities.

The report found that for every pound invested into their services, women’s organisations can generate, over five years, between £5 and £11 worth of social value to women, their children, and the state.

Calling the findings a “wake-up call”, the report recommends to government and to commissioners that they develop a better understanding of the incredible value of such specialist services and of investing in them appropriately.

Download Hidden value: Demonstrating the extraordinary impact of women’s voluntary and community organisations (3970 KB pdf) from http://www.wrc.org.uk/includes/documents/cm_docs/2011/h/hidden_value_wrc_sroi_report_2011_2.pdf

You can find out more about the five organisations that took part in the research and download copies of their individual research reports from http://www.wrc.org.uk/resources/wrcs_research_and_reports/sroi.aspx

Our report provides a snapshot of ‘A Week In The Life Of’ The Sun, The Daily Star and The Sport.

It highlights the “Page 3? phenomenon, the adverts for the porn and sex industries, and other innumerable ways in which women – and even crimes against women, such as rape and murder – are routinely trivialised and sexualised within the UK press.

We call on the Leveson Inquiry to address this relentless portrayal of women as sex objects as part of its remit to examine the culture and ethics of the press, and we provide recommendations to tackle the hyper-sexualisation and objectification of women in UK tabloids.

1) Read the OBJECT / Turn Your Back on Page 3 submission to the Leveson Inquiry by downloading it from our web site (pdf format)

2) Email a copy of the submission to your MP – see http://www.theyworkforyou.com/mp/ and ask her/him to support the recommendations to tackle the Page 3 phenomennon in our press (please copy your correspondence and forward all replies to anna@object.org.uk)

3) Email generalenquiries@levesoninquiry.org.uk asking the Leveson Inquiry to address the issues of sexism raised by the submission

4) Read articles about the OBJECT STOP.PRESS.PORN campaign and the joint submission to the Inquiry here http://www.object.org.uk/resources/media-coverage

Let’s get porn out of our press!

Celebrating International Women’s Day
Saturday 10 March 2012
Spitalfields Traders Market, Brushfield Street E1 6AA (Liverpool St tube)

BOOK NOW for a STAND or STALL

THE INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S FAIR will take place in the Spitalfields Traders Market. With over 100 stalls and stands available this is a real opportunity for Women’s Groups & Organisations, Artists, Book Publishers, Craftswomen & Designers to raise funds, sell work and present themselves to the press and public in a highly accessible location.

THE SPITALFIELDS TRADERS MARKET is covered by a glass roof and surrounded by busy restaurants and cafes opening out onto the market square producing a lively sociable environment in which to promote women’s creativity and organisations, meet, talk and trade.

THE INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S FAIR will be open from 10am to 5pm. Admission will be free. The event may also host performances and workshops. We welcome your ideas/contributions. The IWF will be widely publicised and a full programme will be available at the fair.

STANDS are available @ £100 each and STALLS @ £50 each/£35 concessions.
Stalls are typical market stalls 209cm (6’10’) wide x 90cm (3’) deep with a table top and 203cm (6’8’) high metal frame surround. Stands are solid white board 2.4 m (8’) wide, 1.2 m (4’) deep, with 2.4 m (8’) high walls on 3 sides offering 28m sq exhibition space with 2 x 600cm sq cubes for display of portfolios/books. Stands & Stalls have lighting but no power source. Chairs will be provided. The number of stands available is very limited but applicants can book more than one stall. Images of stands & stalls can be emailed on request.

BOOK NOW Fill in the Booking Form below and return it with your payment immediately in order to secure your place at this high profile event. Please send to:-
Alternative Arts, Top Studio, Montefiore Centre, Hanbury Street, London E1 5HZ.

Enclose a cheque or postal order for the full fee made payable to Alternative Arts. Stand & Stall fees must be paid in advance and are not refundable unless the Fair is fully booked. The management also reserves the right to refuse a booking whereupon fees will be returned in full. Early booking advised. Deadline 24 February 2012.

The International Women’s Fair is managed by alternative arts info@alternativearts.co.uk 020 7375 0441.

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S FAIR 2012 BOOKING FORM

NAME OF CONTACT
NAME OF ORGANISATION (if applicable)
ADDRESS
Full Postcode
Email
Phone No

Description of stall/stand/goods

Nos of stalls required @ £50 each..
Nos of stands required @ £100 each

TOTAL FEE ENCLOSED £

Please make cheque/postal order payable to Alternative Arts. Credit cards cannot be accepted.

SIGNED
Date

Now as the conservatives are doing their best to disadvantage lone mothers, low paid workers, especially women and make it harder to keep a roof over the heads of families, women should remember that this is what it was always like for women and if we do nothing, they will take us back to where they thought we should be – in the bad old days.

Sue Mayer
London Feminist Meetup Group

Amongst those attending was Baron Bach of Lutterworth (Willie Bach) – not only a supporter of the campaign, but his great-aunt, Emmeline Goulden, married into the Pankhurst family and became one of the leaders of the suffragette campaign that led to women being given the vote. Before the film he shared some of his memories and memorabilia of his family’s involvement in that vital campaign.

Parliamentary bodies have a key role to play in granting permission for the statue to be placed on the Committee’s chosen site on College Green and we also warmly welcome the engagement of key cross-party support in the House of Lords evidenced by this event.

Leading Black and Ethnic Minority (BME) women’s organisation, Imkaan, has written to the Prime Minister, David Cameron, (on 25 November: the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women) urging him to work with key ministers to develop the government’s violence against women and girls action plan to eradicate forced marriage, ‘honour-based’ violence and female genital mutilation (sometimes referred to as ‘female circumcision’) in the UK. (Download copy of letter in pdf format)

Imkaan has enclosed a copy of its new 86 page report, which was commissioned by the Mayor of London and is entitled ‘The Missing Link: A Joined-Up Approach to Addressing Harmful Practices in London’ (1).

The study reveals that despite the Home Office’s intention to ‘see violence against women eradicated in the UK’ there are some startling gaps and failures in policies and procedures.

As a result, women and girls are being left in life-threatening situations.

The data from the report shows that:

*The number of births in London by women with female genital mutilation has increased to around 7,000 a year. A significant number are likely to be girls at risk of female genital mutilation.
* In 2010 the government’s Forced Marriage Unit dealt with 330 cases of women and girls at risk of forced marriage in London.
* Scores of women and girls are contacting specialist women’s services every week saying they are suffering from, or are threatened with, ‘honour-based’ violence, forced marriage and female genital mutilation.
* The women and girls are from Afghan, Turkish, South Asian, Kurdish, Arab, African, Irish Traveller communities.

The report is also damning in its broad finding that despite the thousands of girls at risk in the UK, there is no consistent approach by authorities to deal with these issues. Health workers including GPs, social workers and teachers receive no mandatory training in this area and there is a real and dangerous postcode lottery of support services for girls and women should they try to find help.

Imkaan Director, Marai Larasi MBE, said:

“It is not acceptable that in 2011 many girls and women living in Britain face extreme, violent threats to their safety and even to their lives”.

“These issues are being neglected because of fears in many cases of being labelled at best culturally insensitive and at worst racist. This will not do”.

“There would be outrage and a national scandal if this were happening to little white girls. Every girl should be protected, no matter her background. We need to seriously up our game on ensuring every frontline professional is trained in these issues, and that the full force of child protection is brought to bear here”.

“Although there are clear differences of opinion about whether a separate piece of criminal legislation is required to address forced marriage, there is consensus among survivors and practitioners that women and girls need high quality specialist support services”.

Female genital mutilation is a criminal offence in the UK, and it is unlawful to take a child overseas to have the procedure performed. Yet, to date, there have been no prosecutions.

Potential offences in relation to forced marriage or ‘honour-based’ violence are encompassed in existing legislation (e.g. Domestic Violence Act 2004) and may include kidnapping, abduction, common assault, grievous bodily harm, sexual or domestic violence and murder. There were seventeen criminal prosecutions for offences committed in relation to forced marriage and ‘honour-based’ violence during April to September 2010.

The UK’s child protection system is automatically initiated by professionals (social workers, health workers and others) when a child is suspected of being abused or neglected. However, the Imkaan report notes that professionals that leads on child protection are not routinely utilising existing safeguarding policies and procedures to protect girls. There is an expectation that girls will know what is happening to them, that they will be able to interpret this as violence and know who to approach for help. In reality, this is unlikely and places a huge burden on girls to deal with the violence without support. Therefore, the current system is failing girls.

There are also serious problems with existing services in this area; most, such as hospital clinics, are targeted at adults who have already undergone female genital mutilation while little is done to prevent ‘cutting’ of girls. Girls are likely to be cut before they reach secondary school and the data indicates that girls may be as young as 9 in cases of forced marriage. The services that do exist are woefully underfunded and yet these are the very services that women and girls are most likely to approach for help. Girls consulted in the study said they wanted to feel confident that teachers, social workers and other professionals would know how to respond and needed the government to provide safe spaces for girls to share their concerns and fears with their peers, and get help.

There is a lack of early intervention and prevention. Very little work is carried out consistently in both primary and secondary schools. The work that does take place is in secondary schools. An example of promising practice highlighted in the report is the work of Ashiana, which runs a secondary schools-based programme for girls and young women from ages 13-21, offering counselling and awareness-raising workshops. Ashiana’s involvement clearly shows that work in schools has led to the direct prevention of forced marriage in that school. This is of course a programme initiated by enthusiastic individuals. More consistency is needed so that all teachers are equipped to understand the issues and intervene appropriately. However, for some girls this is already too late. There is an urgent need to overcome reluctance to broach these issues in primary schools; this is when many teachers and girls need information and support

Marai Larasi concluded:

“We have been talking about these issues for far too long but in the absence of targeted action where it is most needed and would have the greatest impact. It is hugely disappointing that girls living here in the UK are having their most basic human rights violated on a daily basis and are not being kept safe by the system which is supposed to protect them”. “We need to have a vision of a truly safe future for all women and girls in the UK, and we need a specific plan to get us there. We call on the Prime Minister to take the first step today.”

Note

1. The Imkaan report, The Missing Link, is a London study. However it is well known that there are many towns and cities in other parts of the UK where these forms of violence occur and need urgent attention. Imkaan is calling on the government to develop the national action plan on VAWG to improve current responses and to urgently take on board the recommendations from the report.