women in london - row - autumn courses

Rights of Women works to attain justice and equality by informing, educating and empowering women on their legal rights. Founded in 1975, we are a not for profit voluntary organisation. Our core service is our Advice Line which offers free, confidential legal advice to women. We also specialise in providing high quality, practical and accredited legal training in the area of women's rights. Our courses are especially popular with community and voluntary organisations working directly with women. Our training programme is valued for making the law transparent, accessible and user friendly, giving you the knowledge and skills to enable your service users to access justice.

This training is provided by women and is for women only. If you cannot attend on these dates or would like customised training for your organisation, please contact us.

Lesbian Parenting

Are you confused about the legal situation for lesbian parents? Incorporating the proposed Civil Partnership legislation, this half-day course will give you a solid introduction to the rights and responsibilities of women raising children within a lesbian relationship. Topics covered include:

insemination: known donor v anonymous; the content and legality of agreements
birth certificates – in whose name?
parental responsibility and guardianship
joint residence orders
impact of the Adoption and Children Act 2002
impact of the proposed Civil Partnership legislation
guardianship and wills
issues for non-biological parents to consider
property ownership, inheritance and succession rights
issues for lesbian mother leaving marriages / heterosexual relationships

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Women And Islamic Law

Do you know how Islamic Law may impact on your service users? This half-day course will help give you a grounding in:

the Islamic Legal System with particular reference to Family Law
the status of women in Islam
the inter-action between Islamic Law and different cultures within the Islamic world
marriage, divorce, polygamy
children and finance on the position upon divorce
how the UK Family Law Courts view the rights of the individuals on the Shariah Law and dealing with Muslim families
obtaining a Talaq
marriages and divorces conducted abroad and their validity

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Domestic Violence And The Law

Do you offer support to women who are experiencing domestic violence? Including the proposed changes incorporated in the Domestic Violence Crime and Victims Bill, this half-day course will enable you to advise and offer practical support to women on the legal steps they can take to address their situation. The training aims to equip you with a sound knowledge in the following:

overview of the law in relation to domestic violence
non-molestation orders and occupation orders
'associated persons'
how to apply for an injunction
court procedures
how to serve an order
how to complete statements and application forms
participants will also be given free copies of Rights of Women's popular Domestic Violence DIY Injunction Handbook (published in English, Gujarati, Urdu, Hindi and Bengali).

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Sexual Violence And The Criminal Law

Do you offer a service to survivors of sexual violence? This half-day course will focus on the far-reaching changes created by the new Sexual Offences Act 2003. The training will give you an overview of the criminal law in relation to sexual violence and will outline what women can expect from the police/courts if they choose to make a complaint. The course will address:

the new definitions of rape and other relevant sexual offences
sentences
critical debates within the law: the new definition of consent, cross-examination, anonymity
what is evidence?
what happens when a sexual offence is reported to the police?
what will the complainant face from the legal system?
protections within the system
limitations of the law: why cases don't come to trial, why defendants are acquitted
the Sexual Offences Act 2003 – six months on
supporting complaints outside of the law
other routes: civil claims, compensation

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Challenging Sexual Harassment

Would you be able to advise a woman who is facing sexual harassment? This half-day course will give you a general overview of sexual harassment and the law, including:

what constitutes sexual harassment?
who is liable?
is there a defence to a sexual harassment claim?
what can a claim achieve?

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Partners And The Law

Do you work with women who need advice following a relationship breakdown? Incorporating the new Civil Partnership Bill, this one-day introductory course will provide you with a practical introduction to the essential aspects of partners and the law including:

marriage
foreign marriages
divorce and judicial separation matrimonial homes rights dividing up
matrimonial property court procedures
Child Support Agency
cohabitation and owning a home together civil partnerships

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Children And The Law

Do you work with women who are concerned about legal issues relating to their children? Incorporating the changes brought in by the Adoption and Children Act 2002, this one- day introductory course will provide you with a practical introduction to the essential aspects of children and the law including:

the Children Act – law and practise
parental responsibility
child contact
residence orders
prohibited steps and specific issues orders
court procedure
the role of CAFCASS
Child Support Agency and financial provisions for children

For full details of course dates, prices, booking form, etc., download the Training Programme as an rtf file (156 kbytes) or download the Training Programme as a pdf file (150 kbytes).

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