Women’s Reference Group

The establishment of the Women’s Reference Group with the purpose is to promote mutual understanding between the Northern Ireland Policing Board (the Board), PSNI and the Women’s Sector with the aim of achieving a safer and more equitable community for all.

The draft role of the Group has been identified as to:

• provide clarification around the dynamics, needs and issues within their communities in respect of policing.

• engage with the Board to enhance understanding of gender issues and will provide networking opportunities for the Board to meet and engage with the communities they represent.

• highlight priority issues from this sector which will be forwarded to the Board and PSNI for consideration in the development of the NI Policing Plan.

• provide opportunities to share information in respect of issues and potential solutions in relation to policing matters.

Irene Miskimmon is the representative to this group on behalf of NIWEP.  Terms of Reference, draft plans can be found on www.niwep.org.uk  website

Seeking New Members to the Board of Invest NI

Invest NI are seeking to appointment up to 8 new members to its Board.

The vacancies will be advertised in the Irish News, News Letter and Financial Times on Thursday 17 January 2008 and the Belfast Telegraph and Irish Times on Friday 18 January 2008. 

Details will also be posted on the DETI website (www.detini.gov.uk) or anyone wishing to receive an information pack can email pau@detini.gov.uk and one will automatically be issued

EU Proposal to Designate 2010 as the European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion

It is estimated 78 million people are currently living at risk of poverty in the EU. Deep poverty continues to cause concern and the number of people suffering from absolute poverty has increased. The 2000 Lisbon Strategy calls upon the Commission to tackle policies that have a “decisive impact on the eradication of poverty” by 2010. In its 2005-2010 Social Agenda, the Commission announced a proposal to designate 2010 as the European Year for combating poverty and social exclusion to complement action being undertaking under the Open Method of Coordination.

There is a proposed Act for decision of the European Parliament and of the Council to designate 2010 as the European Year for combating poverty and social exclusion. The proposed budget is 17 million EUR over the period 1 January 2009 to 31 December 2010.

Four specific objectives are foreseen. They are:

·         recognition: recognising the rights of those living in poverty and social exclusion to live in dignity and to play a full part in society;

·         ownership: increasing public ownership of social inclusion policies and actions as well as emphasising everyone’s responsibility to tackle both poverty and marginalisation;

• cohesion: promoting a more cohesive society, by raising public awareness of the social benefits to eradicating poverty; and
• commitment: reiterating the EU’s commitment to fight poverty and social exclusion.

The year will focus on a number of themes including:

1. child poverty and the intergenerational transmission of poverty;
2. an inclusive labour market;
3. lack of access to education and training;
4. the gender dimension of poverty;
5. access to basic services;
6. overcoming discrimination and promoting the integration of immigrants and the social and labour market inclusion of ethnic minorities; and
7. addressing the needs of disabled people and other vulnerable groups

Full proposal can be found @ www.niwep.org.uk

Faster, Higher Stronger:

Preventing Human Trafficking at the 2010 Olympics

This report presents the findings from the 2006 Germany FIFA World Cup and the Athens Olympics, sharing an increase in numbers of trafficking cases and demands for prostitution.  The report makes recommendations regarding human trafficking prevention and preparation for the 2010 Olympics.

The report can be obtained at:

http://www.lastradainternational.org/lsidocs/342%20Preventing%20Human%20Trafficking%20at%20the%202010%20Olympics.pdf

European Commission’s New Social Agenda

The European Commission will launch its new Social Agenda and calls on NGOs and civil society to contribute to the vision of what this agenda should be. 

The Social Agenda  tackles key issues that matter to ordinary men, women and children, e.g. poverty; pensions; health care; social security; the benefit trap; finding a job in a different Member State; health and safety at work; striking a balance between work and home life; the relationship between the different generations; the effects of company restructuring.

It aims at giving European citizens confidence in their ability to manage the challenges facing society as a result of globalisation, technological development and ageing populations. These challenges are also opportunities. This agenda sets out employment and social policies designed to help ordinary people take up these opportunities with confidence – in their skills, in the welfare system and, most importantly, in their ability to adapt.

Three important interlinked topics are addressed which are:

• Europe’s social reality
• Economic and social cohesion
• The EU Budget

Questions and answers on the new Social Agenda can be found on: 

http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/05/41&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en

Responses to the European Commission’s Questionnaire can be found on http://ec.europa.eu/employment_social/emplweb/news/news_en.cfm?id=324

The deadline for responses is 15 February 2008.

NGO Statements to the Secretary General

The 52^nd session of the Commission on the Status of Women gives NGOs with consultative status the opportunity to make written statements to the Secretary General of the United Nations and the Members of the Council.

The following statements can be viewed at  www.niwep.org.uk website

• National Alliance of Women Organisations (NAWO)
• Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF)
• Widows for Peace through Democracy (WPD)
• The Global Fund for Women

The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights announces new Website Link For UN CEDAW Committee

It is hoped it will serve as a useful tool for information in advance of and during the sessions and pre-sessions of the Committee. The next session of the CEDAW Committee will take place in Geneva on 14 January to 1 February 2008.

Programme Manager – Africa

 WOMANKIND Worldwide

WOMANKIND Worldwide is a dynamic UK charity dedicated to improving women’s lives and promoting women’s rights across the world.

We are seeking to recruit a Programme Manager for Africa. The successful candidate will have previous experience of working in a development context and a proven track record of working on gender and/or women’s rights. The Programme Manager will be responsible for all aspects of programme development and management including: maintaining excellent relationships with partner organisations; facilitating and supporting monitoring and evaluation to enhance learning and organisational development; undertaking relevant policy and advocacy work, managing programme budgets and preparing funding proposals.

WOMANKIND is looking for candidates who are confident in communicating and influencing at different levels, ideally with specialist knowledge in one or more of the following thematic areas: rights-based approaches, violence against women or civil and political participation.

Salary:  Circa £26,760

Closing date for applications:       6^th February 2008

Dates for interviews:    20^th February 2008

For an application pack please download from our website at www.womankind.org.uk, email recruitment@womankind.org.uk or send an A4 60p stamped self-addressed envelope quoting Ref PMA to:  WOMANKIND WORLDWIDE, Development House, 56 – 64 Leonard Street, London, EC2A 4LT

Iraq Women MPs, activists call for more support for Widows and Divorced Women

Iraqi women parliamentarians and activists are pressing for a new law to help the increasing number of widows and divorced women in their war-torn country.

Nadira explained that there were no fewer than one million Iraqi widows who had lost their husbands in wars or as a result of internal violence over the past three decades.   She said only 800 billion Iraqi dinars (about US$664 million) is allocated in the 2008 budget to the country’s social protection programme. 

Created to cope with increasing social problems the social protection programme provides widows, divorced women, orphans, the handicapped and the unemployed with a monthly allowance of 50,000 Iraqi dinars each (about US$50).  “This is not enough. With the government’s food rations, these allowances only take such families up [to] near the poverty line,” Nadira said.

Challenge Grant to End Violence against Women

UN Foundation to donate $1 for every signature to UNIFEM
online campaign

The United Nations Foundation announced its support for the “Say NO to Violence against Women” campaign. The Foundation will donate $1 for each the first 100,000 signatures to the online campaign that is run by the UN Development Fund for Women, UNIFEM. The contributions will go to the UNIFEM-managed UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women.

This Trust Fund, managed by UNIFEM for the UN system, supports innovative initiatives by governments and non-governmental organisations to end violence against women. Since its establishment in 1996, it has helped fund some 250 initiatives in 120 countries.

People can sign on to the campaign at www.sayNOtoviolence.org.