Maternity and its impact on Women’s careers

Maternity and its impact on Women’s careers Conference notes that for many women, returning from maternity leave can attribute to future stressful periods in their working life. It’s not just the thought of leaving baby behind, but the thought of what lies ahead in regard to their future working life and opportunities within the workplace. […]

Sexualisation of women in the media

Conference condemns the continual sexualisation of women in the media and finds it unacceptable the way in which women are presented to the public often posing partially clothed in a sexual or passive way. The presence of these imagines on the covers of magazines and newspapers can encourage and reinforce outdated stereotypical views of women. […]

Support for those suffereing Domestic Violence

Conference notes the rise in domestic violence; a staggering 1 million females were victims of domestic violence last year accounting for 1 in 5 of all assaults. It has long been understood that domestic violence tends to increase during difficult periods for society, such as recession, and in these austere times with cuts to police […]

Aspirational women in the workplace – the barriers women still face

Conference notes that women make up 51% of the population and are a major contributor to shaping and enriching our communities. The current Coalition Government cuts have had a huge impact on the public sector, where the majority of the workforce are women. As a result women members have been disproportionally hit on a number […]

HEALTH AND SAFETY MOTION

Conference remains alarmed at the continuing attacks by the Coalition Government on Health and Safety legislation by claiming that these important regulations amount to a burden on business without any credible evidence base. The 33% budget cut to the Health and Safety executive (HSE), and additional cuts to local authorities pose serious risk to enforcement […]

DOMESTIC ABUSE: SUPPORT FOR WOMEN IN EMPLOYMENT

For women in an abusive relationship, the work place is an important protective factor; it offers time away from the abuser; space for women to be themselves and valued for their skills and abilities; a source of income that provides some autonomy and independence; and communication with work colleagues that reduces isolation. The general perception […]

DEFENDING THE WOMEN OF COLOMBIA IN THEIR PEACE PROCESS

Conference notes that the people of Colombia have been subjected to neo-conservative governments for the last 20 years which have openly embraced all aspects of the free market with no restrictions on how these operate. In this context there are peace negotiations taking place in Havana between the Colombian Governments and FARC. The real likelihood […]

ZERO HOURS

Conference deeply concerned at the improper use of Zero Hours contracts throughout the employment sectors. Employers are targeting workers via health and social care settings, education, hotel services and many more work areas, to use these contracts as a means of reducing costs and maximising profits. However, they are disproportionately affecting women workers and their […]

Zero hour contracts and impact on Black Workers

Conference, since the coalition have taken power there has been mass redundancies, with many jobs being frozen and those who have survived are facing massive attacks on pay and conditions and threats of zero hour contracts. Black workers appear to be disproportionately affected by this. Government figures suggest there are approximately 250,000 people on zero […]

Stop and Search is a Discriminatory Practice against the Black Communities

Conference, the 1999 McPherson report uncovered deep rooted institutional racism within the Metropolitan Police Force. In the aftermath of this report the police were forced to review stop and search practices, as these were a very obvious manifestation of police prejudice. However, recent years have seen police forces return to their old ways. The figures […]

Low proportion of Black people in Senior Management Positions in Higher Education

Conference notes that in the UK there are 168 Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). Research conducted by the Equality Challenge Unit (ECU) reports that Black people represents 8.6 per cent of higher education academic staff and 6.9 per cent of professional support staff. Conference is aware that in the UK the Higher Education context has changed […]

Low attainment rates of Black students in Higher Education

Conference notes that Higher Education has expanded in the past decade with a 28% increase in the number of students from all domiciles (Universities UK, 2011). The expansion is partly the result of a greater number of students from ethnic backgrounds going to university. Yet in spite of the increase in Higher Education Initial Participation […]

Education and Opportunity

In Teesside, which is south of the Northern Region, schools reported and had to deal with 359 racist incidents in the last academic year. In Middlesbrough there was 191 racist school based incidents alone. A recent survey by the VOICE newspaper showed that more than 80% of their readers claimed to have experienced racism when […]

Impact of Housing Benefits Cuts and Changes for Black Tenants

Conference notes that the cuts in Housing Benefit and the imposition of the Bedroom Tax are forcing many Black families into a position of double jeopardy. Especially where it is alleged that there is under occupation in social housing homes. Black households are more likely to be housed in social housing and likely to be […]

Mental health issues for Black workers

Conference notes: a)The findings of the 2005 “Count Me In” census in England and the following censuses that people from Black Caribbean, Black African and other Black backgrounds are over represented in psychiatric care. b)The report by Care Quality Commission published in 2010 that found that 23% of mental health inpatients were from Black communities […]