A WOMEN’S PAPER FOR WOMEN’S ORGANISATION

This conference notes that other Self Organised Groups have dedicated newsletters/publications yet none exist for Women in UNISON. Whilst we note that we are the majority in terms of membership we feel that this is not reflected in UNISON publications such as Focus. We therefore request that the National Women’s Committee prepares a report for […]

MOVING ON UP REPORT: BANGLADESHI, PAKISTANI AND CARIBBEAN WOMEN AT WORK

Conference notes the ‘Moving On up’ report published by the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) IN March 2007 which found that Caribbean, Pakistani and Bangladeshi girls obtain better GCSE grades , including Maths and English than white British boys. Yet Caribbean, Bangladeshi and Pakistani women graduates seeking work are five times more likely to be unemployed […]

TIME TO DRAW THE LINE CAMPAIGN

Conference is saddened that incidents of domestic abuse are not decreasing and conviction rates, although increasing, in reality remain depressingly low. Eighty nine per cent of those suffering four or more incidents are women and one incident of domestic abuse is reported to the police every minute. Conference acknowledges the hard work that UNISON women […]

SEXISM IN THE CITY

London’s square mile is one of the most economically prosperous areas in the world. But behind that success lies a hidden story of disadvantage and discrimination affecting women at all levels – a story which is replicated in cities all across the UK, both in the public and private sector. Prejudice about women’s abilities and […]

MOTIONS AND AMENDMENTS – PRE-CONFERENCE PROCEDURE

Standing Order 3.2 Amend first sentence to read “Each branch and regional women’s group, other national self-organised groups and the National Young Members’ Forum may submit motions, amendments to motions and amendments to Standing Orders.” Delete second sentence.

SUPPORTING THE WOMEN OF BURMA

This conference resolves to support the women of Burma who are risking imprisonment, beatings and death from their government in their struggle for democratic change in their country. After the 1988 uprising, thousands of Burmese men were killed, imprisoned or forced to flee the country. Women took a stand to combat oppression and promote democracy. […]

DELEGATES TO NATIONAL WOMEN’S CONFERENCE

The Cymru/Wales Region welcomes the changes to the way in which delegates are nominated to National Women’s Conference based upon the number of women members by branch. This change agreed by the NEC will hopefully allow more women to participate and encourage women activists locally, regionally and nationally. It is important that this change is […]

LADS MAGS

Conference is concerned about the explicit imagery of naked and barely clothed young women portrayed on the internet, and in so called “Lad’s mags”. These magazines are sold, at pocket money prices, in our local newsagents, department stores and supermarkets. They are not age restricted i.e. “top shelf” material, are clearly displayed and available for […]

BREAST FEEDING

Conference welcomes the tremendous work that UNISON and the National Women’s Committee have undertaken in the past with regard to the ‘Breast is Best’ campaign. However, Conference is concerned regarding the lack of positive images of breastfeeding mothers in public. Mothers are also still being made to feel uncomfortable whilst feeding their babies in cafes […]

WOMEN AND POVERTY

This conference notes that the NCH Scotland report, which highlights that two thirds of lone parent families in Scotland are surviving on an income of less than £15,000 per year. Conference recognizes that the majority of lone parent families are led by women, and these women experience considerable challenges to get back into the workforce. […]

THE VALUE OF A WOMAN’S LIFE

This conference notes with alarm the cases of Stuart Brown and Colin Read, two professional men who received small fines after being charged and found guilty of violence towards their partners as the judges felt that these were men of “good character” However, this happened at the same time as two teenagers from Manchester received […]

THE GENDER EQUALITY DUTY AND WOMEN IN SPORT

Women in UNISON have many interests and hobbies, including either watching or participating in sport. We are all aware of the advantages of exercise, but are also increasingly aware of the lack of seriousness afforded to women’s sport, especially in the media. The recent women’s football world cup was one recent example where coverage was […]

THE LAW ON RAPE

Conference believes that every woman should live free from the threat of rape. The present law on rape in Scotland is outdated and antiquated, and there are a growing number of organizations calling for the definition of rape to be reformed. At present the narrow definition of both what constitutes rape and consent allows some […]

MAKING MOTHERHOOD SAFE FOR ALL

In 1987, a special conference called the Safe Motherhood Conference was held in Nairobi. It launched a global initiative to reduce maternal mortality in developing countries. At the time, at least one woman died from complications related to pregnancy or childbirth every minute – a staggering 529,000 deaths every year. In addition, for every woman […]

WOMEN AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Conference notes that climate change is the single greatest environmental threat to life on earth. It not only impacts on our environment physically and economically, it also affects us socially and culturally. Women in the UK have a key role in tackling climate change as consumers, educators and ‘change agents’ in our homes, encouraging the […]