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Funded by Barrow Cadbury, ROTA is seeking an organisation in Birmingham to support a research team in that region. The organisation is required to:
* Identify an individual member of staff who can supervise the volunteer team
* Meet with the team on a weekly basis to gain feedback on focus groups
* Support the research team to arrange focus groups where necessary
* Allow the research team access to internet and printing facilities for the purposes of the focus groups
* Report back to ROTA on a bi-weekly basis, on the teams findings, needs and any concerns
* Attend a multi-agency meeting with Birmingham decision makers to support the team in presenting their findings with ROTA staff

ROTA would welcome applications from small grass roots organisations that have experience of working with BAME young people, BAME women or young people affected by gang and/or serious youth violence.

Please request a tender document for more details on the process carlene@rota.org.uk.

About the Female Voice in Violence project http://www.rota.org.uk/pages/FVV.aspx

Afghan feminists fighting from under the burqa

A really interesting read about how feminists in Afghanistan are going undercover with the help of, what is sometimes seen by them, as the very symbol of female oppression. Puts British feminism into perspective when you think that we are largely concerned with whether change is taking place and Afghan feminists are concerned firstly with how they will actually get to the point of vocalising their thoughts.

If you haven’t registered to vote yet, DO! It’s so important to be active in politics the suffragists fought particularly for the rights of women to do so and it’s the only way we can assure political groups who don’t care about equality don’t get in.

About My Vote will help you learn a little more about the election process and make sure you’re registered to vote.

Once you know you’re eligilble to vote it’s time to start swatting up on what the main parties have to say – Conservatives, Liberal Democrats and Labour are the top three.

Cath Elliott is providing a fabulous service pointing out the sexism already alive and well in reporting on the election including Cameron’s Cuties and the fashion of the first wives.

The Telegraph brings to light an interview with Conservative leader David Cameron calling for the abortion limit to be lowered. There is no reason to do this and not only will it impact on women in the UK, but it will act as another blow to women in Northern Ireland who cannot legally access abortion. The F-Word have more on women in N. Ireland.

Anastasia Beaumont-Bott, the first chairman of the LGBTory group is renouncing her support for the Conservatives and urging LGBT people to support Labour instead in light of  Chris Grayling’s announcement that bed and breakfasts should be allowed to turn away gay couples. Just so you know, no one in the Tory party have come forward to condemn this statement which shows nothing but support for homophobia.

You’ll have more from us on the lay of the land as we find it — drop your thoughts and links in the comments below so we can all go to the polls with as much knowledge as possible.

Additional Links:

Libby Brooks @ The Guardian: Election 2010: Dust off your pro-choice banners

My Gay Vote has a breakdown of the top three’s previous stance on gay rights issues – one party comes out much worse, can you guess which one?

You can download the actual report or the Government’s response here

The BBC “Stern Review Calls for focus on care of Rape Victims”

The Guardian “Focus on Rape ConvictionRates Stopping Women Coming Forward, Warns Stern”

Cath at Too Much to Say For Myself “Some Initial Thoughts on The Stern Review”

Channel 4 News have PC Ellie Bloggs “PC: Rape Reporting Better But Myths Still Exist”

The Times “‘Misleading’ Rape Conviction Statistic Will Not Be Dropped, Says Solicitor General“

Three new Rape Crisis Centres will open in London this year, following the Mayor’s pledge to quadruple Rape Crisis provision in the capital.  The first will open in Ealing next month followed later in the year by new services in the north and east.

I know, you’re astonished, constant harrasment from Boris Keep Your Promise and various grassroots organisers has actually paid off. Importantly, this sets a fantastic example for the rest of the country, rape crisis centres are important.

Islington and Westminster councils have taken the lead to deliver new Rape Crisis services in north London using £370,000 of funding from the Mayor. With the full support of four other north London councils they plan to run Rape Crisis services in each borough with the work centrally co-ordinated by an existing women’s service provider. This means that women in north London will not have to travel across boroughs but can access services locally.

A similar plan is underway in east London where Redbridge is leading work to deliver a new Rape Crisis Centre for the area with £370,000 of funding from the Mayor.

The new Rape Crisis Centre for west London, run by the Women and Girl’s Network, will start operating on April 1.  With £375,000 funding from the Mayor along with resources and additional funding from Ealing Council, the centre hopes to run satellite services across West London.

Happy International Women’s Day Everyone!

What isn’t happening in the two weeks surrounding International Women’s Day? Not much it would seem.

Wednesday night saw the launch of Action Aid’s new tool in the organisations 6degrees campaign, the book See Me, Hear Me, Read Me. The A5 book comes in a beauty of a cardboard cover and holds perfectly formed haiku’s from women known and not in an effort to bond all women internationally. It’s only £15 with the proceeds supporting a good cause, pre-order your copy here.

The event was a glitzy affair in a dimly lit room in the ever so fancy Shoreditch House where I heard one of Action Aids amassadors tell me about the project she runs with her partner to build schools in the Congo — these were some life changing people.

Sue Bishop gave a quick speech about the amazing stories she hears in her work with Action Aid, the amazing women and girls in hundreds of locations who make Action Aid’s work possible. Action Aid has offices all over the world, and they are staffed locally by people who understand the needs of the community and the cultural sensitivity needed to push people out of poverty.

The night was also preview to a short film starring Jamelia, who was supposed to be present on the night but was whipped away by Question Time last minute. The singer has recently travelled to Uganda with Action Aid and is acting as one of the organisations celebrity supporters to raise awareness on women’s rights work – you can read a short interview with her about this here.

You can find out more about Action Aid’s work with women and their 6Degrees campaign at their website.

Over at CNN – Women’s movement mourns death of 3 Haitian Leaders

At Women’s eNews - 3 part report using new research to uncover clearly the gendered bias in subprime mortgage sales in the USA in the market boom

At the Guardian – China’s Lost Girls, a piece on sex selective child rearing

At Womanist Musings – PETA’s 2010 State of the Union and the Sexualization of Black Women (PETA have hilariously blocked Womanist Musings on twitter, something that could only be a sign of her fabulous take downs)

At the Times – Migrant domestic workers in the UK are often subjected to meagre wages, violence, sexual abuse and food rationing — usually by their middle-class employers