We’re gonna need a bigger boat…

Just a few things that caught my eye and made me wonder what sort of society we live in…..

From the BBC News site…

Three Welsh Politicians raped. 

Three members of the Welsh assembly have disclosed in a questionnaire they were sent by one of their colleagues that they have been raped.

None of the three reported the rape, and neither did another AM who was a victim of domestic abuse.

Suffolk Killer refused right to appeal. 

He claimed he was unable to receive a fair trial in Ipswich, and his legal team did not advise him correctly when he took the stand in his own defence.

But a judge has written to Wright, refusing his appeal, saying the trial was fair and his defence did their job.

167 rescued in Human Traffiking operation. 

Women captured by human traffickers can be forced to have sex with up to 40 men a day by violent pimps, police said.

Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said: "Human trafficking is a despicable crime, perpetrated by organised criminal gangs whose business is to make money from human misery.

Football boss denies assault.

The co-owner of Birmingham City Football Club has "categorically denied" sexually assaulting a 25-year-old woman in Essex.

Schoolboy, 17, jailed for child abuse. 

David Callum, 17, from Alloa, was given 14 months for the attack on the child in her bedroom after being left to babysit her for just over an hour.

Body found.

A man has been arrested after the body of a woman was discovered at a property on Tyneside.

Woman dies after stabbing. 

Dee Willis, 28, was taken to hospital suffering a stab wound to the upper body but was pronounced dead shortly after midnight on Wednesday.

The image is a coffin, with a wreath on the top and it’s part of Operation Relentless, launched today in Derbyshire to tackle domestic violence.

I’ve just been listening to coverage on the local radio.

"We’re at the largest we’ve ever been and we’re dealing with more cases than ever before and we still have people on waiting lists. ……….   The more resources we put out the more we find."

A Women’s Aid spokesperson.  It’s horrendous that there simply isn’t the funding, support and resources for everyone who needs it.

Oh and why call it a "hard hitting" campaign?  Does no-one at that office think that’s innapropriate? And what an opportunity to have a link there for any women reading it to click and find help? Where is that? I don’t see it.

I’ve left a comment.

Update: Email reply from the deputy editor:

Dear Sarah,

Your observation with regard to the domestic violence campaign is absolutely correct.

We stopped the relevant phrase from going into the paper but was unfortunately allowed to stay on the web.

I have instructed it should be taken off immediately.

Kind regards,

Neil White,

Deputy Editor,

Derby Evening Telegraph.

And the phrase is gone, prompt and effective, thank you Neil.  

The UN has classified rape as a war tactic.

It described sexual violence as "a tactic of war to humiliate, dominate, instil fear in, disperse and/or forcibly relocate civilian members of a community or ethnic group".

As far as it goes this is a historic step. But it’s not just during a large organised conflict though is it? 

During the debate in the council, Mr Ban said: "Responding to this silent war against women and girls requires leadership at the national level."

Woulsn’t you like to see this extended to rape anywhere, at any time? 

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said the world now recognised that sexual violence profoundly affected not only the health and safety of women, but the economic and social stability of their nations.

Look a little closer to home Ms Rice, it’s happening on your own doorstep.  

But, the fact that it’s the UN means it’s an international statement and a step in the right direction. It might make a difference to women in wor torn regions even if it doesn’t help the women who live near you and I, and Condoleezza Rice.  Who knows, maybe this will mark the start of a change of attitudes, or maybe not.

Then there’s this at the end that kinda steal all the thunder of the entire resolution…

Sometimes women are even raped by peacekeepers who are supposed to be protecting them.

What hope is there when the people meant to be enforcing this are doing it too? 

BBC SPORT | Motorsport | Formula One | Mosley sues over Nazi orgy claim

He accepts he visited the prostitutes but denies there were Nazi overtones.

So, using prostituted women is fine, but having fascist politics isn’t? 

Mr Mosley, son of fascist leader Sir Oswald Mosley, alleges defamation and invasion of privacy against the paper

So, it would have been ok if you’d not been caught then? Is it just me or is something seriously not right…….

Whether it’s Heather Mills or Kerry Katona, the celebrities that ordinary people vilify seem disproportionately to be female. Why?

Now there’s an interesting question… 

In a survey this week, by Marketing magazine the respondents’ top five most loved celebrities were men - Paul McCartney, Lewis Hamilton, Gary Lineker, Simon Cowell and David Beckham. Of the five most hated, the top four were women - Heather Mills, Amy Winehouse, Victoria Beckham and Kerry Katona.

Interesting statistic.  

"There is incredible ambivalence in a post-feminist culture towards women in the public sphere."

Post feminist? Based on things I see every day, on things I hear and witness personally, let alone see in the media - Where do you think a Post Feminist culture fits in? How can anyone claim we’re in a Post Feminist anything in the same article as pointing out the underlying hatred of women that out society deems normal?

I don’t get it. Anyone care to enlighten me? Please bear in mind I prefer plain english, don’t try to make yourself look better with big words and jargon.

BBC News again, dead women.

Body Found.  

The husband of a missing make-up artist has been arrested following the discovery of a body in woodland near their East Sussex home.

David Chenery-Wickens, 51, is being questioned over the disappearance of his wife Diane, 48, in January.

What’s the statistic on spousal murder? Two women every week killed by their partner?  There’s one for a week in January, where’s the other one?

Pauline Campbell dies aged 60.

Pauline joined the protest group "Inquest" after her daughter died of an overdose of anti-depressants while in prison. She was found dead at the cemetary where her daughter, Sarah, is buried. Sarah was just 18 when she died.  It’s a nightmare Just this one story and there are so many named dead and implied dead.

Deborah Coles, from Inquest, says:

"Her death should remind everyone not just about the many unnecessary and preventable deaths of women in prison but also of the impact on the families they leave behind."

Peter Sutcliffe claims his human rights have been violated.

Sorry, you gave up humanity when you took life, repeatedly.  

Today I’ve decided to take a look at the BBC News site and find a few stories featuring women. Let’s see what we find….

Taser parties. 

In a downtown loft apartment in Denver, Colorado, a group of 30-something women is having a party. They joke easily with each other about men, cats and botox.

It’s more Sex and the City than Psycho, but party organiser Dana Shafman would have them believe they could easily be victims of violent crime.

She runs a company that sells Tasers, the electric stun guns used by security forces around the world.

 Rapist to serve at least 35 years.

The Judge, Mr Justice King told him [the rapist] "Your victim was particularly vulnerable. She was 14. Your attack was particularly brutal and frenzied."

Any wonder some women would go to a Taser party? Moving on…

Father jailed for rape.

A man who raped his daughter more than 30 years ago was jailed for 11 years.

11 years. She was abused for 6 years and she is "undoubtedly damaged" - so, is 11 years enough? Is that sufficient punishment?

Ex-Conservatice councillor facing sex charges.

A Conservative Party worker has appeared in court charged with sex offences and assault on girls under 16.

Stephen Mullins, 52, a member of the Norwich North Conservative Association, is charged with rape, two counts of indecent assault and two of assault.

It’s all very negative isn’t it? There’s more but I’m feeling annoyed now. These are just the ones that made the BBC site, the ones that made the headlines. It’s a huge issue and it affects us all. Yet somehow there is no 24 hour helpline, there is no adequate provision for any woman needing to report rape or assault, and then there is woefully sparse and underfunded support for that women as she recovers and comes to terms with what has happened. Want to add your name to those pushing for this situation to improve? Go on, click the link, sign the petition, it’ll take seconds. Need to know what you’re signing for?

We commend the invaluable work of Rape Crisis in bringing much needed support to people affected by sexual violence often years after the offences have taken place. We note with sadness that in 1984 there were 68 affiliated members of Rape Crisis (England and Wales) but now there are just 38 . We believe this is a failure of successive administrations and endorse the New Statesman’s campaign to secure proper funding from the government so existing Rape Crisis centres can continue their work and that new centres can open.

When you’re next in your local library, can you please ask them if they could order The Portal Between into stock?

They should be able to and most libraries don’t charge for this service, or don’t charge much so it’s not like going out to buy a book! Of course, I’d been even more pleased if you all went out to your local WHSmith, or other bookstore, and ordered it there instead but the library is fine and they won’t know if you’ve read it or not right?

Details for ordering:
Title: The Portal Between
Author: Sarah Barnard
ISBN: 978-0-9556887-0-6

Thanks!

On The Aleena Naylor show today, about an hour in on the listen again thing. That’s me chatting about the wonders of soap nuts.

Just thought I’d share. 

I’ve heard this all over the place. But women can do what they want now so why are you bothering with that feminism rubbish now? 

BBC NEWS | World | Europe | Women face bias worldwide - UN

 70% of the world’s poor are women and they own just 1% of the world’s titled land.

Hmm, I think I’ll carry on with the feminist politics a while longer. 

rape within marriage has still not been made a crime in 53 nations.

Really?  Why not? Oh and while I’m looking at marriage - the US State of Arkansas recently passed (and then repealed) a law removing the minimum age for marriage!

Lawmakers did not realize until after the end of last year’s regular session that a law they approved, intended to establish 18 as the minimum age for marriage, instead removed the minimum age to marry entirely.

Then when they sorted it all out the min age for boys is 17 and for girls it’s 16. Why the difference? So boys get to finish college? So young women are pressured to quit school early and not finish their education?

I think we still have plenty of reasons for being feminists, and plenty of areas in which to fight.