News

November 2004

UPDATES ON 16 DAYS ACTION AND EVENTS ADDED 25 NOV

Rape Crisis News 3 - 16 Days of Action (tell us!) - Glasgow 16 Days programme - Amnesty International Stop Violence Against Women Film Festival - Success by Scottish Women Against Pornography - Scottish Liberal Democrats Motion on Rape Law Reform - Information Mailings

UPDATES - 25 NOV

SCOTTISH PARLIAMENT DEBATE - AMNESTY FILM FESTIVAL - 16 DAYS IN GLASGOW

The Scottish Parliament debated an Executive motion on Violence Against Women today to mark the International Day to Eliminate Violence Against Women

Details of the debate will be on the Scottish Parliament website from 26 November 2004 . Search the Parliamentary Business section for the Official Report for relevant keywords or for the date of 25 November 2004 .

Amnesty International Film Festival launched 25th November 2004 (further info in earlier news below)

Cinemas across Scotland will feature 6 critically acclaimed films from around the world which tackle the themes of power, sex, violence, relationships and exploitation. 1 The Amnesty International film festival is timed to coincide with the 16 days of action on Violence Against Women (25th November- 10th December 2004) 2 .

The selection of films is designed to appeal to people who enjoy the cinema, but who would normally dismiss a film on violence against women as ‘not for them’. Why? For too long the public debate on this topic has taken place amongst women and focussed on the behaviour of women. Society as a whole needs to recognise the seriousness of the problem, and all women and men who think that such violence is wrong must start to play a role in its elimination. Amnesty believes that film is the ideal medium to engage broader society and to kick start debate about the issue.

Amnesty International Scotland Programme Director Rosemary Burnett said:
‘Everyone enjoys a trip to the cinema, so a Film Festival is a great way to get more people to engage in the debate about violence against women. After all, these are not ‘women’s films’, they’re films about people. Violence against women kills two women a week in the UK . It affects all of us, directly or indirectly and will continue to do so unless we all commit ourselves to doing something about it.’

In its publicity for the film festival, the organisation is encouraging people to bring along a friend or partner who wouldn’t normally go and see a film about violence against women. There are 2 for 1 ticket offers on selected screenings.

The festival was organised by Amnesty International Scotland in partnership with Glasgow City Council, the Glasgow Violence Against Women Partnership and the Big Issue in Scotland.

The films include:
· Monster the controversial and violent story of a serial killer
· Take My Eyes , a multi-award-winning Spanish film about domestic abuse
· Once Were Warriors in which domestic abuse and alcoholism tears apart a Maori family,
· Gacaca exploring the impact of the Rwandan war on men and women,
· Together, a thoughtful and at times funny Swedish drama
· Lilya-4-Ever, a hard-hitting drama about sex trafficking

Amnesty is holding discussion sessions after the Thursday Dec 9th screening of Monster at the GFT, and the Friday Dec 10th screening of Take My Eyes at the Edinburgh Filmhouse. The audience will be encouraged to give their views on the films and the issues they raise.

2. The 16 Days of Action for the Elimination of Violence Against Women is an international campaign which aims to raise awareness and to highlight violence against women as a human rights issue. Individuals, groups and organisations worldwide use the campaign to call for the elimination of all forms of violence against women and children.

Since 1991, approximately 1,700 organisations in 130 countries have participated in the 16 Days of Action. The campaign runs annually, from 25 November, International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, to 10 December, International Human Rights Day, to help people make the link that such violence is a violation of a woman’s human rights.

3. Amnesty International’s global Stop Violence Against Women campaign aims to eradicate violence against women by holding governments to account, challenging the myths surrounding violence against women, and promoting the work of women human rights defenders. For more details, see www.amnesty.org.uk/svaw

EVENTS IN GLASGOW FOR 16 DAYS

This year’s 16 Days of Action for the Elimination of Violence Against Women launched on 25th November 2004. The programme includes a series of events across Glasgow. These events will have an Arts Theme and/or a Health Theme and will look at all forms of violence against women and children. Most of the open access events are free of charge and will be in your local area. These include:

Performances of ‘Jackie’s Story’ a powerful play about one women’s experiences of domestic abuse, depicting Jackie’s life before, during and after living with an abusive partner. All ‘Jackie’s Story’ performances will be free of charge during the 16 Days of Action and dates for these are:

‘Jackie’s Story’ will be performed at the following venues:

25 th November at Bambury Centre, 35 Yate Street , Camlachie, Glasgow.

Call Chris on 0141 287 6879 for info

1 st December at Westwood Business Centre, 71 Aberdalgie Road , Glasgow .

Call Chris on 0141 287 6879 for info

1 st December at Netherton Community Centre, 358 Netherton Road , Glasgow .

Call Jane Hook on 0141 434 0201 for info.

2 nd December at Darnley Community Centre, Glenlivet Drive , Glasgow .

Call Pauline on 0141 287 6879 for info

3 rd December at Maryhill Community Centre, 35 Avenuepark Street , Glasgow

Call Tony on 0141 287 6878 for info

7 th December at Deaf Connections, 100 Norfolk Street , Glasgow .

This performance will be signed for the deaf.

Call Isabelle on 0141 287 6937 for more info

8 th December at Pollok Community Centre, 134 Langton Road , Glasgow .

Call Pauline on 0141 287 6879 for info

9 th December at the Annexe, Stewartville Street , Partick, Glasgow .

Call Steve on 0141 287 6886 for info

For information on tickets, access to venues and performance times, please contact the above numbers.

There will also be exhibitions, films, book readings – for a full listing of all events please log on to our programme on - http://www.gvawp.org.uk/pdfs/16daysprog04.pdf .

Rape Crisis News

The new issue of Rape Crisis News is out. Click here for the pdf version.

Contents include:

A report on the legal seminar held in August, looking at legal responses to rape

Solicitor General Elish Angiolini writing on Rape - Tackling The Challenges

Information about the Feasibility Study on a National Rape Crisis Helpline

A report on the sad closure of Glasgow’s pioneering ‘Supporting Women Abused in Prostitution’ project

A report on Healthy Respect, NHS Lothian’s national Health Demonstration Project, focusing on young people’s sexual health and wellbeing.

Information about 16 Days of Action: Nov 25 – Dec 10. (Could anyone with events in Scotland/elsewhere to advertise for this United Nations 16 Days of Action for the Elimination of Violence Against Women campaign, please email us with details for adding to the website. info@rapecrisisscotland.org.uk )

STOP PRESS - Glasgow City Council's programme of events, organised with their partners, for the 16 Days has just been published. You can read it here (pdf)

Amnesty International Stop Violence Against Women Film Festival

Information from AI about the Festival:

"Violence against women is perhaps the most shameful human rights violation, and it is perhaps the most pervasive.”

Kofi Annan, UN Secretary General

The Film Festival is part of Amnesty's global Stop Violence Against Women campaign, and is being organised in partnership with Glasgow City Council, the Glasgow Violence Against Women Partnership and the Big Issue Scotland . The films will be shown during the 16 Days of Activism from November 25 to December 10.

Amnesty’s campaign aims to eradicate violence against women by holding governments to account, challenging the myths surrounding violence against women, and promoting the work of women human rights defenders.

Not Your Problem

A key aim of the campaign is to challenge attitudes by reaching people who don’t think that violence against women is their problem. We’re inviting people to buy a ticket for a friend or partner who would normally dismiss a film on violence against women as ‘not their problem’. The Big Issue Scotland is offering Two-For-One on some screenings, so bringing someone along could even cost nothing.

Films and Dates

The Festival features six critically acclaimed films that tackle violence against women in a provocative, challenging and motivating way. Lilya-4-Ever , a stark drama which tells the story of a girl who becomes a victim of sex trafficking is being shown at the UGC, as follows: Edinburgh Nov 25; Glasgow Dec 1; Aberdeen Dec 8 and Dundee Dec 9.

Take My Eyes , a multi-award-winning Spanish film about domestic abuse, will be shown at the Glasgow UGC from November 19, and the Edinburgh Filmhouse from December 10. The controversial and violent Monster is at the GFT on December 9 and the Edinburgh Filmhouse on December 5 and 6. Other films on show at the Filmhouse from November 25 are Gacaca (Dec 3); Once Were Warriors (Dec 6 and 7); Together (Dec 8 and 9) and Lilya-4-Ever (Dec 8 and 9).

Discussions

We are holding two short discussions after the Thursday Dec 9 screening of Monster at the GFT, and the Friday Dec 10 screening of Take My Eyes at the Edinburgh Filmhouse. So come along and share your views!

Success by Scottish Women Against Pornography

Congratulations to SWAP in winning the support of the Scottish Parliament's Equal Opportunities committee for their petition on the links between pornography and sexual crimes and violence against women and children.

See the BBC news story from November 2.

www.news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/scotland/3975523.stm

Also see the SWAP website for details of their campaigns including one against the Bank of Scotland over its loan to Remnant Media to finance buying part of Richard Desmond's pornographic magazine empire.

www.swapcampaign.org

Scottish Liberal Democrats Conference Motion on Rape Law Reform

The Scottish Liberal Democrats Autumn Conference has approved a motion demanding changes to the laws on rape.

They particularly highlighted the problems with the current law whereby a man can claim he honestly believed the woman consented, no matter how unreasonable that belief may be. The motion was proposed by Dr Trevor Escott, Vice - Convenor and Policy Officer, Inverness East Lib Dems.

It said:

Conference:

1) notes that violence against women is one of the most shameful and pervasive human rights violations of our times;

2) is appalled that Scotland has one of the lowest conviction rates for rape in Europe, at 6%;

3) is seriously concerned about the situation whereby someone accused of rape can claim that he honestly even if mistakenly believed that consent was given ( even if this belief is completely unreasonable ),and that if the jury believe that this belief is genuine,he must be acquitted;and

4) believes that this situation is open to abuse.

Conference therefore welcomes the Scottish Executive's announcement that the Scottish Law Commission is to review legislation around rape and sexual offences as a first step to tackling the low conviction rate.

Conference calls upon the Scottish Liberal Democrats to work towards legislation on rape and sexual offences which offers a fairer balance between the rights of the accused and the rights of the victim,and which ensures that any honest belief in consent must be objectively reasonable.

Information Mailings

Rape Crisis Scotland is developing its information and resource service. As part of this we will be setting up information mailing lists. Full details will be available on the website later this year. In the meantime if you are interested, as an individual or as an organisation, in receiving mailings by email and/or post (eg briefings by email and Rape Crisis News by post) please print off the form here and return to Rape Crisis Scotland at the address on the bottom of the form.