Snip, snip, snip. That’s right, the coalition’s still cutting away at women’s rights…

Last week we wrote about cuts to ESOL classes.  This week the government announced that it would be getting rid of the Female Genital Mutilation Coordinator.  As of tomorrow - 1 April - the only post across all of Whitehall which is dedicated to tackling FGM in the UK will go.  Sounds like a bad April Fool's joke, doesn't it?  But it's true.  An estimated 24,000 girls in the UK are at risk of female genital mutilation and last month, the government launched new guidelines to...
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FGM – government cuts reveal lack of commitment

PRESS RELEASE 28 March 2011 FGM – government cuts reveal lack of commitment Government FGM Coordinator post to go weeks after government publishes FGM guidelines Charities working to prevent female genital mutilation within the UK’s African and Middle Eastern communities today criticised the government’s decision to cut the only post across all of Whitehall which is dedicated to tackling FGM in the UK. The cross government FGM Coordinator has played an important role in increasing government action on...
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Tell migrants to integrate while cutting English lessons: The coalition’s meanest policy yet?

On Monday the loveliest woman came to IKWRO’s office for our Nowruz party.  Let’s call her Shahla.  In between dolma and baklava, she taught me some Middle Eastern dance moves.  She also told me how she ended up in England.  Shahla’s in her late 20s.  She was part of the pro-democracy movement in Iran and had to leave her home, her family and all her friends behind when the Iranian government issued a warrant for her arrest.  She...
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IKWRO celebrates White Ribbon Day with good news from London Councils

[caption id="attachment_53" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Photo from lawandmore.co.uk"][/caption]   Yesterday - November 25th - was the International day for the elimination of violence against women and girls.  It's also called White Ribbon Day and you may have noticed people in the streets with little white ribbons pinned to their lapels. It's a day dedicated to recognising and celebrating the hard work and determination of individuals and women's organisations all over the world who are fighting to end violence and discrimination....
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The clock is ticking. Last chance to sign the petition!

[caption id="attachment_44" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Photo by numbpurplehaze on deviantart.com"][/caption] Tomorrow morning, representatives from each London borough are meeting at the London Councils office to decide whether or not to axe funding to IKWRO and lots of other organisations who provide vital services in London. We will be holding a peaceful demonstration outside their meeting.  We’ll also hand in our petition to Steve Bullock, the Chair of the London Councils Grants Committee.  We need to print out our petition...
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Lend your voice and your signature, and help to save IKWRO’s funding

[caption id="attachment_26" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="SidVicious08 on Deviantart.com"][/caption]   Local authorities in London are about to make massive cuts to funding for the voluntary sector.  As a result the Iranian and Kurdish Women’s Rights Organisation could lose more than £60,000 in funding over the next two years – funding that we desperately need in order to help women at risk of forced marriage, honour killing and female genital mutilation.  Other projects under the axe include a child abuse helpline, support to enable...
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Will the spending cuts leave women out in the cold?

[caption id="attachment_22" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Photo by QueenEnigma09 (Deviant Art)"][/caption] Last week’s spending review ordered local authorities to cut expenditure by a whopping 25.6%. This could be very bad news for women facing domestic violence. For the last two years we have received £30,000 from local authorities in London through the London Councils grant scheme. We use this funding to help women and girls from the capital’s Middle Eastern communities who are facing domestic abuse and sexual violence.  Weeks before...
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