International Women’s Day Event Report from Carmarthenshire

Glanymor and Tyisha Communities First organised a full day’s event to celebrate International Women’s Day on Friday 7 March at Morfa Social Club. There were stalls from many organisations and performances and workshops by women from all around the world.

Mrs Uzo Iwobi, Chair of the African Community Centre in Wales was the compere for the event. Uzo explains more about the event and the good time that was had in the video at the link below which also has pictures of:
* One of the many performances
* Parents In Action group fundraising with sales of wool hats and gloves knitted by the group. Taken by Annette.
* Ada Garton, an artist who uses recycled environmentally friendly materials for arts and crafts.
* A ‘dream for the future’ catcher in the background. Taken by Amanda.
* Hand painting.
* Hand painting, plus hair style courtesy of Coleg Sir Gar hairdressing students who provided hair styling to all those who performed at the event.
* Ms Nia Griffith MP, who dropped in to make a speech.
* Labels: Glanymor and Tyisha, International Women’s Day

Link http://www.carmsconnect.org.uk/2008/03/international-womens-day_14.html

Meeting women from other cultures

15 March 2008 from 19:00 onwards
Temple of Peace and Health, Cathays Park, Cardiff, CF10 3AP

An evening hosted by UNIFEM and SOVA Wales to which all are welcome to attend and to meet women from other cultures to share experiences and perceptions.

SOVA recruits and trains volunteers from the community to achieve its objects.

For more information go to http://www.unifemuk.org/events.php

International Women`s Day event at University of Glamorgan

8th March 2008 from 9:30am-4:45pm
J132/234/237 Treforest Campus

The event is being supported by the History Division of the University of Glamorgan, the Welsh Assembly Government and the South West and Wales Women’s History Network.

The all-day event on the University’s Treforest campus will be an opportunity to explore the role of women during the last one hundred years, and to consider the position of feminism today.

All students and staff are welcome to attend this event.

Assembly Member Christine Chapman will speak at the event along with many other key speakers including a presentation from the Women’s Archive of Wales.

Schedule for the day:

9.30am Opening remarks: Christine Chapman, Assembly Member for Cynon Valley

9.40am Keynote speakers: Politics and the history of feminism
* Prof June Hannam (University of the West of England, Bristol)
* Kat Banyard (The Fawcett Society)

10.40am Tea and Coffee

11.00am Presentations: Feminist activity today
* Kim Griffiths (Women’s Aid)
* Lindsay Hannigan (Trustee of the China Centre)
* Dilys Jackson (Women’s Arts Association)
* Dr Mair Rigby (Mind the Gap)
Followed by a round-table discussion facilitated by Dr Kath Holden (University of the West of England, Bristol)

12.30-1.30pm Lunch

1.15-2.45pm Archif Menywod Cymru/ Women’s Archive of Wales

2.45-4.45pm A screening of the acclaimed film, ‘Zanzibar Soccer Queens’, followed by a short discussion with Florence Ayisi, the director.

For further details contact: 01443 482815 or email freid1@glam.ac.uk

Celebrating The Heritage Of Women In Wales

Monday 10th March 2008 from from 10am to 1pm
City Hall, Cardiff

Free of charge

This year will mark the 80th anniversary of women in the UK securing the right to vote at the age of 21 (prior to 1928 only women aged 30 and over had secured the right to vote).

The event is being organised in recognition of International Women’s Day and will consider how women’s lives have changed in the past 80 years, the achievements to be celebrated and the goals not yet realised.

Guest speakers will share their individual experiences of their respective fields and will include women from politics, the trade union movement, the business community and academia.

The event will be followed by a buffet lunch.

It is sponsored by the Welsh Assembly Government and organised by Women’s Voice, the Wales TUC and Chwarae Teg.

RSVP TO Anne Howells at Chwarae Teg
Telephone: 02920 478903 or email anne.howells@chwaraeteg.com

http://www.tuc.org.uk/events/detail.cfm?event=2906&regional=2

International Women’s Day Conference: Pressures, Risks & Consequences of ‘Honour’

A conference to raise awareness of ‘honour’ related abuse within families has been organised to take place at Cardiff City Hall.

Cardiff Council, in partnership with the Henna Foundation, have arranged the free one-day conference entitled Pressures, Risks & Consequences of ‘Honour’ Related Abuse within Families: The Shackles of ‘Honour’ Codified Behaviour, which is the first of its kind in Cardiff.

The conference will be held on March 4 between 9am and 4.30pm and will provide the opportunity for attendees to listen, engage, question and exchange discussions with internationally-recognised professionals and champions in the field of ‘honour’ based violence and abuses.

Delegates will be given presentations that draw on the realities of murder victims Heshu Yones and Surjit Athwal. Practitioners will learn how to identify cases of ‘honour’ related abuse and how to consider ways of improving current work practices and services.

The conference is aimed at front line practitioners and policy officers, including Cardiff Council staff and managers, education, health and social care staff, domestic violence officers, community safety officers, government departments, voluntary and community sector groups, police, the Crown Prosecution Service and law agencies, who could all benefit from increasing knowledge and understanding of honour related abuse within families, its impacts and consequences.

Guest speakers at the conference include Nazir Afzal, OBE, director of the Crown Prosecution Service, London West; Shahien Taj, director of the Henna Foundation; Jagdeesh Singh, brother of honour victim Surjit Athwal and Wayne Ives, head of the Forced Marriage Unit at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, among others.

Families of minority backgrounds are not a homogenous group and vary in diversity and degree of how they socially operate and integrate with British society. Familial functions of some minority communities are led by indefensible notions of honour (izzat) and shame (sharam) and controlled by patriarchal traditions where gender specific roles and expectations regulate how families should live their lives.

While families are committed and dedicated in working hard to care and provide for their families, equally a minority are steadfast in ensuring their family status remains ‘honourably’ upheld and respected. Upholding family reputation and preserving the notions of family ‘honour’ is believed to be a fundamental duty and considered part of safeguarding the survival of the communities’ cultural identity.

Driven by the philosophy of equal opportunities for all and charged with the statutory duty of care, Cardiff Council and the Henna Foundation invites people who think their work might bring them into contact with honour related abuse to attend. Booking forms and flyers will be sent out very soon and any further enquiries can be made by emailing hbvconference@cardiff.gov.uk

Executive Member for Communities, Housing and Social Justice, Cllr Judith Woodman, said: “We are pleased to be able to offer this conference to help practitioners learn more about this issue. This will be a valuable experience for all who attend to broaden their knowledge and be part of the solution to combating honour related abuse.”

For further information about the conference please email: hbvconference@cardiff.gov.uk or tel: 029 2087 2418.

http://www.cardiff.gov.uk/content.asp?nav=2874,4202&parent_directory_id=2865&id=6217&Language=