Engender blog
All of Engender’s latest news. Reports, reviews, books, articles, and information from across Scotland’s women’s sector.
We would love to hear from other feminists around Scotland. Check out our guidelines for more information on how you can blog for us.
Message from Jeane Freeman - Minister for Social Security
I want to thank you for all the help and support you have given us during our consultation on a Social Security system for Scotland and the part you played in the recent social security consultation.
Over the three months we had engagement in every local authority area of the country, reaching many hundreds of people through these and social media. And we reached those we need to reach – people with direct, lived experience of the UK benefits system and with clear ideas on what they want to see improved. We’ve now received just over 500 responses with around half coming from individuals. We’ll publish the independent analysis of these and our response, in early 2017.
Feminist action against Trump
Next week on 20th January Donald Trump will be inaugurated as the President of the United States of America.
Given statements made during the election campaign, many are understandably worried about what a Trump presidency may mean for women's equality, the fight against racism, LGBTQI rights, religious freedoms, violence, climate change, migrant rights, international relations, democratic freedoms and many more vital issues.
Here, we outline some of the things happening in Scotland (and the rest of the UK) which you might want to get involved in.
Please note that we do not endorse these events (except our own, of course!), and would encourage women considering attending to think about the organisers and messaging of any action, and to ensure you feel safe and comfortable in attending. Where appropriate, we have linked to further information to consider before getting involved.
Scotland must take this chance to stand up for women's reproductive rights
This blog first appeared on OpenDemocracy.
It’s been a depressing year for anyone who cares about a woman’s right to choose (ok, it’s been a depressing year for everyone, but bear with me).
2016 has seen women imprisoned in Northern Ireland for accessing safe abortion pills online, or for helping other women to. Women in Poland have had to take to the streets to prevent a blanket ban on abortion even in cases of rape. And this month, senators in Ohio made progress towards a ban on abortion after 6 weeks – a time period in which many women don’t even discover they are pregnant, let alone have time to consider their options.
Our bodies, our choice: the case for a Scottish approach to abortion
Today Engender has released a key report highlighting current issues affecting access to abortion in Scotland, and calling on the Scottish Government to use the opportunity presented by the devolution of abortion law to put women’s equality and rights at its heart. The report, supported by Amnesty Scotland, NUS Scotland, Scottish Women’s Aid, Rape Crisis Scotland, Close the Gap, and Zero Tolerance, calls for abortion to be decriminalised, and for improvements to services, access, and education around abortion.
Guest Post: A Woman’s Place is in the Kitchen (a professional kitchen, that is)
Guest post from Leonie Sooke
Leonie is a freelance chef and food stylist. Strongly influenced by working under a number of inspiring female head chefs, her career spans television; cookery books; London restaurant work; writing and presenting prominent talks for the V&A and Tate Britain, which showcase irreverent women in food history. Find her at curatedcakes.com or on instagram @Leoniesooke
Once again, this year’s employment figures highlight the inequality within the restaurant industry: data from the Office for National Statistics shows that only 18.5 per cent of Britain’s top chefs are women.[1] It’s an age-old problem. From Renaissance cooks and Victorian culinary masters to the macho celebrity chefs of today, men have taken centre stage on the professional platform.
Yet much has changed in the past few years. In the wake of pioneers such as Alice Waters, Ruth Rogers, Angela Hartnett and Margot Henderson, there’s a rising generation of young women taking the food scene by storm. Just consider Claire Ptak and Lily Vanilla with their pioneering bakeries, Florence Knight heading up the kitchen at Polpo or Kim Woodward at the infamously masculine Savoy Grill (to name but a few). The ‘boys club’ of late has certainly lost much of its cool.
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Engender Briefing: Pension Credit Entitlement Changes
From 15 May 2019, new changes will be introduced which will require couples where one partner has reached state pension age and one has not (‘mixed age couples’) to claim universal credit (UC) instead of Pension Credit.
Engender Parliamentary Briefing: Condemnation of Misogyny, Racism, Harassment and Sexism
Engender welcomes this Scottish Parliament Debate on Condemnation of Misogyny, Racism, Harassment and Sexism and the opportunity to raise awareness of the ways in which women in Scotland’s inequality contributes to gender-based violence.
Gender Matters in Social Security: Individual Payments of Universal Credit
A paper calling on the Scottish Government to automatically split payments of Universal Credit between couples, once this power is devolved to the Scottish Parliament.
Gender Matters Manifesto: Twenty for 2016
This manifesto sets out measures that, with political will, can be taken over the next parliamentary term in pursuit of these goals.
Scottish NGO Briefing for UN Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women
Joint briefing paper for the UN Rapporteur on Violence Against Women.
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