Equal Opportunities and Equal Pay

Women are more likely to be unemployed or in part-time or low-paid work than men. Almost 30 years after the Equal Pay Act made it illegal to pay women less than men for doing the same job, women working full time earn on average £6,700 per year less than men do. Women are underrepresented in political life (e.g. only 18% of MPs are women), in management (31% women), professional occupations (41%) and skilled trades (8% women)
(Source: Facts about women and men in Britain, 2003).
For further information go to the Equal Opportunities Commission

Domestic Violence

2600 incidents of Domestic Violence were reported in the Lancaster District in 2002/03. That’s an average of 7 incidents every day! However, most domestic violence is not reported – on average a victim will suffer for 7 years before contacting the police. The vast majority of victims are women – 1 in 4 women will experience domestic violence at some point in their lives.
For further information go to:

Lancaster & District Women's Aid

Lancashire Domestic Violence

New Shariah Marriage Contract Proposed
7/5/04 Islamic law was the first to give women rights - now the the UK Shariah Council and the Muslim Parliament of Britain have drafted a new marriage contract that they hope will become a national foundation for Islamic unions. Under the new contract women have the right not to have children, the right to work and control their own pay, the right to property, equal rights in divorce and the right to visit relatives at home or abroad. Of course these are in fact rights they already enjoy under UK law - but many Muslim women are only married under Islamic law and may be ignorant of UK law and often find themselves without rights when seperated from their husbands.

On the husband's side the contract dispels the myth that Islam somehow turns a blind eye to the mistreatment of women. Thus physical, sexual and mental abuse are forbidden, males must undertake to share household chores and the wink and a nod attitude to male adultery is explicitly rejected. On the narrower issue of sexual relations the contract rules that prolonged refusal of relations, by either husband or wife, will amount to breach of rights.
see www.theasiannews.co.uk/heritage/index/1098.html

Interested in Gender Issues? Some time to spare?

Why not join MAPfED’s Gender Task Group?

We are always interested in new volunteers for this task group which links into a large partnership of local residents, statutory & voluntary agencies & groups (the Multi Agency Partnership for Eliminating Discrimination - MAPfED).

The Gender Task Group started in November 2002 to work with & research all aspects of gender. This includes the role of fathers, men's health issues and attitudes to women & girls in public places. The task group took a key role in July 2003 in raising awareness to the high local incidence of domestic violence & a key role in the creation of the first Domestic Violence policy in the Lancaster District.

The task group is currently looking for new members to build on this excellent start. We operate a mentoring programme to help new members feel welcome, build on their skills & interests and consider taking key roles in the work of the group.

Please ring Pat England 851191 for more details or email