EVENT: Radical Valleys: Valley Women, Politics and Protest in the Past 40 Years: Saturday the 11th October

There are lots of things going on at the moment in Yorkshire and the surrounding area so I will try to update more.

There is an event this coming Saturday – the 11th October – in The Red and Green Club, 42 Bankwell Road, Milnsbridge, Huddersfield HD3 4LU. It’s called Radical Valleys: Valley Women, Politics and Protest in the Past 40 Years and looks great.

Programme and details below:

 

Radical women day

Contact details: radicalvalleys@hotmail.co.uk
Webpage: http://radicalvalleys.wordpress.com/2014/09/29/valley-women-politics-and-protest-in-the-past-40-years/
Facebook page for the Red and Green Club: https://www.facebook.com/redandgreenmilnsbridge

#Vote4equality: Thursday 22nd May, European elections

From email:

On Thursday 22nd May, the country will go the polls to vote for the European Elections. In addition, almost 180 parts of England and Northern Ireland will be voting in local councillors or Mayors. Today women make up just:
– 32% of elected councillors
– 13% of elected Mayors
– 32% of Members of the European Parliament

Local government wields an enormous amount of power – a quarter of all public spending goes through local authorities, and three-quarters of their employees are women. It is vital that women’s views are equally represented in decision making at this level.

What you can do:

Arm yourself with the facts: Read our top stats on women’s representation in local government
#Vote4equality: Tweet your council candidates! Find out who your local council candidates are and ask what they will do for women

Donate to Fawcett:

Here at Fawcett we work tirelessly in public and behind the scenes to improve the representation of women in all public bodies. becoming a member of Fawcett. Every donation will be used wherever the opportunity is greatest to achieve greater gender equality. Forwarding this message onto just two of your friends could double the income from this appeal. Why not spread the message by telling the community you’ve supported Fawcett’s fighting fund through Twitter and Facebook?

Established in 1866, Fawcett is the UK’s leading campaign for equality between women and men. Our vision is of a society in which women and men enjoy equality at work, at home and in public life. As a campaigning charity, we need your voices behind us and we are always in need of financial support. Not already a member? Join us today.

NEXT HFC EVENT: THURSDAY MEET, 27th March 2014 at 7.00pm

Right so. Let’s try this again. (It didn’t work out so well the last time.) This time, we should do phone numbers and the like.

Next meeting: Thursday the 27th of March 2014, at 7.00pm.

The Huddersfield Feminist Collective (sometimes. meets on the last Thursday of each month from 7pm at the Sports(person)man Pub, 1 St Johns Road, Huddersfield, HD1 5AY.

Please come along – it’s informal and fun and you’ll be made welcome! The Sports(person)man pub has in the past kindly offered us one of the rooms off the main bar area for our exclusive use (where possible). If neither of the rooms is available, we can sit in the main area.

NEXT HFC EVENT: THURSDAY MEET, 30th January 2014 at 7.00pm

It’s been a while since we’ve had one of our last-Thursday-of-the-month meets so let’s hope we can get a crowd again.

Next meeting: Thursday the 30th of January 2014, at 7.00pm.

The Huddersfield Feminist Collective meets on the last Thursday of each month from 7pm at the Sports(person)man Pub, 1 St Johns Road, Huddersfield, HD1 5AY.

Please come along – it’s informal and fun and you’ll be made welcome! The Sports(person)man pub has in the past kindly offered us one of the rooms off the main bar area for our exclusive use (where possible). If neither of the rooms is available, we can sit in the main area.

PETITION: York Feminist Network – Lap dancing campaign

From email:

Hello,

I hope you don’t mind me sending you this quick message.

I’m a member of the York Feminist Network, and a number of our group are calling on City of York Council to reject the application for renewal of SEV (Sexual Entertainment Venue) licence from lap dancing club ‘Upstairs’ (part of The Mansion), on Micklegate in York. The current licence expires on 30 November 2013.

As Council policy states that we are not able to object on moral grounds, our campaign takes a more community-focused argument, concerned with the impact on local residents, creating ‘no-go’ areas for women and damaging both the character and reputation of York as a welcoming, family-friendly city.

This is the link to our petition: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/906/553/769/lap-dancing-clubs-no-place-in-our-community/.

If you are able and willing to share it amongst your group, that would be much appreciated.

Thank you ever so much,

Rachel (York Feminist Network)

EVENT: Feminism in the 21st Century: Privilege, Bias and Feminist Practice (5th March, 2014)

I’m going to this. Might see you there.

From email:

Timed to lead up to International Women’s Day, this one-day public forum will consider contemporary gender issues and persistent sexism. What does it mean to be a feminist in the 21st century and what are the new challenges facing women in an era marked by on-going global conflict and economic crisis? A panel of internationally renowned feminist thinkers will discuss the feminist now and the feminist future, alongside a day of networking opportunities and activities.

Questions under discussion will include:
Given recent high profile debates in the media and via social networking, what is the possible future relationship between Trans* people and feminists? What does the debate about intersectionality tell us about the state of feminism right now? Does the current worldwide scapegoating of the poor and working class have a particularly deleterious effect on women? Can new grass roots movements against austerity offer hope of positive change in gender issues? What are the connections and differences brought to light by recent media and legal attention to rape and sexual assault, both in the ‘bad old’ 70s and in the hyper-sexualised present of assaults posted to YouTube and ‘Everyday Sexism’? Does it still make any sense to speak of ‘post-feminism’, empowerment and sexual autonomy in the current context of commodification of sex and pornification of culture?

The day (5th March, 2014) will be accompanied by an activists’ fair including:

  • Stalls featuring women’s groups and feminist activities
  • Women’s choir
  • Feminist artwork and film screenings

Timetable for the day:

Activist fair opens at 11am

12.00 – 1.30pm Panel One: ‘Objectification’

  • Dr Jules Holroyd (Nottingham)
  • Dr Anna Bergqvist (MMU)
  • Finn MacKay (Feminist activist)

1.30pm – 1.45pm – break

1.45pm – 3.15pm Panel Two: ‘Intersectionality’

  • Rhian E Jones (Feminist activist and blogger)
  • Caroline Bayliss Green (MMU)
  • Well known feminist blogger #1 (invited, tbc)

3.15 – 3.45pm – break

3.45pm – 5.45pm: Panel Three: ‘Post-feminism and silencing’

  • Silence and ambivalence in discussions of post-feminism: Dr Katherine Angel (Queen Mary, University of London)
  • Jinan Younis (Altrincham Girls Grammar Feminist Group)
  • Dr Ginette Carpenter (MMU)
  • Well known feminist blogger #2 (invited, tbc)

5.45pm – 6.00pm – break

6.00pm: Generating Feminism: Plenary from Professor Iris van der Tuin (Utrecht)

7.00pm- 7.30pm: Discussion and closing remarks

7.30pm: Social evening (tbc)

This event is convened by members of the Institute’s research cluster on ‘21st Century Feminist Agendas’: Dr Ginette Carpenter, Dr Anna Bergqvist and PhD candidate in English Caroline Baylis-Green, and IHSSR Project Manager Helen Malarky

CALL FOR PARTICIPANTS: research on the termination of pregnancy

A request on email:

University of York study needs YOUR stories

One in three women will have a termination of pregnancy (abortion) by the time they are 45. However, these women’s voices are often missing from discussion of termination. We need research about their experiences. For this reason, a major study at the University of York is inviting women to tell their stories through research interviews. Interviews are strictly confidential and women will not be identified.

Women can choose to take part by phone or by meeting with the researcher in person.

Can you help?

Firstly, a huge thank you to all the women who have already taken part in the research. In response to feedback from those who have taken part, the study criteria have been widened. Anybody aged 18 or over, who has experienced a termination in England, can take part in the research.

If this is something that you might be interested in, please visit the project website http://www.york.ac.uk/satsu/timing-termination for further information.

Alternatively, you can contact the researcher directly by emailing Siân at sian.beynon-jones@york.ac.uk or phoning on 01904 323064.

EVENT: WomenCentre Kirklees, raising awareness of FGM, Fri 8th Nov 2013, Huddersfield

From email:

Please find attached an event on raising awareness of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). This has been organised by WomenCentre Kirklees and the ‘Women Together’ project.

Friday 8th November 2013 – 10.00 – 15.30 – The Mission, Huddersfield

All details on attached flyer and booking form.

Also, along with the event the ‘Women Together’ project is launching its book around the narratives of asylum seeking and refugee women who have been affected by gender violence.

Please circulate around your contacts.

The event has got limited places so please book early to avoid disappointment.

Regards,

Melody

Huddersfield
Tel: 01484 450866
Email redacted.

WomenCentre, Calderdale and Kirklees
WomenCentre Ltd, 23 Silver Street, Halifax, HX1 1JN
Company Number 6084795, Charity Number 1118366