Post by jman on Oct 24, 2011 18:58:11 GMT 1
Article in Telegraph on WI and how the coalition are ignoring women and the WI's concerns about the legal aid cuts. Extracts and link to full article below :
"Saturday 22 October 2011
"Women are being ignored by the Coalition, says Women's Institute head
Women are being ignored by the Coalition and suffering disproportionately under its policies, the head of the Women’s Institute has said.
Ruth Bond criticised Mr Cameron’s male-dominated Cabinet, the Coalition’s 'chilling' decision to cut legal aid in divorce cases and to scrap an organisation that represents women in Whitehall
10:00PM BST 21 Oct 2011
Ruth Bond, the chairman of the National Federation of Women’s Institutes, said David Cameron is not listening to women, who have to “push and fight” to gain recognition.
Speaking to The Daily Telegraph, she criticised Mr Cameron’s male-dominated Cabinet, the Coalition’s “chilling” decision to cut legal aid in divorce cases and to scrap an organisation that represents women in Whitehall. “The way they engage with women is not terribly good,” she said. “I don’t know if they listen to us really, quite frankly.”
She added: “Here at the WI, I represent the voice of our members. That’s 210,000. People who are there to make decisions, please listen to women. That’s our message.”
Mrs Bond’s intervention comes amid growing concern in Downing Street that the Coalition is marginalising women voters.............................................
The WI is also calling on the Government to rethink plans to cut back on legal aid for abused women who want to divorce their husbands. Under the plans, women will have to provide evidence that they have been abused to qualify for help.
Mrs Bond said: “We have done focus groups with women who have been abused and some of the stories I heard made my hair curl.
“I heard two ladies say 'if I didn’t have legal aid provision I would be dead by now’. It chills your blood.”
Mrs Bond said that the Prime Minister or the Deputy Prime Minister would be welcome to address the WI’s next annual general meeting, if the rest of the WI board agreed. "
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/8842544/Women-are-being-ignored-by-the-Coalition-says-Womens-Institute-head.html
"Saturday 22 October 2011
"Women are being ignored by the Coalition, says Women's Institute head
Women are being ignored by the Coalition and suffering disproportionately under its policies, the head of the Women’s Institute has said.
Ruth Bond criticised Mr Cameron’s male-dominated Cabinet, the Coalition’s 'chilling' decision to cut legal aid in divorce cases and to scrap an organisation that represents women in Whitehall
10:00PM BST 21 Oct 2011
Ruth Bond, the chairman of the National Federation of Women’s Institutes, said David Cameron is not listening to women, who have to “push and fight” to gain recognition.
Speaking to The Daily Telegraph, she criticised Mr Cameron’s male-dominated Cabinet, the Coalition’s “chilling” decision to cut legal aid in divorce cases and to scrap an organisation that represents women in Whitehall. “The way they engage with women is not terribly good,” she said. “I don’t know if they listen to us really, quite frankly.”
She added: “Here at the WI, I represent the voice of our members. That’s 210,000. People who are there to make decisions, please listen to women. That’s our message.”
Mrs Bond’s intervention comes amid growing concern in Downing Street that the Coalition is marginalising women voters.............................................
The WI is also calling on the Government to rethink plans to cut back on legal aid for abused women who want to divorce their husbands. Under the plans, women will have to provide evidence that they have been abused to qualify for help.
Mrs Bond said: “We have done focus groups with women who have been abused and some of the stories I heard made my hair curl.
“I heard two ladies say 'if I didn’t have legal aid provision I would be dead by now’. It chills your blood.”
Mrs Bond said that the Prime Minister or the Deputy Prime Minister would be welcome to address the WI’s next annual general meeting, if the rest of the WI board agreed. "
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/8842544/Women-are-being-ignored-by-the-Coalition-says-Womens-Institute-head.html