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| Baroness Afshar | |
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NLP conference last year: Autumn theme from Kris Hallbom
Welcome to Autumn (and Spring). A special welcome to all my new readers, and people attending my Guildhall seminars. Remember a free coaching session is on offer, or free training session for your company.
Melbourne has been having rain. Quite a lot of it, so bodes well for Spring. Britain also is having rain, and we wonder if we might float away. Last year's NLP Conference had an Autumn focus. Not so much a spring clean as a sloughing off of dead skin like a snake, or tree shedding its leaves. A natural shedding of limiting beliefs, bad relationships, even re-focus on family, if its causing anxiety and stress. Rather a useful concept. What do you need to let go, to create a space for something new and wonderful?
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Fiona Mactaggart MP
Fiona Mactaggart MP was responsible for changes to the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002, which entitled people who held second-class British status and no other citizenship to register as British citizens. She has actively campaigned against people-trafficking and leads a successful campaign for changes in the law on prostitution.
"It was when I was teaching primary school children in Peckham that I decided to become an MP. If I was going to change the world, doing it at the rate of only 30 children a year seemed too slow." The Guardian, 2006
Interview extract:
Fiona tells it like it is. Some pretty major health challenges haven't stopped or slowed her, only made her more determined.
When did you decide to become an MP?
When I discovered that I couldn't have children, and that I had MS. A lovely colleague had warned me when I told her of my failing sight. Just as well, because the Dr. spent 14 minutes on the phone talking to a colleague, and then turned to me and said "You've got MS." I thought , well I'd better do this really tough job. I'd dabbled a little bit earlier standing, but hadn't really tried.
Would you consider yourself a feminist, and what does that mean?
Beinging pro-women doesn't imply anti-men, women enjoy being with and parenting with men.
But When I was first elected, we didn't name the difference we would make. We didn't say we're going to do.....
101 women Labour candidates! Increase in child benefit, child care, we didn't name it. So all women, we made ourselves the story, fashion stuff whatever, and the press love that of they love the big rows, not the minor achievements.
The reason I think is that men do the big shouty rebellious. Men stand on the doorstep bang, bang and shout at the door, while women sneak around the back and see a way in. So they are not seen to be effective. You could see lots of things women had done. For example, when we got women on the Defense Select Committee. Of course you've had an effect: when it was men only it was all about how big the weapons are, now we talk about women and the families of service personnel. Women by their very presence have an effect.
Again Prison leadership treated women prisoners as men without willies. She loses touch with her children. He does too, but he loses his job, after prison getting a job is what keeps him from crime. She needs a home for herself and her children to keep her off drugs and away from crime.
(click through to the Archive for more extracts from Fiona's interview, and other Archived interviews).
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| Is Feminism the right word....
.... or does it frighten the servants and horses.
Absolutely fascinating to find the varied responses when asking are you a feminist? Now I don't think either Harriet Harman or Ken Livingstone wear their T shirt to the supermarket. "This is what a feminist looks like".
Annie Lennox and Helena Kennedy are both proud to be feminists, but many older women of talent are uncomfortable with the word, and indeed it does seem to label and put people into boxes. Surely it started with Women's Liberation, which was about liberating all women of all class, colour and creed, and in light of present day sex and domesticated trafficking slavery and the Olympics coming up, perhaps this is the concept we need to re-claim.
Younger women are confident that they've won all the rights they need, despite the gender pay gap, but they're generally very uncomfortable with the word feminist.
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Toward a Better Future for Women....
.... was the focus for The BFWG (British Federation of Women Graduates) visit this year to Westminster. Five Ladies of the Lords came; more of that later.
Baronesses: Afshar, Dearlove, Sharpe, Stern, and Verma, our host.
Baroness Afshar was appointed a board member of Women's National Council. in Sept 2008. Dark haired, her slight figure gives an illusion, belied by her words. Fluent in English, and I imagine at least 2 other languages, she is a living advertisement for the richness and wealth of experience that Diversity brings, to our political processes.
"We are responsible for the future of the nation"
"Education is necessary but in no way sufficient. Blanket legislation won't work. In our democracy all the decision makers are men. Women had access to government in the (NWC) Women's National Council now abolished. I was invited as the token Muslim women. I can't represent Muslims, there is no one Muslim voice, they don't use alcohol, yet they suffer Islamaphobia. But Muslims come in all shapes and sizes. We need to ask them.
I am committed to defend the rights of women, as women perceive them.
Women are equal but different. Women need more than men to represent them. They are the invisible, unpaid and unsung heroes."
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What About the Women?
Now with WNC abolished, the cuts have greatest impact on women, so Fawcett are making a challenge under the Equality Law, but need to be given permission by the courts to mount the challenge.
"By 2016: seven out of ten new jobs in London will be filled by women." (GLA Economics 2006); they will be the low paid cleaners and carers. Ken Livingstone's Capital Women was looking at child care and late night travel safety. Recently the House of Commons Library found that of the £8.5 billion raised by cutting welfare, £5.7 billion (2/3) is being raised by women. It's good to have such strong representation in Parliament. 143 out of 650. Back in the '80s Lesley Abdela was modestly only asking for 300 women MPs. Where did that go?
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Painting and Decorating Course WAMT
Another note entirely. You may remember the interview with Niki Luscombe of Women and Manual Trades? For just £50 you can have an introductory course on painting and decorating in time for Christmas. Click here to book online. Put Saturday 20th November in your diary.
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Where do good ideas come from?
Steven B Johnson: It's all about connecting on an open platform, which is why he gets his news from Twitter rather than the New York Times. Connectivity and collaboration, he thinks, creativity in an open environment. The importance of diversity. He didn't mention any women, but when questioned, he gave the wonderful example of the duet between Babbage and Lovelace, which is the theme of his next book. Let's hope some other women get a look in. Curiously he didn't mention Curious, Collaboration, Conciliation, Compromise, all interesting "C" words. Keep 'em coming .
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Empowering Women for Peace and Democracy Realising the Third Millennium Goal
Organisation: The Millennium Group
Event Type: UN International Day of Elimination of Violence against Women
When: 23 November 2010
Time: 17:30 - 20:00
Venue: House of Lords, Westminster, Room 4A
Details: The Millennium Group is a coalition of women's groups and women's rights defenders working towards the Millennium Development Goals, particularly MDG3 - to promote gender equality and empower women. We have the pleasure of inviting you to a meeting at the House of Lords to mark the UN International Day of Elimination of Violence against Women. The topics of discussion will include the harsh realities of domestic violence around the family, Female Genital Mutilations (FGM) and honour killings here in the UK. We look forward to hearing the success stories of our international speakers on these sensitive issues. The evening is hosted by Lord King of West Bromwich and we are honoured to have Baroness Verma, of Leicester the government spokesperson for International Development and Women and Equalities address the meeting.
How to book: Please register your interest by emailing millenniumgthree@gmail.com
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Check Out The Archive
The Archive features extracts from all the interviewees so far, as well as recent newssheets. Though not complete, some are on the web site: www.wwom.org
By clicking through to the Archive, you get to access over 20 years experience and knowledge of people: for talks, training and personal or business coaching. Specialist in all aspects of Diversity. There will be regular interviews with my inspirational women, advice and tips for business acumen, drawn from the interview, so you benefit from their experience. I hope you find it interesting. Please let me know what you think. The complete interviews will be in the forthcoming book .
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As ever go well in the world; Remember that we create our own reality, and we can alter our past. You already have all the resources you need, or can create them. I'm with Steven - Connect, Communicate, Collaborate. Who is your partner?
Do an Autumn letting go, and look ahead fresher and lighter, without the burdens of limiting beliefs or the past. If you found this newssheet in interesting you may like to pass it on to a colleague or friend. |
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Christina
Woman on a Mission
Diversity and Leadership Consultant
Inspirational Speaker
Alumnus Women of the Year 2008/2009 ©2010 Christina@wwom.org
Motivational Speaker
NLP Master Practitioner
Counsellor and Coach
London +44 (0) 208 653 7893
Melbourne +00 61 3 9563 0028
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