Lights are on, but nobody's in at the Home Office

This is a desperate plea for someone to switch off the electricity at the Home Office. Why? Because it will stop the light bulb on top of Jacqui Smith's head from going off every time one of her nincompoop, Baldrick-esque, what I can only imagine to be graduate scheme policy makers comes up with a cunning plan.

The latest plan; make a database of men who have been violent towards women.

The idea has been ridiculed by Refuge, the leading charity which pretty much offers what it says on the tin to women and children victims of domestic violence. Their chief exec, Sandra Horley branded it as a "gimmick" and a "useless initiative". She also accused the government of hypocrisy by trying to talk tough when it was actually doing very little.

Now call me bi-polar on this one but I think that Horley's response was both funny and deadly serious. Funny because I can only imagine the pent up rage Smith must be feeling by having her big International Woman's Day initiative dismissed so strongly. Her parade was washed away to sea in fact it was rained on so heavily and that makes me laugh. It makes me laugh because I am past rage myself on how this government comes up with hollow and poorly thought through ideas which never materialise or never solve the problems they set out to. In fact they seem to create not only fresh but worse problems that those that already existed; FSA, Human Rights Act, Access to Information are good examples.

This database would always be incomplete because the vast majority of violent men are never reported. The list would extinguish the rights of men who have spent convictions and would presumably exclude violent women (so much for sexual equality). There would be issues about who would have access to the information contained on the list and in what capacity it could be accessed; girlfriend, neighbour, employer, bank etc.

What really makes me wonder about the intelligence and perhaps sanity of those coming up with ideas in the home office is that they have a handful of charities who are working in this area already yet they haven't forged proper working partnerships to try ideas from people who are actually on the ground working in that specific area. Why? I can only assume that the ego involved here is so big as to think that someone who hasn't been elected to a position of power couldn't possibly have anything valid to contribute the the running of the country. That bloody well makes me mad!!!

GREEN MEP CALLS FOR SOLIDARITY IN THE STRUGGLE FOR WOMEN'S RIGHTS

Jean Lambert, the Green Party MEP for London, spoke today at a public meeting at the University of London Union to celebrate International Women's Day and highlight the situation of women around the world.

The meeting, arranged by the Organisation of Women's Freedom in Iraq, explored the difficulties women face on daily basis; from those fighting for their basic human rights in wartorn countries like Iraq and Afghanistan to those badly effected by the economic recession around the world.

Jean Lambert MEP, said:

"It is important to remember that the struggle for equality is very real for millions of women around the world and in some countries even basic human rights are frequently abused."

"In the UK, equality at work has still not been reached and a stubborn gender pay gap exists, as wide as 36 per cent for part-time work. Women are finding themselves even more vulnerable in this economic downturn, as the redundancy rate for women is rising twice as fast as it is for men."

"Disturbingly, it's also been found that women are at greater risk of domestic violence and abuse during times of recession. We need to understand these wider consequences of economic stress and ensure that support services are adequately funded, prepared and able to cope with these problems."

Isle of Wight's Green MEP In Ryde To Raise Awareness of Link Between Women's Health And Environment - International Women's Day, 8 March 2009

The Green Euro-MP and Party Leader is to speak at a free International Women's Day event hosted by Isle of Wight Soroptimists. Women's health must be better protected from environmental factors such as chemicals and pesticides, Euro-MP and Green Party Leader Caroline Lucas will tell guests at an event at Ryde Castle this Sunday (March 8) organised by the Isle of Wight Soroptimists to celebrate International Women's Day.

Following her speech at 2pm, Caroline will take questions from the audience at the Ryde Castle Hotel on the Esplanade at Ryde, before being joined on the platform by Community Liaison Officer at Island Waste Services, Lynn Clarke, who will explore local issues affecting women and the environment. The Green MEP, who sits on the European Parliament's Environment, Public
Health and Food Safety Committee, said:

"I am delighted to be joining the Isle of Wight Soroptimists for International Women's Day to talk about the crucial link between the potentially toxic elements in our environment and human health – and how we can better regulate the chemicals that we come into contact with all the
time.

"According to a Greenpeace study, when you strip away factors like smoking and excessive alcohol consumption, together with hereditary factors, the environment still appears to be the single biggest cause of the massive increase in virtually all cancers seen over the past few decades.

"On a daily basis, we are exposed to many hazardous chemicals without being fully aware of the potential dangers to our health. Even in our homes, these chemicals are all around us – in toys, food and drink containers, clothes, furniture, and cleaning agents. Our favourite cosmetics, like shampoos, soaps, moisturisers, and toothpaste often contain parabens, which are 'endocrine disrupters' – and can seriously disrupt hormones in humans and animals.

"We already know that more than 500 manufactured chemicals found in our environment mimic and disrupt hormones, thus having the potential to contribute to the onset and progression of hormone-dependent cancers like breast cancer, the UK's most common cancer which kills more than 1000 women every single month.

"Evidence has shown that pesticides can also have an adverse effect on our health, with many powerful chemicals from crop spraying leaking into soil and water supplies, and many food items containing pesticide residues even after they've reached the supermarket. Believe it or not, a Cox's apple can typically be sprayed 18 times with various different pesticides."

She concluded: "Some of the most important decisions on regulating our exposure to potentially dangerous substances are made at the European level – and that's where my work as an MEP can make a real difference. We urgently need to explore environmental risk factors at both national and European level, and prevent the powerful chemicals and pesticides lobby from
weakening key EU laws designed to protect human health."

The Isle of Wight Soroptimists event will be supported by various groups
with information stalls on issues particular to women and the environment.
An optional light lunch costing £6 will be available, before Caroline Lucas
speaks at 2 pm.

GREEN MEP BACKS CALL FOR DECENT WORK FOR DALIT WOMEN

Jean Lambert, Patron of the Dalit Solidarity Network and Green Party MEP for London, will be speaking at a protest at the Indian High Commission on Thursday 5th March at 4pm to call for dignified work and decent wages for Dalits.

The protest marks International Women's Day, since the majority of the 1.3 million people of 'untouchable' caste status in India are women, and are forced to earn their living by doing dangerous and degrading work in appalling conditions. Many have no choice but to earn a living by collecting human faeces, using only their bare hands and simple tools.

The protest will call on the Indian Government to release a substantial pot of money that has been set-aside for providing these 'manual scavengers' with education, healthcare and decent jobs.

Jean Lambert MEP, who is a member of the European Parliament's South Asia delegation and frequently highlights the situation of the Dalits, said:

"We must show much more support to the struggle against such discrimination. This requires action at all political levels, both across the EU and in the countries concerned.

"I reject the idea that some human beings are considered "impure" or "polluted" just because they were born into a certain caste. Everyone is entitled to basic human rights. In the 21st century, no human being should be considered "untouchable".