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MINISTER for women Baroness Jay asked Journal
readers about "problems ethnic minority women face" for
the Women's Unit research, 'Listening To Women', which is due to
report in the autumn ('A Call To
All Women', June 25). She claims Government priorities
include "all forms of violence against women" and
"women and families". For over two years, we have given
evidence about rape to Baroness Jay, the previous Minister for
Women, the Women's Unit and the Home Office, including Jack Straw.
But black and immigrant women's demands have repeatedly been
ignored, or even turned against us.
While an estimated 50 per cent of women seeking
asylum have been raped, the Government does not recognise rape as
persecution and therefore grounds for asylum. Rape survivors are
held in detention without time limit or a channel of appeal, even
before an initial decision is made on their asylum claim. The
majority of women held in detention are black.
The Immigration and Asylum Bill denies women and
children financial support and protection, encouraging more
disbelief, hostility and discrimination from officials, thus
compounding victims' trauma. To deflect criticism, Jay promotes
the Immigration Minister Mike O'Brien, who is "looking into
forced marriages" as if this will make up for this
devastating legislation - police powers for immigration officers,
food vouchers and segregated housing, among other measures, which
increase isolation and therefore incite racist attacks against all
black and immigrant people. Despite being told about the Bill's
implications for women, only one Labour woman MP voted against.
We also objected to questioning women about their
sexual history in rape trials, including at 'Listening To Women'
roadshow meetings. But the Government overruled our objections to
the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Bill put by Labour women
MPs. It will continue to allow questioning about who else the
victim ever slept with where the rapist claims he believed she
consented, however unreasonable his belief.
When women MPs asked that at least children should be
protected from questioning about unconnected sexual abuse,
Minister Paul Boateng responded, ". . .a child's previous
sexual behaviour, which may be non-consensual, may be relevant to
a defence case . . ."
Following a 163 per cent increase in reporting, the
Home Office suggests downgrading rape by men the women know.
Yet over three-quarters of reported rapes are by such
men - husbands, fathers, boyfriends, dates.
It is not only on the subject of rape that the
Government fails to listen.
This week's Observer reported that women attending the
'Listening To Women' roadshow complained that "mothers who
want to stay at home to look after their children are not valued
by labour". Will the 101 women MPs and the Minister for Women
insist on representing women and children, or will they allow
themselves to be used to give sexist and racist policies
anti-sexist credibility?
VIA E-MAIL
If you would like to contribute your view to the debate, you
can contact Malika Thompson and Lisa Longstaff personally at PO
Box 287, London NW6 5QU or fax them on 0171209 4761.
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