MEWSo's September newsletter
NEWS:
Annual General Meeting
Join us in-person for this year's AGM on Monday 8 September.
We'll have guest speakers and testimonies from service-users, delicious food, lively music, dancing and wellbeing activities such as yoga, henna painting and more.
It's at 12noon to 3pm at the Greenside Community Centre, Lilestone Street, Lisson Grove, NW8 8SR.
Book your ticket here or call: 07780 983 152.
Let's make a party of it.
Stop Racists Weaponising VAWG
MEWSo, along with over 100 women's organisations, have united against far right groups using VAWG services to promote an anti-migrant agenda.
The End Violence Against Women Coalition (EVAW) has written to the Prime Minister calling for urgent action after unfounded claims made by people in power, then repeated in the media, hold particular groups as primarily responsible for sexual violence.
The statement said: "This not only undermines genuine concerns about women’s safety but also reinforces the damaging myth that the greatest risk of gender-based violence comes from strangers.
"Every act of VAWG is a form of injustice. It is an injustice that violence against women and girls is carried out in our workplaces, in our schools, in our streets and most commonly, in our homes.
"It is an uncomfortable reality that it is committed in every economic group, ethnicity, age and social group, and overwhelmingly by the men who are in women and girls’ lives.
"VAWG is also perpetrated by people who move to the UK, but the racist idea that this is solely an imported problem flies in the face of women and girls’ daily experiences in the UK.
You can read the full EVAW statement here
Five Key VAWG Tests For New Strategy
MEWSo also added its name to the document, created by the EVAW coalition, detailing five key tests for the new VAWG strategy.
The document was put together following ongoing discussions in the sector to publicly set out its shared expectations.
The five key tests are intended to be both brief and accessible: 1. Primary prevention 2. All forms of VAWG 3. Inequalities and discrimination against marginalised survivors 4. Sustainable, multi-year funding for VAWG services 5. Cross-departmental commitments with oversight and evaluation.
Read more about it here.
Stop Escalating The Blame. It's Unjust
MEWSo signed the joint statement from Step Up Migrant Women UK, sharing its alarm at the Government's White Paper: "Restoring Control Over the Immigration System".
The White Paper, the statement said, is: "The most devastating escalation in the UK's hostile immigration agenda, with far-reaching consequences.
It said, this government is "following in the footsteps of its predecessors", blaming immigrants "for systemic issues", "framing immigration as a threat", and laying the groundwork for "dangerous political narratives and punitive policy making."
For more on this issue, contact Step Up Migrant Women UK.
VACANCIES AT MEWSo:
Arabic-Speaking DV Advisor Wanted
We are looking for an a new advisor for victims and survivors of domestic abuse and violence.
Can you speak Arabic? Are you a qualified Advisor in Domestic Abuse? Are you committed and experienced?
We are offering a part-time position with a London Living Wage salary of £27-28,000 pro rata.
If you or someone you know is interested, you can find more information here and can send your CV with a short cover letter to: office@mewso.org.
New Treasurer For Our Trustee Board
We are also looking for a new Treasurer to join our volunteer Board of Trustees.
If you're passionate about social justice, equality and women's empowerment.
If you have financial or accounting experience and want to make a difference.
Then why not apply to join our Board of Trustees.
Find more details here or email: office@mewso.org.
KNOW YOUR HEALTHCARE RIGHTS:
On Wednesday 24 September, Ethan Chua from Migrants Organise, will be holding a session where women can get to know their rights when it comes to getting NHS healthcare.
As an Access to Healthcare Organiser, Ethan will help you get to know your rights under the NHS charging regulations for migrants.
This includes access to a GP and other community services, hospital and specialist care, what care is free and what care has to be paid for.
The session will run from 11am to 1pm in our Islington office at St Mary's Neighbourhood Centre, St Mary's Church, Upper Street, N1 2TX. Call Nabila on: 07421 232 616 if you want to come along.
English Classes Resume
This September, MEWSo's English Conversation classes will start again after the summer break.
The classes will take place at both our Westminster and Islington offices kindly sponsored by City Bridge Foundation. Islington's classes are also sponsored by Smallwood Trust, Islington Council and Hackney Council.
Women wanting to improve their spoken English can come along and learn how to communicate with their GP, social services, schools, supermarkets, coffee shops and so on. Those taking part are encouraged not to use translations but to learn to speak practical and useful English throughout the lesson.
Call Nabila on: 07421 232 616 for more information.
Live With Less Impact & Cook Healthily
At this month's Green Living workshop, funded by Mount Anvil, where the women learn to reduce, reuse and recycle, they learned essential energy saving tips for the home. Such as using LED lightbulbs, unplugging unused electronics, washing clothes in cold water and setting the thermostat efficiently.
In the most recent healthy cooking classes, sponsored by Westminster Council, where the women learn to cook traditional dishes with healthier ingredients using healthier methods, they made Shakriyeh, a traditional dish from Syria.
Shakriyeh is made with tender meat, typically lamb or beef, and cooked in a creamy yogurt sauce infused with spices. It is often served with rice and is known for its tangy flavour that balances out with the richness of the meat.
Get Skilful With A Needle
Every month, the women in the Women's Social Club, Queen's Park, take up their needles and learn more about embroidery and crochet.
First, they learned to embroider patterns on pieces of material and now they are designing and creating patterns that they stitch straight onto their clothes.
Funded by Westminster Council and it's Community Priorities Programme, each week the Club's activities are chosen by the women themselves. They've had a hair salon; head, neck, shoulder and foot massages, and fun trips out.
If you would like to learn to embroider, cook traditional dishes and eat them among friends, or learn how to live with less impact on the environment while saving money, call Nabila, MEWSo's Community Outreach Coordinator, on: 07421 232 616.
And Don't Forget, We Offer Advice, Too:
MEWSo has advisors able to give help and support on welfare matters and domestic abuse and violence.
Kindly supported by the London Community Foundation, MOPAC and Islington Council, we are here for any vulnerable women who need help.
If you know of any woman who needs support in these areas, please go to the home page on our website and complete the referral form. Or you can refer yourself using a referral form, too.
Our main mailing address is:
St Mary's Neighbourhood Centre,
St Mary's Church,
Upper Street,
Islington, N1 2TX
Our main email address is:
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