The department of Work and Pensions is conducting an enquiry into “Victims of Modern Slavery” to which UKPAC made a submission. This took the form of a series of questions to which we provided responses. It has now been published at http://data.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/committeeevidence.svc/evidencedocument/work-and-pensions-committee/victims-of-modern-slavery/written/44328.html

Glenys Hunt, Vice Chair UKPAC, attended the Post-CSW meeting recently on our behalf. This was a useful meeting of parliamentarians and NGOs to consider CSW60, the progress made and what still needs to be done. The report on this meeting is available here.

CSW60   What a privilege it was to attend the 60th Commission for the Status of Women at the United Nations in New York, as UKPAC representative. This was my first CSW and I have to say, as well as a privilege it was also very interesting, confusing and tiring.   The priority theme of this year’s CSW was “Women’s Empowerment and It’s Link to the Sustainable Development Goals”.  The review theme was “The Elimination and Prevention of all Forms of Violence against Women and Girls”.  Both of which are dear to Soroptimist hearts.   There were over 600 sessions on in total over the 2 weeks, although I attended only for the first week. These were official sessions, side events and parallel events. Choosing which to attend when was a major problem. I had pared the timetables down and made a programme for myself

An election is due to be held in 2016 to determine the successor of Ban Ki Moon, whose term as UN Secretary General ends on 31 December 2016 UKPAC was given the opportunity to ask the candidates questions about their intentions. We have sent the following:     This year CSW60 is looking at the SDGs, last year at the BPfA. These are interwined with each other and the shortfall in the MDGs. How will you ensure that SDG 5 and the parts relevant to gender in the other SDGs are monitored and delivered, in particular given that they apply to all countries with their different needs and capabilities? Implementation of 1325 has been patchy and ineffective in many situations where it is needed. An example of this is in Northern Ireland. How will you ensure that it is implemented universally? At last Year’s CSW59 Rashida Manjoo suggested an additional protocol

Article 36 is a UK-based not-for-profit organisation working to prevent the unintended, unnecessary and unacceptable harm caused by certain weapons. Issue 8, February 2016

A prison governor has revealed that new prisons for women will resemble flats and will have cooking and laundry facilities. Rhona Hotchkiss, governor of Cornton Vale prison, said women in a number of new custodial units would also be able to come and go to gyms and work placements and that the community units would not look like normal prisons. At a meeting of the Scottish Association for the Study of Offending in Glasgow she said: “Really importantly, because these units will be in the community, they have to have minimal visible security. “So they won’t have high walls, they won’t have barbed wire, they won’t have bars on the window, they will not look like prisons.” Children would be able to visit and stay overnight to help maintain family life she added. “They’ll all be in small flatted units, they’ll all be cooking for themselves, they’ll

“Our written evidence to the Home Affairs Select Committee on prostitution is at http://data.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/committeeevidence.svc/evidencedocument/home-affairs-committee/prostitution/written/29070.html Other papers from SI Scotland and Prof Jackie Jones (a member of SI Cardiff & District) are at http://data.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/committeeevidence.svc/evidencedocument/home-affairs-committee/prostitution/written/28938.html and http://data.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/committeeevidence.svc/evidencedocument/home-affairs-committee/prostitution/written/29227.html. The first evidence session was held yesterday and can be viewed at http://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/home-affairs-committee/news-parliament-2015/160226-prostitution-evidence/