Women's Self Injury Helpline

From the website 

How we help with self injury

Self injury Support (formerly Bristol Crisis Service for Women) is a national organisation that supports girls and women affected by self-injury or self-harm.

We have carried out extensive research with women who self-injure, and through our work we have developed a deep understanding of the reasons individuals harm themselves and of the things they may find helpful or supportive.

We also have wide experience of the concerns and needs of workers in different settings and disciplines, and in developing good working practice.

Women's Self Injury Helpline  number 0808 800 8088

website

http://www.selfinjurysupport.org.uk/womens-self-injury-helpline-0808-800-8088 

Twitter - @sisupportorguk

Text - Text 07800 472908 for support

Reporting harassment on public transport.

I saw a post on Facebook that asked about what to din a situation that involved a man on a bus staring 
lecherously at women. There were some of the responses.


You can text British Transport Police on 61016

 Ask  perpetrators  "Why?" (It's quite a powerful word as it requires them to consider or explain their actions. If they disagree, correct them and persist.) 

You OK, sis ? - which involves going up to a woman who is clearly being harassed and and asking her if she's OK, just to let her know she is supported

Protest against cuts in 'Violence Against Women' services - Manchester 10 Dec

Free cakes for kids

This group of people provide free cakes to children. It seems like a wonderful idea  spread the word. 


Free Cakes for Kids is a community service to families who find it difficult to provide a birthday cake for their child. The cakes are baked by volunteers from your community with your kid’s favourite theme or style. Free, friendly and confidential.

Here is a link to their home page 

http://www.freecakesforkids.org.uk/

Black feminists in Manchester

Manchester has it's own black feminist group which meets both online and offline. The community also has a blog which and they are happy to publish articles on the subject of black feminism. The community provides emotional and intellectual support to its members. 


The only criteria to be a part of the group is -  women who self- identify, originate or have ancestry from global majority populations (i.e. Africa, Asia, Middle East and Latin America) multi heritage and indigenous backgrounds.

To know more about them follow the links below.

This is a link to their website - Black Feminists Manchester 
You can find them on facebook and twitter - @BlackFemsManc 

News from nowhere..... Liverpool

Some of you might have come across books from their shop at various seminars and conferences. Located in central Liverpool news from nowhere stocks a wide variety of books in a range of subjects which include-  Labour History, Black Liberation, Irish Politics, and Struggles for Justice and Peace Worldwide, to Children's Rights, Women's Health, Disability Liberation, and Miscarriages of Justice  (from their website). 

Here is a link to their website.

news from nowhere Liverpool's Radical & Community Bookshop

online directory for women

 I am thinking of starting an online directory on my blog with names and contact details of essential services for women. It  will be good to know who to turn to in a time like this. I look forward to everyone's contributions.

Laweyes, doctors, support groups all are welcome here. 

Bring Back Our Girls- Manchester Prayer Service

NWG invites you to our servcie to pray for young women and girls globally. Young women and girls are being used as weapons of war and conflict. Let us pray together to end such violence and inhumane behaviour against women and girls globally.#BBOGManchester #BringBackOurGirls

Organisations that help women in distress- Karma Nirvana

A friend shared this with me thought I would share it with you

From the website 

Karma Nirvana is a UK registered Charity that supports victims and survivors of Forced Marriage and Honour Based Abuse. It was named in the hope that the work it seeks to undertake would make a positive impact on the lives of individuals who would by our involvement achieve a sense of peace and ultimately enlightenment.

In 1993, Jasvinder, a survivor of forced marriage and honour based abuse, established the project initially with a view to create a support network for women who experienced language and cultural barriers. Since Karma Nirvana’s establishment in 1993 it has expanded and developed from a local to regional project to now being a national to international project. Karma Nirvana not only supports women, but has expanded to also support men and couples as this has been identified as a growing need by the project.

We run the UK’s first helpline that is dedicated to supporting victims who have experienced Forced Marriage and Honour Based Abuse. Our aim is to raise public awareness on the issues and in breaking the silence we provide education through accredited training, including seminars, conferences and workshops. Our expert call handlers provide confidential listening support, options and guidance to all professionals, victims and survivors of honour based abuse through our National Honour Network Helpline.

Contact - 

PO Box 148
Leeds
LS13 9DB

Honour Network Helpline: 0800 5999 247 (again please link for mobile phone users)

Contact us between 09:30 and 17:00 Monday to Friday. Please note the first Monday of every month from 9:30am to 1pm will be dedicated to the helpline team’s continuous professional development.

If you are in immediate danger call 999

http://www.karmanirvana.org.uk/

In the wake of the #‎bringbackourgirls‬ campaign I have been reading a lot from women in the global south and heir daily experiences of sexism and misogyny. The stories are the same women start succeeding and bam some group or the other starts to call their sanity, sexuality and morality into question. 

I spent the day reading a book about what women in south India have to face when they become visible in universities. The setting is different and the kind of violence is different the oppression is the same. Our sisters in Nigeria want what we do - education, this has been twisted to the advantage of those who oppress them. I will be with my sisters protesting in Manchester I urge you to join the campaign in whatever capacity you can. In solidarity. 

Vigil In Manchester

#‎bringbackourgirls‬ 

On the 18th April 276 young girls were abducted and have now been sold in to slavery.

In order to show solidarity and support and that we care about the whereabouts and welfare of these young girls and we want their safe return Manchester will be holding a vigil on Saturday 10th May.

Please wear RED and make your placards.

Date- Saturday 10th May

Time- 1.00 pm -3.00 pm 

Venue- Picadilly Gardens

Link to the facebook event. 

https://www.facebook.com/events/402072226600264/

http://en.minguo.info/blogs/augustin/its_time_for_the_droplets_to_coalesce_into_a_big_river_bringbackourgirls

What does it mean to be trans* gender?

I must say I don't understand the issue fully but I am aware that it is still classified as a mental disorder. Being labelled with a mental illness is an unpleasant experience. It also is the only way somebody can transition. Hate crime, misunderstanding and misconceptions about the issue have isolated people in the community. Through this event we hope activists in this field can share their experiences with us. 

National Preoccupations and Art or Why Aliens Don't Come to India

Sonia Soans, a researcher at MMU, will be giving a talk on Indian comics and how they reflect the concerns of the society that produced them. Looking at the Amar Chitra Katha series in particular, her talk will deal with the way that Indian comics reflect stereotypical ideas about the distant past and contemporary anxieties.

Venue - Room G35 in the new business school. The room has disability access and accessible restrooms. http://www2.mmu.ac.uk/travel/allsaints/Parking around the area is usually free from 6.00 pm onwards.

Follow us on Twitter @SoniaSoanspsy  & @MancsterCon

The event is free we need to know approximately how many people are coming. 

click here for tickets

Reading Rey Chow this month

I met Rey Chow a few months ago in Manchester. The day began with her lecture on films , Chinese films in particular and the representation of nation and a history that never was in these films (some of which are quite famous). What struck me are the parallels in Indian cinema and the re-imagining of the nation and its past. This was followed by another seminar at The Connerhouse which involved looking at clips from Spring in a Small Town. Repression and the nation were the title I think. What struck me is how much more relevant Chinese cinema of that era was as compared to now. It didn't use common tropes or clichés but told the story of a decaying land owning class. The emphasis was on the characters and their story as opposed to the past becoming a character of its own. 

This book challenged assumptions of what constituted 'Chinese culutre' especially when presented in the west. The issue of gender and it's representation were particularly important. 

Interesting feminist slant on the Guardian's 'CiF' section

This link is to a range of views on conflicts within feminism , very appropriate given the I.H.S.S.R 5th March event. I liked it and I think you gals will as well...http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/mar/07/international-womens-day-defence-feminist-dissent-argued-priorities

Meeting in March

An interesting article at this link about calling women in the media 'feminists'. If it doesn't work for you let me know at strapping6footer@yahoo.co.uk and I  will send it as an attachment. [ I would tweet it but I have a habit of tweeting too many articles , one I am trying to curb.]

http://www.newrepublic.com/article/116114/beyonce-lorde-bettie-page-are-feminists-really