SCI-TERMS

1.  What are the institutions struggling for equality?

In the forces for equality between women with men, institutions in the UK together have formed a statutory equality issues associated with it. They have to mediate the gap between women with men with the establishment of equality legislation. Here is a description of the institutions associated with the legislation.

The Equal Oppportunities Commission (EOC), set up under the 1975 Act in Great Britain, is an independent statutory body which has the powers to:

1). work towards the elimination of discrimination on the grounds of sex or marriage;

2). promote equality of opportunity between women and men;

3). review, and propose amendments tothe Sex Discrimination Act and the Equal Pay Act; and

4). provide legal advice and assistance to individuals who have been discriminated against.

Gender Action for Peace and SecurityUK (GAPS) was normally established in May 2006. The GAPS to build on UNSCR 1325 and through collective action promote, facilitate and monitor the meaningful inclusion of gender perspectives in all aspects of UK policy and practice on peace and security.

The Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU), which was founded at the Pankhurst family home in Manchester on 10 October 1903 by six women, including Emmeline and Christabel Pankhurst, who soon emerged as the group's leaders, was the leading militant organisation campaigning for Women's suffrage in the United Kingdom. It was the first group whose members were known as "suffragettes". At first the main aim of the organisation was to recruit more working class women into the struggle for the vote.

Equal Opportunity Policy

There are two Ministers for Women, supported by the Women and Equality Unit (WEU) in the Department of Trade and Industry. They are responsible for a wide range of gender equality issues in Government, including issues of sexual orientation. The WEU's projects include:

1). aiming to increase women's participation in the labour market, including development policies which support flexible working and are family friendly;

2). aiming to reduce the gende paygap;

3). reviewing the existing equality legislation on gender, race, age, beliefs, sexual orientation and disability; and

4). aiming to reduce domestic violence.

The Scottish Executive has established an Equality Unit to take forward its work in this area. The Northern Ireland Executive has set up a Gender Policy Unit to promote equality between men and women, people of different sexual orientation, people with and without dependants and people of different marital status.

Maternity Leave & Pay Regulations (1975) entitle women to statutory leave and pay for up to 12 months and applies once a job has been offered and accepted. During the leave period, women are guaranteed an entitlement to return to their own job on the same terms and conditions under which they left. Paternity Leave & Pay Regulations (2003) regulate statutory paternity leave and pay for up to two weeks following the birth of a child.

Flexible Working Regulations (2003) give employees the statutory right to ask for a flexible working pattern, including working from home, reduced hours or different hours, for workers with children aged under six years.

Equal Opportunities Legislation

The Sex Discrimination Act 1975, which applies in Great Britain, makes discrimination between men and women unlawful in employment, education, training, and the provision of housing, goods, facilities, and services. Discrimination in employment against married people and discriminatory job recruitment advertisements are also unlawful. Under the Equal Pay Act 1970, women and men are entitled to equal pay when doing work that is the same, or broadly similar, work which is rated as equivalent, or work which is of equal value. Parallel legislation on sex discrimination and equal pay applies in Northern Ireland.

http://www.gender-equality.webinfo.lt/results/uk.htm

www.eoc.org.uk

www.equalityni.org

http://www.gaps-uk.org/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women%27s_Social_and_Political_Union

http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/Wwspu.htm

2.  The conflicts (obstacles) faced by the institutions? 

Many obstacles faced by institutions, one example is in the UNSCR 1325 from GAP and WSPU institution.

There has been significant work to implement UNSCR 1325, yet awareness of  this resolution remains low in conflict-affected regions. It is in these regions where it is most critical that peace and reconstruction efforts take women’s needs, interests and capacities into account.

Ongoing obstacles to UNSCR 1325 implementation include:

•    Lack of awareness of the resolution, especially in conflict affected regions

•    Gaps between HMG policy and practice – lack of effective implementation of key UK women, peace and security policies at the local level

•    Lack of financial resources

•    Gender not seen as a priority in context of security and peacebuilding

•    Lack of gender mainstreaming and gender training 

GAPS sees UNSCR 1325 as a tool for raising-awareness about women’s experiences and role in conflict and for holding the UK government and other UN member states to account.

In addition to the constraints of the WSPU organization named the woman as its leader Emmeline Pankhurst was the day called Black Friday..Black Friday was a women's suffrage event in the United Kingdom on 18 November 1910. Then there is a contradiction of the Conciliation Bill. Although the Conciliation Bill, which would extend the right of women to vote in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland to around 1,000,000 wealthy, property-owning women, got to its second reading, British Prime Minister Herbert Henry Asquith indicated that there would be no more Parliamentary time for the Bill. In response, the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU) sent a delegation of around 300 women who were assaulted when they attempted to run past the police. Many suffragettes reported being assaulted and manhandled by the police and well over 100 were arrested; Asquith's car was vandalized in reaction to this treatment. The event caused some embarrassment to Winston Churchill who was Home Secretary at the time.