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Day: March 7, 2018

Progress from Council on International Women’s Day

Posted on by Besi

New gender pay gap report published by Brighton & Hove City Council on International Women’s Day shows women working for the council on average earn 6% more than men.

This indicates the council is bucking a global trend by being one of a handful of local authorities where women can expect not to earn less than their male counterparts.

The gender pay gap is defined as the average pay gap between male and female staff in hourly pay. All employers with more than 250 employees must now publish their gender pay gap report annually.

International Women’s Day is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women and marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity and urging communities everywhere to #PressForProgress.

The World Economic Forum’s 2017 Global Gender Gap Report found that gender parity is over 200 years away.

Cllr Emma Daniel
Cllr Emma Daniel

Cllr Emma Daniel, Chair of the Neighbourhoods, Inclusion, Communities & Equality Committee said: “The gender pay gap report shows that our council is committed to inclusion for our female workers, and we’re showing other council’s the way forward. 

“I’m pleased that our approach to fair pay and grading, family friendly employment policies and a commitment to diversity in the workplace has enabled women to develop careers with the council.

“We’re not going to let that take our eye off the ball, and we’re committed to ensuring the council is a fair and inclusive place to work for everyone regardless of gender.

“We’ll be looking at this data and considering what further actions should be taken.

“In the age of the #MeToo campaign there has never been a more important time to keep motivated and #PressforProgress on International Women’s Day.”

The city council attributes the findings to women making up around 60% of their total workforce, and employing more women than men in higher paid roles.

To read the report in full, click here:

Beyond Fairness: The biology of inclusion for transgender and intersex athletes

Posted on by Besi

An open lecture from Joanna Harper and Professor Yannis Pitsiladis.

The inclusion of transgender athletes and hyperandrogenism in sport has long been seen as controversial, particularly in the realm of women’s sport, where claims of unfairness have been levelled at transgender competitors who are often considered to have a physiological advantage.

The high court in Germany ruled recently in favour of the introduction of a third gender category for individuals who do not identify as either male or female, or are born with an ambiguous sexual anatomy, and this ruling is in line with at least ten nations or states that allow a third legal gender.

In this talk, Joanna Harper and Professor Yannis Pitsiladis will consider the implications of a third gender for elite sport, and present a roadmap to guide the implementation of rules for the inclusion for transgender and intersex athletes.

Both sex (the biological components that make an individual male, female or somewhere in between) and gender (the sociological components of the male/female divide) are complex.

In the attempt to separate athletes into male and female categories, the speakers will assert that only those sex and/or gender based qualities that are important for athletic performance should be looked at, and that evidence-based scientific research should be the foundation for making decisions on participation in sex-segregated sports.

The concept of an athletic gender should be established in order to facilitate this segregation.

Event: Beyond Fairness: The biology of inclusion for transgender and intersex athletes

Where: Sallis Benney Theatre, Grand Parade Building, Brighton BN2 0JY

When: Tuesday, March 20

Time: 6.30pm

Cost: This is a free event.

To register online no later than 48 hours prior to the event, click here:

Martlets to hold ‘living with loss’ support day in May

Posted on by Besi

Martlets Hospice will hold a unique bereavement support day on Wednesday, May 16 at Friends Meeting House, Brighton.

The Good Grief event is for anyone who has ever experienced loss or for those who would simply like to understand more about grief.

Open to everyone, the day is being held as part of the Brighton Fringe Festival to mark Dying Matters Week.  It is intended to bring the difficult subject of bereavement out into the community to encourage people to feel more comfortable with talking about it.

Visitors will be able to meet with people from local support groups as well as counsellors and volunteers from the hospice’s own bereavement service.

Good Vibrations
Good Vibrations

 

The hospice’s choir, Good Vibrations, will be leading a Soulful Singing Workshop with a performance later in the day.

Jane Cato, Martlets’ Bereavement Services Manager, said:  “Everyone’s experience of grief is different; sadness, anger, confusion and even isolation are not uncommon feelings to have. 

“With this day we aim to offer support and information that aspires to provide reassurance and hope.” We want this to be an uplifting day where you can come away with a sense of the many different ways that we can talk about and be with grief so that it feels manageable. 

“You’ll be invited to think about your experiences of loss and perhaps hang a message of remembrance on our Memory Tree. 

“We’ll also be explaining about the importance of rituals in the grieving process and showing you how to make memory boxes and forget-me-not pots; which are all beautiful ways to capture your memories of a loved one. 

“It’s a free event and, except for our Soulful Singing Workshop, there’s no need to book.  Just drop in anytime during the day and join us for a chat.” 

Martlets is a charity that cares for people living through a terminal illness in and around Brighton and Hove. It’s much more than a hospice and works to change perceptions of hospice care.

While most patients in 2018 receive care in their own home. The hospice in Hove is a place where patients and their families can use the therapeutic services, drop-in clinics, visit the in-patient unit or just sit and have a coffee in the café.

The hospice’s community teams care for people living and dying at home. Families and loved ones are supported into bereavement. Martlets runs a 24/7 helpline for free, personal support, this is a collaboration between Martlets and the Sussex Community Trust’s palliative care team.

Martlets’ care is only free thanks to the generosity of local people; every donation will help them change lives.

Event: Good Grief Bereavement Support Day

Where: Friends Meeting House, Ship Street, Brighton

When: Wednesday, May 16

Time: 11am – 5pm

Cost: This is a free event

For further information email: jane.cato@martlets.org.uk

Or telephone:01273 273448.

To sign up for the Soulful Singing Workshop, click here:

1BTN International Women’s Day Takeover

Posted on by Besi

Acclaimed independent radio station 1BTN unveils all-day female takeover for International Women’s Day on Thursday, March 8.

Based in Brighton & Hove but broadcasting worldwide via 1btn.fm, 1BTN has grown to become one of the UK’s most respected independent radio stations in just under three years. The diverse roster features over 180 presenters spanning more than 100 shows.

To celebrate this year’s International Women’s Day (IWD), 1BTN has announced that an exciting selection of the station’s talented female DJs and presenters, plus very special guests, will be taking over the station, all day tomorrow, Thursday, March 8.

The 1BTN IWD Takeover will start at 9am and continue until midnight, featuring an array of different genres – from Motown, reggae, disco and funk to house, new wave, pop and electronic.

Presenting live in the 1BTN studio will be; Sista Selectas, Molly Pop, Lucy ‘Elle J’ Small with leading soul singer Alice Russell and rising neo-soul star Isle of CC, Lucie Barat with actress Fiona O’Shaughnessy, Jayne Winstanley, Club Click with Catherine Sones and Hannah Sherlock (Love Is The Message), Queen Josephine and Kate Wildblood, Suze Rosser with Inspired Presents Women in Electronic Music featuring Lara Paradinas / Producer Girls, Clara Suess and Kerry Jean Lister, Jayney Blam Blam, Emma Thompson Murphy with Phantom Power, and Katie Blackwell and Chantal Irtelli with Women of the World.

International Women’s Day, a worldwide event that celebrates women’s achievements, whilst calling for gender equality is especially relevant in 2018 as this year marks the 100th anniversary of women’s suffrage.

With many music festivals and event line-ups often heavily weighted towards male artists, plus the gender pay gap and the rise of the #MeToo movement, there is still a lot of work to be done to achieve gender equality, especially in music and entertainment.

Talking about International Women’s Day, 1BTN presenter and musician Lucie Barat, said: “From the Pankhursts to the celebrities lending their name to the plight of women across the modern-day globe, it’s vitally important to celebrate the courageous and inspirational women who inspire us. The fight for equality is still very, very real.”

Hannah Sherlock (Love Is The Message), added: “IWD is an excuse to celebrate women – but also to remind ourselves the importance of striving for global gender equality.”

To listen to the 1BTN International Women’s Day Takeover, tune in to 1BTN from 9am to midnight on Thursday, March 8.

Listen via 101.4FM and DAB in the Brighton & Hove area, and on 1btn.fm anywhere in the world.

 

Sea Serpents RFC to strip off for charity

Posted on by Besi

As one of their fundraising activities for 2018, The Brighton & Hove Sea Serpents RFC are joining The Naked Rugby Players Calendar for 2019.

The Sea Serpents will be joining other gay and inclusive teams from Bristol, Liverpool, Glasgow and, Northampton.

The Naked Rugby Players 2018 Calendar was a global success and a new batch of players are ready to strip for the 2019 edition.

Organisers are about to shoot the 2019 Calendar in rugby settings across the UK, to raise funds for their own clubs as well as the Balls To Cancer charity. Hopefully it’ll be warmer by the end of the month when the Serpents have to drop their shorts!

Principal photographer Monty McKinnen, said: “I’m so excited to be returning to The Naked Rugby Players to build on the success of 2018. It’s a real privilege to be involved in a project that raises awareness about male cancers and the importance of checking yourself regularly whilst shining a spotlight on inclusive rugby across the UK.

“It was amazing how many players wanted to take part in the first shoot and as word got round, 2019 is set to be even bigger and better raising more funds for charity.”

Damian Giles, Club Secretary of the Brighton & Hove Sea Serpents, said: “This is a unique fundraising opportunity for our rugby club. It is an activity that can create a greater team spirit and bolster our relationships with the many other gay and inclusive rugby clubs across the UK.  Testicular cancer can affect men directly whatever their sexuality, of course, everyone can be affected by cancer whether their own or of someone they love.  Being aware of the early signs improves potential for successful treatment and the club sees education as vital. The players including me who are taking part in this project are looking forward to sharing our assets with the audience of the calendar and hope the people of Sussex and further afield buy one to promote us, the sport of rugby and most importantly testicular cancer awareness”

Look out for the hashtag #feeltheserpent in the run up to its debut.

200,000 men in the UK are diagnosed each year with cancer. It kills 10 men every hour. Balls to Cancer – a registered charity, aim to fight cancer with fun while raising funds for male cancer awareness and education. They occasionally donate a proportion to other associated causes and research. 100% of funds raised or donated goes into this charity.

To pre-order the 2019 calendar, click here:

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