Thursday 4 July 2013

AFRICA UNION ON EGYPT

Unemployment up 74% among Coventry BME women [1.5217391304348]

Unemployment up 74% among Coventry BME women

in 

A new report published by Warwick University and Coventry Women’s Voice suggests that BME women are being badly hit by the Coalitions Governments austerity measures.
The most dramatic impact for BME women has been employment. There ground-breaking research shows that unemployment among BME women in Coventry has risen by 74% between 2009 and 2013. Unemployment among white British Women increased by 30% during the same period.
This ground-breaking report : Layers of inequality: a human rights and equality impact assessment of the cuts on BAME women in Coventry examines for the first time the combined impact on BAME women of cuts in a range of areas including employment, housing, welfare benefits, health, social care, education, legal aid, violence against women and voluntary organisations.
Campaigners are deeply worried given that BME women are already more likely to be poor and receive a higher proportion of their income from benefits and tax credits.
Report author Kindy Sandhu from Coventry Women’s Voices said:
Our report shows that BAME women are among the hardest hit by public spending cuts across many areas. Now the spending review is making a bad situation worse. BAME women will lose more jobs, more money and more services. This is a big issue for Coventry since a third of our population is BAME, but it will be the same for BAME women across the country. We did not cause this situation, but we are paying the price for it. “
Report co-author, Dr James Harrison of the Centre for Human Rights in Practice said:
The combined impact of cuts to benefits and services will disproportionately affect many of the poorest and most vulnerable BAME women in Coventry. Public authorities both nationally and here in Coventry have legal obligations under the Equality Act and the Human Rights Act to promote equality and protect human rights. They need to take these obligations very seriously when making decisions about budget cuts.”
This report follows a similar report last year Professors Anthony Heath who estimated that 25 percent of the ethnic minority unemployment rate for both men and women could be explained by prejudice and racial discrimination.
The report also highlighted government research from 2008, which found that those with an African or Asian sounding name needed to send twice as many job applications to secure an interview.



Statement by President Barack Obama on Egypt

President Barack Obama meets with members of his national security team to discuss the situation in Egypt, in the Situation Room of the White House, July 3, 2013.
President Barack Obama meets with members of his national security team to discuss the situation in Egypt, in the Situation Room of the White House, July 3, 2013.

THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 3, 2013

Statement by President Barack Obama on Egypt

As I have said since the Egyptian Revolution, the United States supports a set of core principles, including opposition to violence, protection of universal human rights, and reform that meets the legitimate aspirations of the people.  The United States does not support particular individuals or political parties, but we are committed to the democratic process and respect for the rule of law.  Since the current unrest in Egypt began, we have called on all parties to work together to address the legitimate grievances of the Egyptian people, in accordance with the democratic process, and without recourse to violence or the use of force.

The United States is monitoring the very fluid situation in Egypt, and we believe that ultimately the future of Egypt can only be determined by the Egyptian people. Nevertheless, we are deeply concerned by the decision of the Egyptian Armed Forces to remove President Morsy and suspend the Egyptian constitution. I now call on the Egyptian military to move quickly and responsibly to return full authority back to a democratically elected civilian government as soon as possible through an inclusive and transparent process, and to avoid any arbitrary arrests of President Morsy and his supporters. Given today’s developments, I have also directed the relevant departments and agencies to review the implications under U.S. law for our assistance to the Government of Egypt.

The United States continues to believe firmly that the best foundation for lasting stability in Egypt is a democratic political order with participation from all sides and all political parties —secular and religious, civilian and military. During this uncertain period, we expect the military to ensure that the rights of all Egyptian men and women are protected, including the right to peaceful assembly, due process, and free and fair trials in civilian courts.  Moreover, the goal of any political process should be a government that respects the rights of all people, majority and minority; that institutionalizes the checks and balances upon which democracy depends; and that places the interests of the people above party or faction. The voices of all those who have protested peacefully must be heard – including those who welcomed today’s developments, and those who have supported President Morsy. In the interim, I urge all sides to avoid violence and come together to ensure the lasting restoration of Egypt’s democracy.

No transition to democracy comes without difficulty, but in the end it must stay true to the will of the people. An honest, capable and representative government is what ordinary Egyptians seek and what they deserve. The longstanding partnership between the United States and Egypt is based on shared interests and values, and we will continue to work with the Egyptian people to ensure that Egypt’s transition to democracy succeeds
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PRESS RELEASE
THE AFRICAN UNION READY TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE SEARCH FOR A SOLUTION TO THE CRISIS IN EGYPT

Addis Ababa, 3 July 2013The Chairperson of the Commission of the African Union (AU), Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, is closely monitoring the developments in Egypt. She is particularly concerned about the tension prevailing in the country and the risks that this situation poses to stability and security in Egypt as well as to the consolidation of its democratic process.

The Chairperson of the Commission, recalling the AU principled position on unconstitutional changes of government, underlines the need for all Egyptian stakeholders to work towards a resolution of the current crisis through dialogue, in order to find an appropriate response to the popular aspirations within the framework of legality and Egyptian institutions. In so doing, the aim should be to preserve the achievements of the Egyptian Revolution of 2011and those of the democratic process, as well as to reach a national consensus on the future of the country.

The Chairperson of the Commission, stressing AU’s commitment to contribute to a peaceful resolution of the current crisis, intends to dispatch to Egypt, as soon as possible, a group of eminent African personalities to consult with the Egyptian stakeholders and assist in the initiation of a responsible and constructive dialogue that would help the fellow Egyptian people overcome the difficult situation they are facing.