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Britain suffers from ‘pervasive boys’ club sexist culture’, says UN representative Boys' club Britain is more sexist than Italy, Azerbaijan and India, says UN human rights expert
(35 minutes later)
Britain has a pervasive sexist culture that stems from a “boys’ club” attitude and influences perceptions of women and girls throughout the country, a UN representative has warned.Britain has a pervasive sexist culture that stems from a “boys’ club” attitude and influences perceptions of women and girls throughout the country, a UN representative has warned.
Rashida Manjoo, the UN’s special rapporteur on violence against women, made the comments following a 16-day visit to the UK in which she was blocked entirely from inspecting the controversial immigration detention centre for women, Yarl’s Wood. Britain has a “boys’ club sexist culture,” according to a damning investigation by a UN human rights expert, that is more “pervasive” and “in your face” than anything she has seen in any other country visit.
In her preliminary report on violence against women in this country, Ms Manjoo said Government cutbacks were in danger of undermining the services provided to protect victims. The findings are the result of a 16-day fact-finding mission by the UN special rapporteur on violence against women Rashida Manjoo, who travelled across the country examining the prevalence of violence against women. She said sexism was “more visible” in Britain than in other countries she had visited, which include Algeria, Italy, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Azerbaijan, India and Croatia.
And she said that while policy focussed on practices like forced marriages it ignored the broader harm coming from “a sexist culture that exists in the country”. In a remarkable revelation, she also said she was denied entry into the controversial Yarl’s Wood Immigration Removal Centre in Bedfordshire by the government on Monday, despite part of her brief necessitating she monitors alleged human rights violations of women in detention. She said she was accompanied to the centre by the Prisons Inspectorate but was denied access at the door, something which she said was “disturbing” and “of deep concern.” She said she was told the refusal came at the request of those at the “highest levels” of the Home Office.
A prominent South African human rights expert, Ms Manjoo said that sexism was more evident in the UK than elsewhere in the world. This aside, Manjoo concluded that violence against women remains a “pervasive challenge throughout the United Kingdom”, drawing particular attention to the sexualisation of women and girls in the media (she referenced The Sun’s Page 3), misogynistic advertising, harassment on tubes and in public spaces, the bullying of girls in school, the “disproportionate” impact of austerity measures on women, and the inability of the criminal justice system to respond to women and girl survivors of violence.
“Have I seen this level of sexist culture in other countries? It hasn't been so in-your-face in other countries,” she said. Laura Bates, founder of the Everyday Sexism Project, told The Independent that “it’s absolutely vital that we take this as a wake-up call to recognise the depth and severity of the problem. We still have gender inequality in the UK, yet we are so quick to point the finger at other countries and suggest women here are equal. The reality is that girls are suffering in schools, women are discriminated in the work place, and large sections of the media continue to portray women as dehumanised sex objects.”
“I haven't seen that so pervasively in other countries. I'm sure it exists but it wasn't so much and so pervasive. I'm not sure what gives rise to a more visible presence of sexist portrayals of women and girls in this country in particular. A Home Office spokeswoman said: "Violence against women and girls in any form is unacceptable and the Government has shown its commitment to ending it.
“What is clear from these indications of portrayals of women and girls is that there is a boys' club sexist culture. That exists and it does lead to perceptions about women and girls in this country.” A comprehensive programme was drawn up for the Special Rapporteur's visit, including meetings with the Home Secretary, the Minister for Crime Prevention, and the Chief Inspector of Prisons. Several other options, including a trip to a women's refuge, were turned down by the Special Rapporteur. A tour of Yarl's Wood immigration removal centre was never agreed as part of this fact-finding mission.”
In her report, Ms Manjoo said it was of “regret” that despite repeated requests her access to privately-run Yarl's Wood in Bedfordshire was denied.
Serco-run Yarl's Wood has been subjected to heavy criticism by human rights campaigners amid reports of sexual misconduct by staff, women being detained for long periods of time and pregnant detainees being held without justification.
Last month, Jamaican detainee Christine Case, 40, died in the centre after suffering what is thought to have been a heart attack.
The UN special rapporteur said: “Due to receiving information from the third sector, I was keen to speak to detainees in this facility to objectively seek information on violations being experienced.”
Following visits to London, Leicester, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Belfast, Cookstown, Cardiff and Bristol, Ms Manjoo said she had identified “isolated pockets of good practice”, but these were still not consistently observed throughout the country.
She said many groups had raised the impact of austerity measures, adding that cuts were having a “disproportionate impact” on the provision of violence against women services, as well as other areas affecting women, such as poverty and unemployment.
Ms Manjoo also raised concerns about the impact of legal aid cuts on women who have experienced domestic violence, as well as the overall numbers of young women in prison being too high.
A Home Office spokeswoman said: “Violence against women and girls in any form is unacceptable and the Government has shown its commitment to ending it.
“A comprehensive programme was drawn up for the special rapporteur's visit, including meetings with the Home Secretary, the Minister for Crime Prevention, and the Chief Inspector of Prisons. Several other options, including a trip to a women's refuge, were turned down by the special rapporteur.
“A tour of Yarl's Wood immigration removal centre was never agreed as part of this fact-finding mission.”
Additional reporting by PA