Item 1 Chair introductions, Apologies, Opening remarks

Meeting of WNC Board of Commissioners, 11^th October 2006

House of Lords, 2 Millbank House

Attendees:

Margaret Prosser- MP Chair

Anita Gale- AG Commissioner

Ann Hope- AH Commissioner

Barbara Erwin- BE Commissioner

Farkhanda Chaudhry- FC Commissioner

Brenda King- BK Commissioner

Ranjana Bell-RB Commissioner

Mandana Hendessi- MH Commissioner

Sue Green- SG Deputy Director, WNC

Trisha Greenhalgh- TG Business Manager, WNC

Denisse Temin- DT Intern

Sylvia Lu- SU Intern

Apologies

Janet Veitch- JV

Liz Kelly- LK

Angharad Law-AL

Carrie Pemberton- CP

Item 1: Chair introductions, Apologies, Opening remarks

1. MP welcomed commissioners and informed them of the postponement of the EOC presentation and shortening of the meeting. MP noted apologies from Liz Kelly, Angharad Law, Carrie Pemberton and Janet Veitch.

2. MP updated the Board on progress recruiting new Commissioners as the appointments for six current commissioners draws to a close. Nine names have been submitted to the SofS for her approval and her decision is expected by December.
AP1: MP to invite the New Commissioners to the All Partners Conference in December.

3. MP informed commissioners about DCLG permanent secretary Peter Housden's letter where he set out Ruth Kelly's vision of the Department. She explained that he comes with a very good reputation and is committed to the work of the WNC.

Item 2: Minutes of last meeting and progress against actions (Papers WNC06/3/03 and 04)

4. The Board signed off the minutes of the last meeting. MP went through progress meeting the following action points arising from the June Board:

- Holly Dustin has now been recruited to the EVAW Campaign's manager post, which will mean that boundaries between EVAW/WNC/Amnesty will be clearer.

AP 4 - LK to raise the idea of a 'Friends of VAW Campaign' to meet less formally for tea and inviting the VAW Group to address Labour Party Parliamentary Women's Committee. MP suggested the informal gathering would not be possible before Christmas, so would look to arrange in the New Year to spring 2007.
AP5 - WNC to write to Ken Livingstone, copied to Tessa Jowell about the issues surrounding the Olympics in 2012.
- a letter has been written to Ken Livingstone regarding the issues surrounding the Olympics in 2012, he had replied saying that he was on top of the issue and very committed to it - letters were included with October meeting papers.
AP6 - TG to secure 13th December or alternative date in Minister's diary for All Partner Event.
- the All Partners Conference will take place on 14^th December.

Item 3: Chairs Report

5. MP ran through her list of recent activities, she specifically noted:

Her meeting with John Prescott, he has been given responsibility to oversee some cross-departmental issues such as equal pay claims in local government and NHS. She mentioned that the Domestic Affairs Committee had proposed building a new framework, which could be built around the Gender Duty to tackle some of the equal pay issues.
The key points arising from her meeting with Ruth Kelly in July, she noted that SofS was not too familiar with the work of the WNC but there was a potential to build constructive relations with her.
She had a good meeting with Rachel O'Brien, Ruth Kelly's special adviser.
Met with HO about the Muslim Women's Network report. HO stated that they wanted a report, which the government can use in a positive way, suggesting that the recommendations could be redrafted to align more with the relevant departments' responsibilities.
MP and LK met with Trevor Phillips to discuss his interim Equalities Report and VAW issues more specifically. She wrote to him including a grid, mapping the basic concepts of VAW and intersections with other aspects of equality.

Item 4 & 5: Working Groups, Director's and Commissioners' Activities Reports

6. Commissioners and WNC reported on Working Groups and related activities:

Director's Report - Sue Green delivered the Director's report on behalf of Janet Veitch. Points included:
- staffing is a concern since Kristi Gooden left, but the process of recruitment is underway.
- work to raise funds to develop further Iraqi women's internship programmes is still underway.
- There is a good relationship build up with the Office of the Third Sector (under Ed Miliband) in which their interests not only focus on the voluntary sector as a service provider, but on ensuring the voluntary sector is being engaged in capacity building and has a proper lobby voice.
- The WEU `one off' meeting on the Olympics to look at issues for women including employment and safety. More meetings might come out of this, with the possibility of a group active as a sounding and advisory board on women and the Olympics.
- Denisse has commenced work on the CEDAW shadow report with the aim of submitting to the Committee in May 2007.
- the gender pay gap seminar aimed at Treasury officials, which will take place in January.
- The WNC will be moving to Ashdown House in January 2007.
- VAW Making the Grade 2006 report, will be launched towards the end of November 2006.
- JV is still a member of the domestic violence virtual unit and she and Liz Kelly were invited by the HO to be part of the selection panel for the independent sexual violence advocates. JV attended an MPS domestic violence board meeting where NGO's held the police to account.
- There remained difficulties with HO about publishing the MWN report, as they still haven't produced funding. However the Women and Equality Unit has agreed to underwrite the budget shortfall, and Demos is interested in working in a partnership on some of the women's issues. They are especially keen on the educational aspects of the report and how to engage with Muslim women through the education system (mentioned they may have some money to do a consultation around this)
- Two commissioners (BK and FC) expressed their interest in being more involved with JV in her work freeing JV to do other things.

and finally, SG extended appreciation to BK for securing Barclay's sponsorship for the All Partners conference and for the subsequent savings to the WNC budget.

AP2: Talk to JV about extending participation of commissioners into WNC work.

Women's Human Rights Network (Mandana Hendessi)
- MH commented that this group was a casualty of recent WNC cuts hence the setting up as an e-network. Suggested this was working well as the group is more interested in an exchange of information rather than strategic work.

Migration and Asylum Sub-Group (Mandana Hendessi)
- MH commented that the women were very dedicated to this group and were acting strategically, thinking about ways to engage with government. They have consensus on issues and shared understanding of aims.
- The next meeting would be key, as Lin Homer the Director-General of Immigration and Nationality from HO, will be attending to address the group.

Iraqi Women's Internship Programme (Mandana Hendessi)
- MH updated the Board on progress. The Programme is now completed and expected to produce a Final Report covering both Rounds by end November. MH thanked Ann Hope and Barbara Erwin for their help with the NI leg of the programme. She commented that interns had found this particularly useful and were able to draw on many comparisons with their experiences in Iraq. MH emphasised the difficulties the interns faced back in Iraq trying to meet their commitment to cascade their learning as the political and civil arenas had deteriorated dramatically. From second Round, only one of the four women has been able to complete the task.
- MH summarised the review meeting held in Amman in September 2006, which was attended by three of the first group of interns and two from the second Round.
- MH noted a very positive development where Shia women were training Sunni women and vice-versa.
- Direct cascade training beneficiaries amount to 628 people.
- She understood that DfID are conducting a mini-scoping exercise to assess whether to continue the Civil Society Funding. MP suggested that we need to aim to get some publicity for the final report.

AP3: MP to speak to Sheriee Dodd about generating publicity for the IWIP Final Report.

Violence Against Women (Sue Green)
- During September's VAW meeting, officials from the Office of the Third Sector in the cabinet office attended to inform the Group of their work, and although they were very interested in what the Office was doing, the women expressed their irritation about not being informed or consulted from the beginning of this project.
- Zarin Hainsworth had attended the meeting to inform the Group about the UN Special Rapporteur visit in January 2007 in order to carry out VAW consultation in the United Kingdom.
- There was a letter sent to Channel 5 about a sitcom set in a brothel, and their response was that they would not pull the program. However, they asked to meet some VAW group members in order to include more human rights issues in their programming.
- There has been ongoing work in the last few months to score departments and write Making the Grade 2006 report.
- Amnesty appointed an EVAW Campaign Manager, Holly Dustin, who will serve as the bridge between WNC and their organisation.
- The Sexual Violence sub-group has had a lot of engagement with the Home Office and with the police.
- John Dunworth, head of the Domestic Violence Virtual Unit at the HO attended the domestic violence sub-group meeting in September to update the group on the Domestic Violence Action Plan.
- Liz Kelly attended and chaired both working group meetings. She has been working on Making the Grade 2006 report; she has attended two meetings with the Home Office, as well as with Amnesty International on the EVAW planning work, and she met with Trevor Phillips to discuss VAW and how this could be taken forward in the Equalities Review and the Commission for Equality and Human Rights

AP4: RB said that authorities in the North East were still not aware of the need for a strategy on VAW and FC agreed and MP suggested a letter, FC and RB to provide details.

Muslim Women's Network (Farkhanda Chaudhry)
- The network is working towards a launch of the report on the 29^th of November. The delay is mainly due to negotiations around the recommendations. There are three main areas the government is keen to see covered: Public Participation, Capacity Building, and Employment.
- Next Network meeting is scheduled for 6^th November. They will discuss the development and future work of the network, the possibility of its independence in the future and how this might be supported.
- The Network is currently considering work on an assessment of mosques and the level of gender-friendliness amongst them.
Brenda King's Report
- BK reported that she had been re-nominated for the Economic and Social Committee and expressed disappointed that unlike the last mandate (where Jack Straw insisted must be 50/50 gender split) there isn't a gender balance in the UK representation .
- Mentioned she plans to work with Liz Kelly VAW work on the European agenda.
Ranjana Bell
Nothing to Report.

Barbara Erwin and Ann Hope's Reports

- Reported that they intend to hold a partners' meeting in November to cover all relevant issues.
- Mentioned NI's women's rural network is now running.
- AH informed Board that they had managed to get some key changes made to the Gender Equality Strategy but it is still in draft form.
- Referred to a UK-wide review of Women's organisations, which the rest of the Board were unaware of.

AP5: BE to send material on the Review of UK women's organisations to WNC

AP6: WNC to send BE/AH copy of letter from Peter Hain which followed up on their meeting with him on NI issues

Anita Gale's Report
- AG notified the Board she is working with Women's Voices (formerly WWNC) to host a Seminar in Cardiff on 18^th November.

Item 6: All Partners Conference

7. TG updated the Board on progress organising the Conference. She explained the aims of the day and rationale behind the format and content, specifically regarding the afternoon Q&A. Commissioners wondered if there shouldn't be regional representation on the panel. TG explained that the idea was to have a panel, which represented the political, social/societal and national policy making perspectives rather than a regional outlook. TG also highlighted concern about the length of Ruth Kelly's slot. Commissioners commented that they felt this was an opportunity for Ruth Kelly to reach out to women's organisations and she should speak for a longer period. The Board discussed the morning plenary session and agreed delegates should be asked to come prepared with a key issue to raise with RK. AG noted she was pleased to see the invitation stated men could only attend subject to availability of places and as observers only. MP agreed that in her opening remarks that she would cover progress with recommendations from the last Conference in 2004.

AP7: TG to include in All Partner Conference delegate joining instructions, a request for them to come to Conference prepared with one key issue in mind (or to send to WNC in advance of Conference)

AP8: Commissioners to submit names for possible inclusion on All Partners' Conference Q&A panel.

AP9: WNC to review progress with recommendations arising from the last All Partner Conference and provide MP with briefing.

AP10: TG to supply All Partner Conference facilitators with outline steer on workshop content once the five of the nine choices have been selected.

Item 7: AOB

9. Commissioners agreed to date of their next meeting - 13^th December 2006 and MP proposed this should be a shorter Business meeting from 3pm-6pm followed by Christmas Dinner at 7:30. Board agreed.
AP11: AG to book December Commissioners' Board meeting room and Christmas dinner at the Lords

10. Some Commissioners raised concerns about their recent performance appraisals. They were specifically concerned about the reference to suitability to be re-appointed as well as confidentiality issues.

AP12: TG to seek clarification on points of confidentiality with regards the Commissioners' Performance Appraisals and guidance on the reference to suitability for re-appointment contained on the Appraisal form.

CLOSE

WNC Directorate

October 2006

WNC07/1/03

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