Last week's update contained news of the governments plan to reintroduce anonimity for those accused of rape in England and Wales.   Thanks to Womensgrid for circulating this useful summary of the arguments  from 2003.   There's now a petition to oppose this regressive move - please sign it!  

Engender worked with Oxfam on the EU funded Genderworks project last year and the project delivered a fantastic toolkit for women campaigning on issues around poverty.  Part of the toolkit is a DVD telling the stories of five campaigning groups, including classroom assistants from Dumfries and Galloway.  We now have copies of the DVD (which also contains an electronic version of the toolkit) in the office.  The DVD is called Real Women, Real Lives and is an inspiring watch.  Please contact the office if you would like a copy.

The European Women's Lobby have issued a statement to celebrate Europe Day that highlights the work the EU has done for women.  See the statement here

The Association for Women in Development (AWID) have launched Young Feminist Wire, an online platform for young women working on gender equality around the world.  The Wire is a hub of information, tools and resources and opportunities to participate.  Visit the site here

A report commissioned by the actors union, Equity, found that female performers work less are paid less and have shorter careers than their male colleagues.  The overall casting ratio for men is 63.5%  to 36.5% for women.  The union is campaigning programme commissioners and arts funding bodies to increase the representation of women, especially older women, in film and tv.   Sign their petition here

Postive Action in Housing have current vacancies for Admin, project and training staff.  See full details here