Real Fathers for Justice - News

Real Women of India support True Equality

Mon, 8 Mar 2010 15:44:59 +0000

On the occasion of International Women�s Day 2010, All India Forgotten Women�s Association (AIFWA), True Equity Network (TEN) India and Andhra Pradesh Mothers-in-law Protection Association (APMPA) are celebrating the many achievements and successes of women. At the same time, we address the dilemmas of present day women, and look at the way forward to achieve true empowerment of women.

We call upon the citizens and Government of India to recognize that:

1. Promoting women�s welfare does not mean weakening and destroying marriage.
2. Liberating women does not mean destroying their biological and social privileges of being a wife and a mother.
3. Protecting women does not mean supporting misuse of the law, violating human rights and destroying families.
4. Empowering women does not mean encouraging blackmail, extortion and parasitism by women.
5. Encouraging women in all walks of life does not mean providing special privileges and lowered standards of performance.

Banners held up at the demonstration include:

Violating Men's Rights is not equal to Upholding Women's Rights
Dis-empowering Men is not equal to Empowering Women
Harming Men is not equal to Protecting Women
Say "NO" to Feminist Culture of Mass Irresponsibility!
Destroying Families is not equal to Protecting Women
Supporting Misuse of Law is not equal to Doing Justice to Women
Keep Trivial Family Issues out of Criminal Courts
Doing Injustice to Men is not equal to Doing Justice to Women
Make all Laws Equitable and Fair for all!
Say "NO" to Anti-Marriage, Anti-Family, Fatherless Welfare State!
Real Women Take Responsibility for their actions
Real Women Reject Preferential Treatment over Men and Children

It is an undeniable fact that women today enjoy a lot of opportunities and independence compared to women of previous generations. Women are constantly being reminded of their rights and privileges. The Government is constantly doling out policies claiming to empower women and to encourage women�s participation in all walks of life.

We have more women attending schools and colleges, more women graduating with degrees and diplomas, and more women entering varied professions and earning their livelihood. Women are competing with men in academic, corporate, service, bureaucratic, political and other careers. Women now own property and wealth of their own.

Women are realizing their ability to set educational, career, and economic goals for themselves and achieving them. This is definitely worth celebrating and cheering.

Since the last 15-20 years, more and more young women are also putting career first and delaying marriage and children. They are buying into the idea that husband, children and family do not necessarily bring happiness and satisfaction, but on the contrary, obstruct a woman�s freedom. They are convinced that career, individual pursuits and financial freedom promise more of both satisfaction and happiness, as they seemingly do to men. Women�s emancipation has become synonymous with being like men and doing everything they do.

As a result, more women are deliberately or inadvertently relinquishing the choices that their grandmothers and mothers had. More women who want to avoid becoming �slaves of the family� are now becoming slaves of corporate entities and feeling trapped inside offices instead of homes. Women who want to marry, have children, enjoy family life and also have a career are unable to figure out what they need to do to have them all or if it is in fact possible to have them all.

In this age of nuclear families, women are planning their lives with little or no guidance, and with few good role models to look up to. They are struggling to reconcile their natural desire for family and motherhood with the unrealistic standards imposed by radical feminism. The natural pleasures of being a wife, raising children and looking after a home are now turning into a source of agony to many women. Those women who choose to put family first are being portrayed as inferior, and those who walk out on the family at the drop of a hat, labelled liberated women.

As a result, today there are more women separated or never married. Divorce rates are on the rise, and close to 70% of all divorce cases are initiated by women. There are a rising number of women raising their children alone. There are more women with infants and very young children working full-time jobs, and consigning their children to day care centres.

Now there are new justifications for classifying all women as �oppressed� and guilt-tripping or demanding the society to grant them special concessions in every field just for being women. In spite of all the �liberation�, more women are left wondering why happiness is still a mirage, and satisfaction nowhere in sight.

Why did such a situation arise?

Women�s rights activists may claim to champion a woman�s right to be treated as a human (just as a man is), but they forget that we are not just humans but are also women, different from men, with different natural desires and needs which cannot be ignored. Just as we would suffer if we were not treated like humans, we also suffer if we are deprived of the natural gifts and privileges of womanhood.

The feminist movement clearly taught women to demand more rights, privileges and laws. It has taught women to break the shackles of their homes and to step out into the �world of opportunities�. However, it has not taught women how to handle freedom, how to take responsibility for one�s own choices and know when to stop to avoid pitfalls.

Depending on the immediate and extended family for support in case of doubt, difficulty or distress is a thing of the past. Women�s organizations, police stations and courts have become proxy family for the modern woman and dish out an elaborate menu of laws to satisfy her whims more than her needs. By routinely attributing traits of low self-esteem, self pity, vagrancy, vulnerability and helplessness to women and girls, they have turned women into mendicants and parasites.

The women�s movement has also propagated the practice of blaming the men and the so-called �male-dominated� society for all the lapses and failures that result from the irrational ideas and practices advocated by feminism.

On the occasion of International Women�s Day, we would like to call upon women to free themselves from self-pity and negativity. We call upon women to use their education, learning and individuality to make wise choices and take responsibility for the outcomes. We call upon women to stop complaining that they are unable to have the cake and eat it too just because they are women, because the truth is, neither can men.

We call upon the citizens and Government of India to recognize that:

1. Promoting women�s welfare does not mean weakening and destroying marriage.
2. Liberating women does not mean destroying their biological and social privileges of being a wife and a mother.
3. Protecting women does not mean supporting misuse of the law, violating human rights and destroying families.
4. Empowering women does not mean encouraging blackmail, extortion and parasitism by women.
5. Encouraging women in all walks of life does not mean providing special privileges and lowered standards of performance.

We must take the following steps to ensure true empowerment and welfare of women:

1. Non-serious family problems should be corrected through programs offering voluntary assistance to individuals in troubled marriages.
2. India should be prevented from becoming an anti-marriage, anti-family, fatherless �welfare state�.
3. Laws and policies must be based on principles of equity and fairness, and not radical feminist ideologies and false statistics.
4. The feminist culture of mass irresponsibility should be done away with.
5. Women should be encouraged to inculcate self-esteem, reject preferential treatment, and succeed in their chosen areas of study or career by proving their true worth.

We urge everyone to join our movement for true empowerment and help end the gender war.

http://iwd2010.blogspot.com/

Follow the official Rffj groups on Facebook, Twitter and Youtube

Mon, 8 Mar 2010 10:25:37 +0000

Rffj Facebook >Click Here<

Rffj Twitter >Click Here<

Rffj Youtube >Click Here<

North East singer 'Junior' backs campaign for equal parenting and neglected children.

Wed, 3 Mar 2010 12:04:27 +0000

Rffj Press Release

Pictured (from left to right) Tyne bridge activist Simon Anderton, Singer songwriter 'Junior', James 'sax' Vargas, Rffj chair Mike Kelly.

Announcing the release of his debut self written single "Say goodbye", talented singer songwriter 'Junior' explains why he will donate any profits generated to worthy causes.

"I wrote the lyrics through my own personal experiences of being separated from my kids, it's been described as a living bereavement when you are denied contact to your children, I can testify to that"

"I'm still involved in the legal process so can't go into details about my personal case, but feel strongly that the legal system surrounding neglected children and separated parents needs to be reformed"

"My pledge is to donate all profits from the single to worthy causes, I'm supporting the Baby Peter Tribute fund who help childhood victims of neglect, and the campaign for equal parenting with the Real fathers for justice"

"Say goodbye will be on sale in shops and available to download from itunes and amazon from 27th April, it features world renown saxophonist James 'Sax' Vargas and the track was produced by the James Vargas Group. The original music was written by Mr Wally McGill"

"We are now looking for a record production company help distribute this single to a wider audience by making it available in stores nationwide, or anyone who can help make this single a success"
Notes to editor:
Junior is Newcastle based singer songwriter Dave Turner aged 26 email, jrrecordings@live.co.uk

The track, produced by the James Vargas group, will be on sale in shops and available to download from itunes and amazon from 27th April, the original music was written by Wally McGill

James Vargas is without doubt one of the most recognised, respected and sought after saxophonists in dance music today.

He has recording credits with Ministry of Sound, Defected, Duffnote and Om records,and tours with Hed Kandi worldwide.

James has been honoured to open for and perform with such musical luminaries as David Sanborn, Chris Botti, Down To The Bone, Blondie, Leburn Maddox, Sugar and Silk, Brandon Block, Jeremy Healy, Lisa Millet, Aaron Ross and Sophie Ellis Bextor.

Links

Junior's website

Say goodbye Facebook group

James Vargas website

Baby Peter fund

Real fathers for justice

Single preview

New poster for Junior's "Say goodbye" debut single.

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 13:25:11 +0000

YouTube single preview >Here<

Profits donated to children's charities selected by the artist, which include RFFJ.

Available to download on iTunes and on sale on Juniors website from April 27th

Note: RFFJ have no association with other charities or good causes selected by the performing artist. Our logo alongside these groups is not an endorsement of their policies by RFFJ

Rffj Campaign Shirts - Medium size now available

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 09:25:42 +0000

Members and supporters can now purchase RFFJ logo embroidered polo shirts, available in standard purple, for equality.

Only �14.99 which includes recorded delivery, �17.49 inc P&P for orders outside the UK.

Now available in 4 sizes M, L, XL, XXL

Additional items coming soon

Order on our main website >Click Here<

Alarm over Cafcass's 'child court crisis'

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 09:18:57 +0000

Listen again on BBC Iplayer >Here<
Download as a podcast >Here<
By Paul Burnell
File on 4
A senior family judge has warned of an "alarming deterioration" in the protection of vulnerable children in care proceedings.

Cafcass insiders claim its official caseload figures mask the true picture

Judge Graham Cliffe, who is based in York, told BBC File on 4 that support for children from Cafcass (Children and Family Court Advisory Service) was at a crisis level in his region of North Yorkshire.

"Make no mistake about it, vulnerable children are being sold short and many of us are very concerned," he said.

He believes that a backlog of cases means there are delays in children's cases coming to court.

Cafcass chief executive Anthony Douglas rejected these claims and said that North Yorkshire was the only court area out of 40 where the service did not have a working agreement on caseloads but he hoped to have one soon.

The service, which acts for children in care and those at the centre of dispute between divorced couples, is facing an unprecedented caseload.

Critics claim children are being affected by emergency measures introduced last summer to reduce the backlog of cases.
Each child should have a Cafcass guardian who investigates the child's case and speaks on its behalf to the court.

Guardians have a statutory responsibility to scrutinise a local authority's plans to make sure the children's best interests are safeguarded in care proceedings.

Emergency response

Courts wait until they receive a guardian's report before they make crucial decisions which affect children for the rest of their lives.

Last summer Justice Sir Mark Potter, the President of the Family Division and Head of Family Justice, announced interim guidance to allow Cafcass to take emergency measures.

But family justice practitioners have told File on 4 of their concern that the new procedures are putting children at risk.

Judge Cliffe said: "The service we used to have in York was a very good one but it has deteriorated at an alarming rate."

Staff shortages and a massive workload have meant that some children do not get a guardian until four to five months into the legal proceedings.

John Griffith, who resigned from the service's Stoke office in December, alleged that cases were allocated to workers regardless of their caseload.
Abused child (posed)
Cafcass has faced an increasing workload

"Cafcass will say they are managing to clear their backlogs but the only way they can do that is to put a guardian's name against a case.

"I know of cases where four to five months into a case there is no guardian allocated."

He said his workload had been doubled but there was no way he could have completed his caseload.

And Cafcass insiders claim the service's official caseload figures are concealing the true picture of the crisis because staff members are being given a massive caseload.

Harry Fletcher of the union Napo, which represents people who work in the family justice system, claimed that cases are also being given to managers who cannot do front-line work.

Data seen by File on 4 reveals that more cases are being allocated to managers in areas which have a high backlog of cases.

For example, in South Yorkshire one manager had 116 cases, one in Exeter 119, a London manager had 135 while one in Northampton had 207 against his name.

It is really unproductive to blame one agency out of many for the pressures on the whole system
Anthony Douglas
Chief executive, Cafcass

Cafcass dispute the figures.

Mr Douglas described suggestions that managers were being given extra caseloads as "completely fictitious".

He added: "Of course there are cases that sit with a manager to have first look at them before they are allocated, sometimes it takes a week before they are allocated, sometimes two weeks but what is important for me to get over is that thee cases are not sitting for long periods of time with managers and that managers are not becoming quasi practitioners, it is simply not true."

"I can guarantee you would find no more than five who have had at times more then 20 cases to care take."

He told File on 4 that cases had to be subject to triage, with the higher priority cases getting urgent attention. He added: "Unfortunately, some of the lower priority cases take months to deal with."

He said that the service was working on 30,000 cases, with the number of unallocated cases down to 400.

"That is still too many but we are no different from any front line organisation trying to manager this increased demand."

Mr Douglas added: "It is really unproductive to blame one agency out of many for the pressures on the whole system.

"We have got 20% less time per case because of the increase in cases but that still leaves a lot of professional time and in the cases that we look at day in and day out we still save children's lives and improve their outcomes."

Children's Minister Delyth Morgan told File on 4: "We need to make sure that guardians are in place when pivotal decision are being made and I would want to hear about cases where that does not happen."

File on 4 is broadcast on BBC Radio 4 on Tuesday, 23 February, at 2000 GMT, repeated Sunday, 28 February, at 1700 GMT.

Joy over city backing for grandparents

Mon, 22 Feb 2010 22:15:23 +0000

Evening Times

Campaigning grandparents are celebrating after Glasgow City Council took a step towards giving them a greater role in their grandchildren�s lives.

Councillors unanimously backed a motion to consider adopting some of the recommendations of the Charter For Grand�children, a document drawn up by elderly activists who said grand�parents had too few rights.

Grandparents Apart, the organisation that drew up the charter, claimed social services �ignore� the benefits of placing children with grand�parents in custody or welfare cases, preferring to send them into care.

They are also angered that grandparents too often lose contact with children after the parents break up and have no legal right to demand access.

Jimmy Deuchars, of Mosspark, formed the group after his daughter died and he was unable to see his two grandchildren.

He is determined that this should never happen to anyone again.

Mr Deuchars said: �We are delighted. This is the largest council in the country and it has taken a vital step towards allowing grandparents to be more closely involved in their life.

�This decision is proof that people are beginning to recognise how important grandparents can be. This will be a big boost to our campaign.�

Mr Deuchars and his wife are among a million UK grandparents that cannot see their youngest relatives, mostly because of family break-up.

Councillor Ruth Black and three other councillors submitted a motion that was heard at Glasgow City Chambers suggesting the council implement part or all of the Charter For Grandchildren.

Ms Black said: �If there are ways in which Glasgow City Council can encourage or facilitate the continued presence of grandparents in a child�s life then we should examine them.�

Jim Black, 68, from Clydebank, lost contact with his granddaughter 13 years ago. He has been supported by the Deuchars� group.

He said: �We are not saying grandparents should have the same rights as parents, we would just like to be given greater rights by councils and social services. It�s in the interests of children to know their grandparents.�

Canada - Fathers 4 Justice Bridge Protest

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 10:29:21 +0000

Four facing mischief charges for climbing onto cables in Lions Gate Bridge protest
The Province

Four men are facing mischief charges after two "superheroes" climbed onto the cable supports of the Lions Gate Bridge, disrupting morning rush-hour traffic on Wednesday.

Two men dressed in Batman and Robin costumes, claiming to represent Fathers 4 Justice, secured themselves atop the cables shortly after 5:30 a.m.

Two other men involved in the protest were arrested on the bridge deck as police closed the centre lane to traffic.

Despite keeping two lanes open during the nearly three hours the men stayed over the bridge deck, southbound traffic was badly congested through the morning rush.

The men climbed down on their own around 8:30 a.m. and the bridge was fully reopened.

West Vancouver police are recommending mischief charges against a 59-year-old Surrey man and three men from New Westminster aged 37, 46 and 54. They were released on a promise to appear, with conditions, and are due back in court on March 10.

Say Goodbye

Thu, 11 Feb 2010 12:33:30 +0000

New single by Junior "Say goodbye", written from the heart about his own experiences of being separated from his kids, the music was written by Mr Wally McGill.

Junior's website >Click Here<

All profits from sales will be donated to Rffj and selected children's charities.

On sale 6th April 2010

Say Goodbye preview on youtube..

Lyrics
What I have to do now
Its just tearing me apart
To say goodbye to you
Its just breaking my heart
Now I have to live without you
Being here next to me
Back to that cold lonely world they call reality

Chorus

To say goodbye
Was never easy
When it was time to go away
All I wanna do is say
Say goodbye
Was never easy
Any time we say it
But especially now we�re saying
Goodbye

But now the days are long
I�m thinking of the memories
I wish you were right here
Sitting next to me
You�re growing older with every day
Changing in every way
Bu in my heart yeah
That's where you�ll always stay

Rffj campaign polo shirts - now on sale!

Sun, 7 Feb 2010 22:08:04 +0000

Members and supporters can now purchase Rffj logo embroidered polo shirts, available in standard purple, for equality.

Only �14.99 which includes recorded delivery, �17.49 inc P&P for orders outside the UK.

Available in 3 sizes L, XL, XXL

Additional items coming soon

Order on our main website >Click Here<