OFFICIAL
POLICY
FOR
OFFICERS
DEALING WITH
DIVORCING
PARENTS
IN ENGLAND


[ OCR version of complete booklet available here]

"THE NATURE AND IMPACT OF SEXISM:
WHY POLICIES AND STRATEGIES ARE NECESSARY

"The structuring of society has been based on patriarchal assumptions in which, through the process of paternity, there is male control over women, children and the family as an institution. These assumptions extend through all social relations into the institutions of capitalism, the education system, the health services, the criminal justice system and the welfare state. Patriarchy has been the back drop against which all women have been subordinated and ignored."
...

"The impact on women of the patriarchal state has been to subjugate, to silence, to trivialise, to exploit, to intimidate and to oppress."
...

"For NAPO members the position of women in all social structures is relevant to the experience of members and the work of the union. The position of women in the criminal and civil justice systems as clients or workers and the position of women in the trade unions are all casually interwoven with wider socio economic structures. Challenges to the oppression of women in the courts or as employees must be reinforced by challenges to ways of seeing and challenging wider structures."

Domestic Violence

NAPO defines domestic violence thus:

"Domestic violence involves the perpetration of violence by a more powerful person against a less powerful person. It is defined as assault, abuse or harassment which occurs between persons who have a sexual, familial or other close personal relationship. Generally, domestic violence is perpetrated by men against women.

...  Violence by women against adult males is rare and therefore unlikely to fall within this definition."

WOMEN IN THE FAMILY COURT SYSTEM

"The Family Court system shores up the traditional role of women in the family and makes assumptions which are rarely challenged about her role as carer, peacemaker, and homemaker. In our work as Family Court workers NAPO members play a very significant role in relation to the experience of women in families and as carers."

[ Women represent a mere 15 % of the of criminal justice statistics  but] "the probation service is alone in employing approximately equal numbers of women and men, ......... Moreover, since 1994, the Home Office has begun to challenge the equality of recruitment into the probation service." ...

POLICY OBJECTIVES AND TARGETS: The Family Court System

(a) "To develop and promote policies and strategies which strengthen and enhance the ability of women to make and carry out choices within separating families.

(b) To develop and implement policies and strategies which challenge the experience of oppression of all women in separating families.

(c) To support the rights of lesbians as mothers and carers.

(d) To develop policies and strategies which challenge the discrimination against women in contested residence and contact decisions."

(e) ... .

(f) "To develop and promote training strategies which strengthen the anti discriminatory perspective of family court work."

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