RMT regional women's officer Carol Foster reports from the recent national RMT Women's Conference ...

People often ask me ‘why do we need a women’s conference?’

Why indeed? As I write, the Met Police have let a second rapist go; it seems that the Home Office targets place a higher priority on property crime than on sex offences.

The RMT national Women’s Conference met @ The Royal Station Hotel in Newcastle on 6th & 7th March 2009. As ever plenty of lively debate.

There was a talk by Etienne Attala from Thompsons on flexible working & Age Discrimination.

There was also a discussion on Abortion Rights. As many took advantage of the 1967 Abortion Act like my sisters feel any change in the Act would be a disaster. Other topics were a speech by Bob Crow & the Credit Union; Women’s Uniforms; Teenage Pregnancy; Women & the Credit Crisis.

We also had 19-year-old, Tamar Katz, who was jailed for refusing to serve in the Israeli Army as she disagreed with what was going on in Gaza. All Israeli women must serve 13 month in the Army (well, not quite all women but this is a totally different story ...)

The highlight of the meeting for me was the discussion on Human Trafficking which, although it is often hidden, still happens all too often in this country.

I would urge everybody to come to next year's conference which will be in Sheffield on the closest weekend to Woman’s Day (8 March).

I guarantee you will enjoy it.