French Minister for Women Seeks Abolition of Prostitution in Europe
THE GUARDIAN: Najat Vallaud-Belkacem to organise conference of experts on how to contain sex-trade and human-trafficking

France's minister for women is to organise a consultation on ways to abolish prostitution in France and Europe, she has told the Guardian.

Najat Vallaud-Belkacem [F], the high profile women's rights minister and government spokeswoman, said in an interview that she would be organising a conference of experts on how to contain the sex-trade and human-trafficking and was seeking to meet the home secretary Theresa May for input from the UK.

"Since the 19th century and the role of [the Victorian feminist] Josephine Butler, Britain and France have been the core countries in the international mobilisation against prostitution. I really hope that these common roots are still alive," she said. She wanted a meeting with May on how Britain and France approach prostitution and human-trafficking. In France prostitution is not illegal, but activities around it are. Brothels were outlawed in 1946 and pimping is illegal. » | Angelique Chrisafis in Paris | Friday, June 22, 2012

THE INDEPENDENT: Najat Vallaud-Belkacem - the young Muslim woman at the heart of France's modern regime » | John Lichfield | Friday, May 18, 2012

NuLabour’s ’Battie Hattie’ Puts Her Foot in Her Mouth Again!
Photo of Harriet Harman, the feminist Minister for Women, courtesy of the Daily Mail
DAILY MAIL: Men staying at home to bring up their children should become the cultural norm, Harriet Harman, the Minister for Women declared.

Fathers should demand flexible working hours after their children are born, she continued.

Miss Harman - dubbed "Harriet Harperson" by some for her feminist views - added that mothers and fathers should both expect to spend equal amounts of time working and raising children.

Her call for fathers to work less comes amid growing pressure from ministers on mothers of young children to take jobs.
The Government says the only way for couples to ensure their family stays out of poverty is for both parents to work.

Ministers have long pressed mothers of babies to return to their jobs or find work - to the point where at one stage mothers who decline to do so were described as "a problem".

Miss Harman said: "It must be the cultural norm for both mothers and fathers to work flexibly, so they can balance earning a living while bringing up their children. Men staying at home to look after children should be cultural norm, claims minister >>> By Steve Doughty

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