AN ELDERLY support group which was awarded a £37,000 grant is reluctant to allow women to join in activities.
Waltham Forest Asian Seniors Group, which was set up 15 years ago, is made up of mostly Pakistani Muslim men.
The aim of the group is to bring isolated members of the Asian community together but women do not attend meetings due to cultural beliefs.
Project manager Dr Shuakat Khan said he and his management team are working to break down barriers between the two genders.
He said: “We are trying to bring men and women together because we want to address issues in our community such as domestic violence and different Islamic interpretations.
“But a lot of the men are not comfortable sitting next to a woman.
“Some of them feel that the women’s needs are greater than theirs so they would feel threatened if they joined.
“We now have female volunteers giving health check-ups and teaching exercises and although the men were reluctant to leave them in at the start they are getting used to it. [30 comments]
[TOP RATED COMMENT 50 votes] How can they integrate into the local community when they can't even integrate within themselves?
[2ND 45] knowing the council another £37.000 will go towards a womans Asian centre at the same address.
[3RD 44] They shouldn't be getting public money in that case.Its very clear. Cultural reasons is not good enough.This is Britain. What do isolated Asian women do ,stay home and cook.
[4TH 40] Is this council tax payers money? If so then surely all should be welcome too attend.
[5TH 39] Has this community not moved with the times. If so I'm saddened. Equality has been a cornerstone of our community for decades yet this group is receiving funding which condones segregation.
I would be interested to hear what the 'feminist' MP for Walthamstow Village, Stella Creasy, has to say. [East London and West Essex Guardian] Read more
