[1] Let's talk about: Feminist issue policies

Just to add some links to show that there are many groups campaigning on some of these issues, even if FWR on mumsnet doesn't reflect this.

I am fairly sure that the Fawcett Society goes through the Party Manifestos pre Elections eg www.fawcettsociety.org.uk/analysis-of-the-parties-manifestos-general-election-2015

re medicine shortages, this has been happening for some time because the NHS budget cannot compete on the open market against richer countries plus more countries entering the competition. (I have 2 prescriptions that are basically rationed). www.opendemocracy.net/en/ournhs/brexit-or-no-brexit-life-changing-medicines-already-aren-t-getting-through/ And don’t forget that even common and cheap but life enhancing operations like cataracts ie the difference between going blind and being able to see and remain independent are now said to not be essential

In fact 42% of carers are men, and in old age it is 59%, but in the early and middle years women have multiple caring roles and this impacts on their opportunities and income over a longer period metro.co.uk/2018/08/08/the-burden-of-care-is-in-danger-of-falling-on-women-if-enough-support-isnt-given-to-all-carers-7809623/

And for so many women access to housing is a real issue, because of lower wages, caring responsibilities. How many women have stayed in a relationship because it seems to offer the only option for somewhere to live. wbg.org.uk/media/press-releases/exclusive-data-housing-is-unaffordable-for-women-in-every-english-region/ How many of the sex for rent are women. I suspect 100%. metro.co.uk/2019/03/19/landlords-request-daily-unprotected-sex-in-exchange-for-rent-8917895/ And how many single mothers are being forced out the area where they have support networks and family because of the HN cap? focuse15.org/2019/07/26/stranded-in-southend-expectant-mother-told-by-newham-council-that-she-hasnt-been-moved-far-enough-away-yet/ Or are forced into prostitution? www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-49013769

I cant find the link but there was a report about how the harsher climate in the benefits system is direct discrimination against women. Eg women trying to escape domestic violence wbg.org.uk/media/press-releases/governments-commitments-in-domestic-abuse-bill-undermined-by-the-social-security-system/

This is the latest report on increasing childcare costs. www.familyandchildcaretrust.org/families-face-rising-tide-childcare-costs-prices-rise-again

What I don’t understand is how all the Tories are cheering on Boris suddenly spending money like there’s a bottomless pit, but have been part of a Government that since the crash have endlessly gone on about the need for austerity which again effect women more wbg.org.uk/resources/the-impact-of-austerity-on-women/

Wow TheInebriati that is genuinely shocking and chilling. Not surprising that politics is always dominated by the same types of people if certain categories are actively prevented from getting involved. Seems that democracy is only for the rich.

There's a woman at our food bank drowning under debts her abusive ex ran up. He's done every trick in the book to avoid paying his share.

Bit of a niche one but on the topic of women and debt: we need to campaign for joint and several liability debts (most credit cards and loans in households) being dealt with as several liability in cases of coercive control. Abusive ex partners can skip out on debts whereas the woman, who was the victim of his coercive control, is often the one pursued as she is easier to find and more static because of children.

I've posted about this before, as a disabled woman on benefits, I'm prevented from entering into local politics or activism. If the DWP found out they would say I am fit for work.
I did try to discuss this with local Labour Councillors, but they didn't believe me.

www.disabilitynewsservice.com/police-force-admits-agreement-to-share-information-about-protesters-with-dwp/

On the free school dinners issue, since most schools in England have fairly standard holidays, I don't see why CHB cannot be increased for those weeks by a corresponding amount to reflect that the responsibility for the midday meal falls back onto the parent for that time.
We seem to be able to programme the system to pay £10 Xmas bonuses to certain tranches of people, and winter fuel allowances to other groups - it must be capable of singling out those receiving FSM and increasing their payments for the 13 weeks a year needed.
Again, not strictly a feminist issue, but women probably bear the brunt.

As I’ve gotten older and seen how the world is meant to be evolving, I’m enraged.

I’m a carer. Three children and two have disabilities that didn’t become apparent until they were older so this isn’t a situation by choice. I can’t put them in any childcare as it would be too much. I had a good career before but now I get carers (£66 a week). I’m stuck as I can’t find work.

I often wonder if women ran the world how our world would look. I’m horrified by the twaw movement, horrified how women are taking on the majority of life work and how little our rights mean.

There's a lot around women and debt that needs exploring.

Women are more likely to be working irregular hours, multiple p/t jobs etc. which gives them unpredictable earnings, month to month. UC is calculated strictly on what arrives in your bank account during your assessment period. For many women the extra they get in lean months is more than cancelled out by the months they earn slightly too high to be entitled to anything.

Childcare has to be paid upfront then claimed back. Records - receipts, contracts etc. have to be meticulous or childcare costs are refused. Women are told to take out advance payments (i.e. debt) to pay their childcare costs. The advance payments are interest free but the repayment schedule is harsh. Especially for women who are struggling with other debts as well - some of which can also be deducted from UC at source, at very high repayment rates, even when there's a court order that sets a much lower rate of repayment.

Childcare and parental leave - while family issues effect women's participation in the workplace.

Education especially for children with SEN - again while a family issue, you are more likely to be a single parent if your child has a disability. I was just reading a BBC article about 4 children with SEN in different parts of the SE who were off school due to lack of their last school's provision for SEN and the thing that stood out is only the mothers were mentioned.

Agree with everything said!

Women in violent relationships are having avenues for leaving blocked off and then if social services get involved told off for staying

floral I hadn't thought of food banks like that re mostly women's labour being used for free by the councils. I'll do my best to be more mindful of it.

truth thank you for the link!

The vast majority of volunteers in all sorts of sectors are women, and often women of a certain age. Governments are increasingly relying on self-funded (ie fundraising charities), such as Floral’s food bank, to do their work, effectively returning us to the 19th century of private welfare.

At the same time, these volunteers are rarely consulted in policy development, generally treated as disposable and their labour is not valued or recognised.

Mind you, the bigger picture here is evidence-based policy, but I think that’s a dream too far.

Universal credit issues -

It puts all the money except for child benefit in one big lump, payable into one account. Special arrangements are needed if you want the money split and paid into two separate accounts and if you arrange this your partner will know you have told a government department that you are experiencing domestic abuse.

The two child rape clause rule also applies to UC.

The new rules around mixed age couples are hitting a lot of women caring for older husbands/partners. @helenadove knows a lot about this.

Thank you for that link truthisarevolutionaryact - I was kind of guessing some of those. Very scary and a lot to think about.

Yes to the benefits issue. It's the summer holidays, and I've seen client numbers at the Foodbank begin to rise - I deal with countless women with kids who find themselves having to provide a meal for each kid that in school time the kid gets for free. I can count on my digits the amount of clients I saw in the past year that were not there because of an issue with some kind of benefit - mostly UC, but often PIP. We ordinarily have a numerical limit on vouchers in a certain period of time - this has gone out of the window during the holiday period because if you suddenly find yourself with three extra hungry mouths every single day, your meagre budget is royally fucked.

And there you go, I'm working in a foodbank, a charitable endeavour staffed mostly by women, that the benefits office treats as an extra arm of local government services, which serves them very well, as no one has to sort out the ridiculously punitive and complicated benefits system because an army of volunteer women, some on pensions, some working part time to feed their own families, are giving up their time to feed, care for and provide sign posting to some extremely vulnerable people. Some of it is very physical work, most of it is hugely emotionally draining. And mostly I think it is being abused - not by clients, but by a systemic reliance on the goodwill of people, often women, to pick up the pieces of devastation the government causes by cruel mismanagement of resources.

Sorry. Tired and irritable.

Hazardtired - such a powerful post

I don't know anything about the situation with meds and no deal - other than to know that it is considered to be an exceptionally dangerous risk. This article highlights some of the specific risks of Brexit for women:

www.independent.co.uk/voices/brexit-vote-theresa-may-no-deal-eu-crash-out-women-sexism-feminism-a8753881.html

The benefits system in general and how the erosion of it disproportionately affects women and kids.

Benefit rates have been frozen for years, the two child limit, the benefit cap which affects almost all families with more than 2 kids, child tax credit/ UC rates cut by £10 a week.

The lack of any child maintenance system with any teeth. There are sanctions that can be used for non payers but they never use them.

As someone who benefitted from a more generous benefits system in my time, I think an awful lot of women get stuck in abusive relationships because they cannot afford to leave, so this is an extremely important feminist issue.

Women's Equality Party released something last year I think but I thought it was nobby. If I am remembering correctly brexit is very bad for women because we should be in board rooms not looking after our elderly relatives because cant recruit and under pay eastern Europeans to care for our loved ones anymore.

Anyone in the know in terms of the no deal brexit and meds situation? It's currently impacting women who take hrt. There's a normal manufacturing shortage which has been compounded by the need to stockpile. The stockpiling btw is only for directly life saving meds so post no deal fuck knows.

Oh and yes, all of the above, sorry I have read them and totally agree, thank you for all those that suggested them.

Thank you for this and I am really looking forward to seeing what comes up. I'm sorry I have no expertise that I can think of that will help.
One thing that came to mind recently - I was wondering how Brexit will specifically affect UK women. I know we don't know how it will affect any of us yet or where it's going but like anything else we just know that if things get tough they will get extra tough for women, so I'm wondering just what we should be watching out for.

YES!

Hi i posted on the lurkers thread and I'm throwing my tired ass in here I'm a full time carer and I would love others to start paying some fucking attention to the topic.

£66 quid a week carers allowance:

(My math is shit and I'm on 4 hrs a night sleep atm so forgive but anyway....)

DP's medication schedule takes aprox 4 hr's a day so thats 28 hrs a week?
He needs all his meals made for him that's say 3 hr's a day...So 21 hrs a week?

So forgetting everything else just those two tasks that's 49 hrs a week for 66 quid - what's that per hr? Then throw in everything else, he can't go out alone, he can't clean or garden, he has numerous appointments, he has something unusual so I'm worryingly the most knowledgable person at half of those appointments.

It stacks up and up and then i need a spa day and a) can't have one because who will have DP and b) i get 66 quid a week so do you think I can fucking afford a spa day

And just to be clear I'm not saying carers are saints or special or magical or anything. But if we as a society disrespect the women who do a wide share of the care what does that say about how society values those who need it?

I am sick to the back teeth of the hand petting attitude that DP is a burden, he is not, his illness has made me a fucking mountain of a woman with a wide skill set and knowledge.

That gain in skills doesn't mean I should be happy as his savings go down the drain (paying for the additional meds he cant get on the nhs and for expenses benefits doesn't cover) and the end result will be poverty for us both.

Anyway! Yeah maybe pay attention to increases of carers allowance in the manifestos

Great thread OP. No idea what's come over fem subject this week but you lot are on fire