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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To wonder why the head of the Mothers' Union is a man?

40 replies

meditrina · 04/06/2011 23:07

I've just seen him on the news. Reg Bailey. I've no reason to think he's doing anything other than an excellent job and that he was the right person for the jib.

But, in representational terms, it seems really, really odd. What do you think?

OP posts:
ResurrectionByChocolate · 04/06/2011 23:07

Yep I thought it was odd too.

celadon · 04/06/2011 23:14

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

TheOriginalFAB · 04/06/2011 23:15

I heard him mentioned on the radio this morning and was surprised too.

Yekke · 04/06/2011 23:16

It is odd but I'd rather the best person for the job in any circumstances than a token post-holder chosen on political grounds.

DontCallMePeanut · 04/06/2011 23:16

It's because us women need a man to speak up for us... Grin

AyeRobot · 04/06/2011 23:21

I think that this is a clear sign that we are all equal now and all dungarees should be handed in. And yes, there was obviously not one woman in the whole of the land who was more qualified than him for the job of head of the Mothers Union.

I don't quite get why there's a Mothers Union, tbh. I am guessing it is a religion based organisation. I like their support of the Let Girls Be Girls type campaign, however I do think that there are other issues that would help Mothers that I would like to see them get their teeth into. Like the fact that 3/5 of NRPs paying bog all child support. Or that many mothers have no access to quality and affordable childcare. Or that domestic abuse against the mother by a violent father is often treated as irrelevant in relation to child access.

celadon · 04/06/2011 23:27

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

NoseyNooNoo · 04/06/2011 23:29

Mothers' Union is an international Christian charity that seeks to support families (not mothers specifically) worldwide. It aims to bring about a world where God's love is shown through loving, respectful and flourishing relationships.

You don't have to be a woman or even a man to be a member.

One of their current campaigns is Bye Buy Childhood which seeks to end the commercialisation of childhood.

SmethwickBelle · 04/06/2011 23:30

I wondered that too. Also I hadn't realised there was a union and please can we strike because DS2 dicks around at 10pm when he should be asleep?

celadon · 04/06/2011 23:30

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Noellefielding · 04/06/2011 23:40

yes I think I need a clever lovely man to speak about things on my behalf, recipes, teapots, home hints, shopping, orange sticks, sanitary towells, the war etc. Lovely big strong tall Handsome Young Man, young man!

SmethwickBelle · 04/06/2011 23:45

AyeRobot Grin

... there was obviously not one woman in the whole of the land who was more qualified than him for the job of head of the Mothers Union".

MumblingRagDoll · 04/06/2011 23:47

I was VERY peeved to find I could not jon the MU as I am not baptised.

trixymalixy · 04/06/2011 23:49

We were wondering this too!!

AyeRobot · 04/06/2011 23:51
Grin

So not the Mothers Union at all then, Mumbling. I bet they wouldn't have got the gig if they were more honest and called themselves the Christian Mothers Union.

So there wasn't a Christian woman in the land who was more qualified? What says you, Christian women of Mumsnet?

SmethwickBelle · 05/06/2011 00:03

I'm not baptised either, can we start a Heathen Mothers Collective?

SmethwickBelle · 05/06/2011 00:04

If it will make everyone feel more comfortable we can find a heathen bloke to be the chief executive

NoseyNooNoo · 05/06/2011 00:06

Yeah right, I'm sure the Mothers Union decided to choose a man for the sake of it. Is it not possible that the best person who wanted the job of Chief Executive was in fact a man?

AyeRobot · 05/06/2011 00:15

I wasn't saying that they chose a man for the sake of it. It's more complex than that.

LolaRennt · 05/06/2011 01:32

You don't have to be a woman or even a man to be a member.

wait a second. are you absolutely sure of that??

SloganLogan · 05/06/2011 08:42

YANBU

ohnoherewego · 05/06/2011 08:49

It's not odd . Mothers' Union is a name which does not reflect the modern organisation. Men and women whether parents or not can join. It's not sexist to have a male Chief exec in the same way it wouldn't be sexist to have a woman in the job.They do fantastic work supporting families eg supporting prisoners and their families. I think however that it may be time for a name change because of the negative reactions.

atmywitssend · 05/06/2011 10:22

Maybe they just selected the best candidate for the job? They can't positively discriminate in favour of women just because the organisation has "Mother" in its title.

carabos · 05/06/2011 11:43

Totally agree that it is very wierd, and in representational terms actually a bit distracting, because you find yourself not listening to what he is saying because you're busy wondering why the head of the Mothers' Union is a man - in fact when they announced him, before he started speaking I actually wondered if "Reg" was a shortened version of a girl's name because it didn't cross my mind that it wouldn't be a woman...

QuickLookBusy · 05/06/2011 11:49

When I heard the name Reg Baily on the radio, for a second I thought "It can't be a Reginald it has to be a Regina"