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

[meditrina]

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?

Their website seems to suggest that Christianity and marriage are fundamental. Does this mean that the parents they aim to support are married and Christians as well? I know a friend of mine was only helped because she was a member of the church and wondered if that was a basic requirement.

I thought this yesterday too.

Oops - obviously not a woman or a mum!

The Mothers Union, obviously as a Christian organisation, would generally feel that family life is best promoted within a marriage (please lets not make it a discussion on that) but families of all varieties are helped.

I'm not a member myself - I was but in reality in my area it was like the WI but with a slight religious angle. I think the wider organisation is great and I think younger mums tend to access it via Facebook etc and access its campaigns there.

Best person for the complicated job of being a Chief Executive, I guess.

Or do we have similar beliefs about the CE of the Donkey Sanctuary?

And like the donkeys at the donkey sanctuary we are so broken down by maltreatment that we just need a kindly soul to take care of us.

It's sexist to assume that a man could not be the better candidate.

But then you are just trying to make a point aren't you. How dull.

All men are sexist, the world is sexist, God is sexist, the Church is sexist blah, blah blah. At least you have an excuse when you're not successful - it's because everything and everyone is sexist - init?

if it's a christian organisation, surely the surprise would be if a man wasn't the head of it?

And the fact that you can't see that a man might be the best candidate for any organisation and use the lowest form of wit sarcasm just proves how sexist you are.

I don't think you need a mug - you're wearing the sexism with such pride that you won't need the props.

Oh dear. I said in OP that I had no doubts about his ability or suitability.

I agree with ohnoherewego that perhaps the organisation needs a name change (if that can be achieved with an international set of affiliates) to reflect what it does. I think that it does look odd representationally at present because of the name (you do rather expect a mother at the head of the MU, rather as you would expect a miner at the head of NUM, or teacher at NUT).

No. I said that it is possible that the best person who applied for the job just happened to be a man in this instance. You seem to think that it is impossible for this to be true... and that is sexist.

The MU isn't even an exclusively female organisation and it seeks to help families which generally include men, at least at the point of conception.

But anyway, I've said what I wanted. You do the cause of feminism no good at all by being sexist yourself.

Good night.