...to feel depressed that only 7% of UK identify as Feminist?

[DioneTheDiabolist]

www.fawcettsociety.org.uk/2016/01/we-are-a-nation-of-hidden-feminists/

7% of the population and just 9% of women in this country identify as feminist. I'm not saying that everyone should call themselves feminist, I care more about what people do, rather than the label they assign themselves. But I am that the number is so low.

Given that most people believe in sexual equality, why do so many people not feel comfortable to call themselves feminist? And what (if anything) can we do about it?

And i am sorry about your son badknee

I adore my boys

Its my beautiful girl i struggle with....although everyone says she is like me so that might explain it

I will trip over my tits if i burn my bra beyond

Its quite difficult to know what to say here!

On most threads, certainly in AIBU or chat, I would just happily steam on in and reply, argue and discuss as we all do.

But it feels like I had better not do that re. feminism because that will look like 'I'm in a frenzy' or I'm being 'preachy' or 'having a slanging match'!

I do wonder about this idea that it is the feminists on Mumsnet who put people off feminism altogether though. It does seem like a way of sticking it to certain people. I don't know who they are, but...Surely, if you believe in something, you're not that easily swayed?

I thought there must be Brexitters on here who still voted leave despite thinking Farage is an arse! There must be Labour voters who voted Labour despite thinking Miliband was an idiot about his kitchens or his sandwiches.

Maybe for some people 'personalities' ARE more important than beliefs. Its interesting.

Yes I meant to say that too. I hope he hasn't had any lasting effects
As I have either said here or on one of the other threads at the moment, I have two sons. I am a feminist (and am raising them as such) because I think it is the best for them. Raising sons to believe in equality (whether you want to call that feminist or not) is imo the only way to address toxic masculinity.

Re the raising sons as a feminist i think i am on track with ds2 but seem to have ballsed up with ds1

I am fairly positive that he is equal rights for women

But he doesnt appreciate the suffregettes and comes out with weird stuff that his friends say about rape or sex

Only once mind and he seems open to new information

Its just when i talk to him about sex stuff he says it feels like i am yelling at him

Maybe i havent ballsed up

And maybe the word ballsed shouldnt have been used

I hope DS is being raised to treat girls as equals, not to talk down to them and to recognise they are ;just as good' as he is.

I hope schools take on board much of the research about why there are differences in attainment and attitudes towards subjects between boys and girls - and what they can do to address them.

I hope businesses identify barriers within their work place, the culture, work life balance issues etc that make work life more difficult for certain groups.

I hope Government addresses the issues such as maintenance not being paid, in work poverty, child care costs and encouraging more men to be part time workers and looking after children so it's not seen as a negative thing to do.

I think for me it's about equality of opportunity and identifying and dismantling barriers and attitudes that reduce that equality.

I think the thing is with the MN feminists putting people off feminism is you look on TV or the Internet and you see the outrageous feminists as like I said I saw one that wanted to have about only 10% of the earth populated by men and to essentially treat them as slaves, or you have I believe her name is Jess Phillips who is a feminist who bemoans international men's day and the time it wanted allocated in parliament to discuss battling issues faced by men predominantly which seems harsh ( and I know people have arguments against IMD but I'm not here to dispute that) they look around see sons, brothers, SO's that deal with these issues who they love and are put off by feminism because they don't agree with that feminism, then come onto MN a predominantly female site and come across people that are "militant" or in their opinion finding offence or creating a big deal about something small and they don't agree with so it's easy to say that MN has made them reconsider feminism and it's not for them.

For some reason one overarching message I get on MN is that it's the only place a lot of users feel is welcoming and which I don't understand as you don't have to self identify and people don't generally care, like Reddit is not one homogeneous group and has a lot of good uses but some post it as woman hating scum, but my point is if others are getting the message that MN is the only place for women and it's got a lot of feminists and posters don't agree with their viewpoints it's not that their whole belief system was based on MN it's that MN gives them a large piece of the puzzle because of its size their should be a large number of different types of feminist that reinforces other things that they see due to its female user base. How many feminists can you encounter that say "if you believe in equality then your a feminist" but then disagree with a lot of what they say

I'm amazed that you have an issue with Jess Phillips.

Maybe women should just shut up and put up, maybe after a while it'll be possible to reclaim the term "feminist" as a positive and not an insult.

This one is another favourite

Feminist: We have done well getting the law changed with FGM

MRA: B... b...b... but what about teh menz?

Feminist: Stop expecting feminists to do your work for you. If you hate MGM do your own work

MRA: Oh.... ok

One year later

MRA: Wow, while not illegal we have certainly raised awareness of MGM. Good work boys

Feminist: MRA's are sooo whiny. Stop crying about circumcision

MRA: But you said...

Feminist: Lalala can't hear you

Jess Phillips who is a feminist who bemoans international men's day and the time it wanted allocated in parliament to discuss battling issues faced by men predominantly which seems harsh

Jess Phillips - well, if you have an issue with Jess Phillips, I suggest that says a lot more about you. She is a great and passionate MP.

Do you have an issue with Phillip Davies? The MP who spoke for 78 minutes last week opposing a bill on DV?

Oh - and Jess Phillips said this:

Jess Phillips

I thank the hon. Gentleman for his graciousness—genuinely. When he started speaking, he said that a Member saying that they do not support this Bill does not mean that they support violence against women. He is absolutely right to say that it is not a zero-sum game, but does he agree that wanting a Bill that supports women does not mean that we do not want one that supports men? There is no use of the word “only” in this Bill. If he wishes to bring in a Bill about violence against men, I will gladly co-sponsor it with him.

Philip Davies

I am very grateful to the hon. Lady. Perhaps then we can go back to the drawing board and make it clear that we want to introduce a Bill that targets men and women alike. If we do that, I would be delighted that both of us would be able to support it.

hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2016-12-16/debates/F7A014D2-125B-4D18-A2EC-D92E64276CA4/PreventingAndCombatingViolenceAgainstWomenAndDomesticViolence(RatificationOfConvention)Bill

Dont you dare its

I am finding this really upsetting

Its a joky term i use....a gentle word

I havent ever been smug or rude

And i havent put anyone down

And beyond and i were having a little joky conversation and i took the mick out of my own spelling and then someone says i am taking the mick out of them

Check everyone of my posts on any thread and show me where i have been smug or put someone down

There is no need for anyone to reply to this as i am done with this thread

Rufus - then you're missing the point.

Many people are told on here (it's happened to me at least 3 times), that if they disagree with a woman, they are wrong as women ought to stick together against men even when said women are completely out of order

Rufus. You seem to be acting like a giggly schoolgirl. Probably why people are put off feminism

Probably why people are put off feminism

If you are put off something because of the way you think one person is acting, what does that say about you?

I thought it was because they were too strident or militant?

I think this thread is going nowhere - it seems to have become a strange venting ground. I'm sorry that some of you have had bad experiences with feminists.

I must be the worst woman ever amispartacus

Do you think someone could put together a list of the attributes we posters have that are putting people off? Not feminism as a whole, or "some feminists", specifically mn feminists.

I'm sure miss's list will include our apathy for the Middle East...

Because you do not care about women in the middle east. You are ok in the west with all your rights protecting you. Over there they tend to get stoned, shot, raped etc

The list:

Don't be facetious, Beyond that's to you!

Don't post 'this thread is going nowhere', That's to me.
(Perhaps post more like It'sMine?)

Don't be giggly, Rufus that's you.

Don't argue, that's too frenzied/slanging match. (Only feminists, everyone else that's fine)

Missswatch ~That sounds like Reddit.
Its not the whole world, its just Reddit.

MRA's spend a lot of time trolling, then they shouldn't be surprised theres a backlash of intolerance for them.

Missswatch
Because you do not care about women in the middle east.

Why do you keep making that kind of statement? How do you expect random women to fix the Middle East?
Why cant men stand up for women in the middle east?

Because you do not care about women in the middle east

So - what do you think UK feminists can do about the very real issues affecting women in the Middle East (and the rest of the world)