...to think that if Comic Relief are going to do a "Woman Wednesday" blog about "inspirational female figures", it should have an inspirational female figure in it?

[ArcheryAnnie]

Comic Relief are doing a new weekly blog, about inspirational women.

"Women Wednesday’s is our new weekly column for Gender Justice month here at Comic Relief, where we will be giving the spotlight to one inspirational female figure per week. We focus on women who have created change and spearheaded movements for other women, and stood up against discrimination against gender and sexuality."

Fantastic, right? They've got links to all kinds of amazing women, working in very challenging conditions across the world, who are helping to create a better world for everyone, not just themselves. What a brilliant blog theme! What brilliant, inspirational woman are we all going to learn about today, I wonder?

Well. Here's who they picked as their "inspirational female figure": www.comicrelief.com/news/women-wednesdays-heres-why-lili-elbe-our-inspirational-figure-week

Women deserve better, Comic Relief. You've really screwed up on this one.

Um, no she didn't. She wasn't a woman, she was a transwomen. If she had just been a bog standard boring woman no one would have ever heard of her would they?

Or even an incredibly inspiring, determined woman bravely defying gender stereotypes at every turn, judging by this thread.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/3424247-inspirational-women?msgid=82594944#82594944

Largely the women on that thread aren't famous, most people haven't heard of half of them.

And this is why. Men taking credit meant for women.

And in this case, men taking credit for the credit meant for women. You couldn't make it up.

It’s remarkable isn’t it? Talk of the defunding of women’s rights organisations across the world, including Africa and then choosing a well-off Danish bloke as their first example. What about the endemic rape in the DRC? If they were going to pick a man, Denis Mukwege would have been a better choice.

But yes they are inspiring to many

So what? Who cares if men or men who identify as women, are inspirational to many? It’s supposed to be about WOMEN, the actual cunt owning kind. Are women not permitted to be represented by their own sex, any more?

Also just because it's Woman Wednesday, I don't think the person has to only be inspiring to women. I think they choose a woman who inspires anyone, not just women.

So women’s Wednesday can be about men who inspire men? What does that have to do with women? Why call it womens Wednesday if it’s not for or about women?

Why not have an inspirational men day and pop Lili on there? Widen the thinking perhaps.

Gets my vote. I wonder why that wouldn't happen? I wonder why men don't find other men inspirational when they're doing something 'incredible and brave'.

Perfectly1mperfect - But she 'identified' as a woman. I understand that you may not see her as a woman though.

I see her as a transwoman, which is a perfectly fine and valid thing to be. Although, saying that, I gather she led a pretty unhappy life and died as a result of a quack doctor using her as a test subject in an experiment that was bound to fail, so I don't think poor Lili works as an inspirational figure for transwomen either.

So women’s Wednesday can be about men who inspire men? What does that have to do with women? Why call it womens Wednesday if it’s not for or about women?

I don't know if you actually don't understand what I said or if you are being deliberately obtuse but I will explain again what I mean.

The woman part of woman's Wednesday applies to the person they chose to highlight. She was a woman, in my opinion, as she identified as one. She may inspire men or women.

Oh god this is utterly depressing, I hope that this does not set the tone for the rest of their "women of the week". The menz are definitely taking over. Instead of picking inspirational women such as: Florence Nightingale, Emiline Pankhurst, Mother Theresa etc, they pick a bloke.

May as well call it, man of the week! I think we should vote for our feet and not give to CIN and give to other children's charities that support children, it is a disgrace.

If they had a 'man of the week', would a transman feature on it, I don't think so!

Ooops sorry Comic Relief not Children in Need, my mistake.

She was a woman, in my opinion, as she identified as one.

Rachel Dolezal and Anthony Lennon identify as black - in your opinion does that make them black?

Why not have an inspirational men day and pop Lili on there? Widen the thinking perhaps.

Because she lived as a woman.

But if they did have an inspirational men day, they could absolutely put on a 'transman', in my opinion.

Some local newspapers still have "Bonny Baby" competitions, with pages of photos of babies and toddlers.

Would the pp who think it's just fine for men to be included in "Women's Wednesday" be equally happy for adults in nappies to be included as "Bonny Babies"?

Serious question, btw, because there are people, mostly men, who do identify, at least some of the time, as babies.

If she had just been a bog standard boring woman no one would have ever heard of her would they?

There aren't even accurate statistics for the number of UK women who died in childbirth in 1931, the same year Lili Elbe had her fatal surgery. It's upwards of 2700 deaths, taken from a record of live births, but presumably this doesn't include women who died during miscarriages, stillbirths and illegal abortions. It doesn't include life-changing birth injuries which may have later killed women.

In 1931, the maternal mortality rate was largely unchanged since the late 1800s. It was not declining alongside the overall national death rate. The medical profession was either uninterested (particularly in the case of working class women) or apt to perform disastrous, clumsy interventions which actually harmed women further. In addition to dying from childbirth complications, so many women died from infection that was caused by inept healthcare.

Women had no access to effective contraception, limited access to authoritative information about alternative contraception, and no legal right to refuse consent to their husbands. Abortion would be illegal for another 36 years.

The fact that the medical profession was trying to attempt a female-to-male uterus transplant before they'd even understood how to stop entirely preventable deaths for people born with a uterus, or allow women reproductive autonomy, is not something that we should see as inspirational. I feel sorry for anyone whose dysphoria is so intense that they would attempt this fatal elective surgery, but it has nothing to do with women's rights or health or aspirations in the past or present.

Perfectly1mperfec Or Chloe Jennings-White identifies as disabled. Stefonknee identifies as a 6 year old girl - do you accept them as such?

@Perfectly1mperfect
Head over to the other thread and read about really inspirational women of all races and backgrounds.
I don’t think being a rich white self-indulgent person is particularly inspirational to anyone.

Rachel Dolezal and Anthony Lennon identify as black - in your opinion does that make them black?

Although I have seen this used an an argument here before, I don't know anything about their cases to comment. I will have read about it though.

I do know a 'trans woman' though in real life and my opinions are based on my experience of this.

Because she lived as a woman.

What’s living ‘as a woman’?

Also not sure about the inspiration of Lili's story, although can see the argument for courage to be out at that time in history. If that had gone up on 'Transwomen Tuesday' where a transwoman is celebrated, I'd have been interested in her story.

If they'd wanted an LGBT+ figure for woman Wednesdays (hate that phrase) then Radcliffe Hall was equally bravely out and living a very gender non conforming life at much the same time period, while writing books that many lesbians for generations have found comfort in. And was female.

This is about CR making an over gesture of nailing a political position to the mast that TWAW, and so they choose to centre male born people in specifically women related matters. And we all know there is a whole can of worms inside that stance, many of which are highly anti woman. Fine, I appreciate knowing where they stand. (Maybe they want to come out on where they stand with Brexit too.) I don't agree, and I'm a bit concerned considering the desperate need of recognising the role of biology in female oppression in the population of children CR support.

Comic Relief have picked someone they consider to be a woman

So why not state that in the first place.

Why not make it clear

“People we Condider to be Women Wednesday”

The woman part of woman's Wednesday applies to the person they chose to highlight. She was a woman, in my opinion, as she identified as one. She may inspire men or women.

By that logic if the next five women were transwomen, you wouldn't see anything wrong with that?

Well said @LuYu

Perfectly1mperfect If you have Netflix there is a documentary about Rachel Dolezal on there.

The woman part of woman's Wednesday applies to the person they chose to highlight. She was a woman, in my opinion, as she identified as one. She may inspire men or women.

Feeling like a woman isn’t being a woman. This was a man. You cannot actually believe the this person changed their sex, can you? “May” inspire men or women? So that’s the criteria then? Someone may inspire someone so that’s enough to put them up as the first ever women’s Wednesday (who is womens Wednesday for again?) inspirational female subject?

By that logic if the next five women were transwomen, you wouldn't see anything wrong with that?

I think it always good to have a broad range of examples for things like this, so although there wouldn't be anything 'wrong' with it I think we need people who are inspirational for a variety of reasons.