To think that men SHOULD be encouraged to be on MumsNet

[BrokenLawnmower]

Obligatory: "man here" for anyone who would like to stop reading now 😆

I've been a member of MN (and other parenting forums where the members are, for whatever reason, mostly female) for about 15 years and I like to think that my exposure and involvement in these communities has given me valuable insight into women's issues.

If only in small ways, I truly believe it has made me a different (better?) man. I've had so many of my assumptions challenged and over time I have grown to accept that I am, without a doubt, part of the patriarchy that women are forced to cope with every day.

By and large, I also really like the people here.

Do the women of MN think that the men in their lives would also benefit from this experience?

YABU = They shouldn't be on MN
YANBU = They should be on MN

" men SHOULD be encouraged"

Just the title of this thread makes me feel sick.

Who should encourage them? Women?

Are they children that need to be "encouraged"?

It's not women's responsibility to educate or encourage men to do whatever is that the OP thinks they should.

I want to add the middle finger emoji here, but instead, Im just going to let it go.

Take these as a warning that you are about to read a load of bull.

^

Yup. Bit like 'it's just my opinion but'

Personally I think that it was a well intentioned albeit possibly a clumsy post and if the intention was for all of womanhood to give him a pat on the back then yes, that is certainly not the outcome that he was looking for. In terms of 'are men welcome on here' then, well there's nothing to stop men posting on here but just crack on instead of announcing it and be sensitive to the types of thread that you are engaging in. There are plenty of threads where it's irrelevant whether it's a man or a woman posting and I've seen plenty of threads that say, "male perspective wanted" in certain parts of the site.

I don't think men should be actively encouraged to be on a predominantly female site. I wouldn't want to be on a predominantly male site.

I'm fine with men being here and joining in conversation though of course. There are dickhead posters of both sexes on here. I hate the MRA trolls, but they're usually dozy enough to show themselves for what they are pretty quickly