In wanting Mumsnet to help Judi Dench and Joanna Lumley

[GiantBranch]

Last week, Israel banned 37 international aid organisations from operating in the strip, including Oxfam, Save the Children and Medicine Sans Frontieres (MSF). MSF delivers one in three of Gaza’s babies, and experts warn that immediate action must be taken to prevent a catastrophe.

It has prompted more than 100 leading members of the arts, including Dames Judi Dench, Imelda Staunton, Joanna Lumley, Sienna Miller, Suranne Jones and singer Paloma Faith, to sign a letter urging popular online platform Mumsnet to join them in demanding urgent government action ensuring maternity care is accessible in Gaza.

www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/gaza-israel-baby-birth-judi-dench-letter-b2896981.html

I'm sure that they are also writing to the PM, many people have but that hasn't got very far either has it?

Influence can potentially be gained with a real groundswell of public momentum from broader significant groups internationally. As a site primarily aimed at mums of course it is natural that Mumsnet should be asked to stand up and add their voice calling for protection of women and babies who are now likely to be at significant risk of harm and death.

Why are people so desperate that they don't?

Can you point me in the direction of their letter to the PM? Did they get that printed in the press

Why sure I have access to all their correspondence of course, let me just get that for you.

Justine is the CEO of a UK business that provides a forum for discussions that is famous for arranging for those users to ask politicians questions or presents the wishes of users as campaigns/manifestos. Justine just represents us and there isn't a unified majority of users (yet) asking to support this campaign. Shame on Juliet Stevenson for trying to shame Justine in public.
Why isn't Arts Professionals also putting pressure on other UK businesses or other web forums linked to maternity/ childcare to also speak out?

I wish I had the faith of people that believe that Starmer gives a shit what women think and want.

I’m sure their letter to the PM was private, because you know these things always are

My point is they got this letter printed in the press

Why isn't there a majority of women on Mumsnet who want women and babies in warzone situations to access safe ways of giving birth to protect their health and save lives, out of interest?

Their letters are on their website and there isn’t one to the PM about Gaza. If there was they’d publish it publicly

Unlike their letter to Justine...

(I realise that was probably your point @WarmYourBumUp )

Well then can him out. He's far more likely than Justine to have a voice in international diplomacy

How bizarre

I imagine the majority of MN do want this. The point is wanting it doesn’t mean we have a responsibility to tell celebrity luvvies we want it. And quite honestly if ambers just wan to use MN to talk about baby names and their ILs, that’s fine too.
It’s the lazy way celebrities think “Mothers - I’m sure we can push this problem on to them to do something about”

I don't know whether there is or not, ask Mumsnet to survey it's users?

Thank you for acknowledging that women need protecting in all war zones.

But Judi Dench wants to add to our mental load - hurrah, lucky us!

It's not lazy, it's potentially very effective.

I mean Feminism and Women's Rights like to crow about their significance and the influence they have held over issues like the Supreme Court judgment on the definition of a woman.

Are you saying that they are massively influential there and then suddenly completely powerless about this issue?

Bizarre indeed..

Yes.

Because that happened in the UK, not a country in the Middle East who’s leader gives absolutely no shits and does what he wants anyway.

Gaza has unprecedented amounts of support - hundreds of A-List celebrities, enormous marches every weekend in London and major cities, domination of the front pages and on news sites. Endless leaders trying to impose sanctions, trying to influence Netenyahu. And it’s largely been pointless. So no, MN does not have power on everything.

Not to mention, the Supreme Court judgement happened largely because of JK Rowling and For Women Scotland, and it was a simple clarification of what the non-insane of the globe knew all along. MN provided a rare safe space to discuss TIM issues. Just like it provided a safe space to talk about Gaza - there’s a whole board dedicated to it.

But no we don’t have any influence over Israel or Hamas or Egypt I’m afraid

Yeah it seems clear; Mumsnet Feminism and Women's Rights are very uninterested, suddenly uniquely powerless and dismissive of their (previously apparently massive) political influence, to the extent they have to thoroughly try to undermine and mock anyone who tries to make progress in this area. I see.

But it's only a little thing I guess? It's only a question of life and death for women and babies in war zones. It's not something important is it?.. Like the horror of finding a transwomen in a toilet cubicle next to you.

Um pardon me but you are aware I am not “Mumsnet Feminism and Women’s Rights” and do not represent the members of that board?

My point still stands. We have no power in the ME. And we don’t have to campaign about everything or care about everything. The SC ruling followed a decade of labouring, campaigning, raising awareness and being doxxed and criticised - women didn’t build momentum in a day and most certainly didn’t do it all from that board.

What a lovely way to dismiss the concern of women who have men in their spaces though. NOBODY sees a man in a space made for women and thinks “Hey could be worse I could be in Gaza”

These constant attempts to tell women “STFU and toe the line” won’t work here I’m afraid. We have been bullied by nastier and smarter people than you over the issue, and you weird tactics won’t help the women of Gaza

I'm a bit confused. Are they asking Mumsnetters to help or Justine?
If the former why not just post the campaign on the site and if the latter what are they expecting her to do?

I'm mostly with @ForMyNextTrickIWillMakeThisVodkaDisappear

This. Why be so shitty?

I'm inclined to agree. What can we actually do that will have any influence on the ME?

That said, I'm not sure it matters for some. There are defo people who are more concerned with projecting their eternal virtue than actually doing anything tangible to help.

Also, don't really blame mumsnet if they don't want to take sides.

Do you bloody hate mothers and babies in Gaza, too? Which is the point.

As someone who works for an organisation that often writes open letters to (largely) politicians, I have to say the call to action is very unclear. Lots of mawkish statements about how Christmas is lovely, how all women will want to help and doesnt Justine feel sad for the children of Gaza. Very oddly written

I don’t think campaigning for the safety and proper care of pregnant women is taking sides I think it is an issue above politics and religion. I mean it is very basic humanity