AIBU to think women should collectively down tools to demand change?

[ZoeHS]

Reflecting on current news such as the Epstein files and wars which are started by men in which women (and children) are adversely affected. We live in a time where women’s rights are being eroded even more and misogyny is increasing. It feels like being a female means we’re in constant danger despite being the reason for the human race existing. We’re exploited in so many ways. I know it isn’t just men who are the perpetrators, but the vast majority of those doing the exploiting are men.

Do those of us who can strike and down tools collectively?

By downing tools I mean not working, not having sex, not looking after children (or perhaps we take the children with us), not producing, not buying anything. We just sit down and say no. I know on one level that it’s bonkers but I also feel like we need a real disruptive movement to challenge the status quo.

It's not shit for women in general at all. Women are in stronger position now than ever. The fact that some men (and also women - are you forgetting about Ghislane Maxwell?!) will exploit people who are vulnerable and an easy target has been the case throughout history and most likely will continue to happen to a greater or lesser degree.

But women's rights have nothing to do with it.

What you mean is that women in the west are in a stronger position. Do you think women in Afghanistan or Iran are in a stronger position? What about in the US where woman now have greatly reduced access to abortion? Even in the UK women now do not have access to genuine single sex spaces in lots of instances, and we are actually having to fight against the erasure of the word woman.

Well absolutely but the OP says

I’m definitely stomping my feet because I think it’s really shit for women in general.

It feels like being a female means we’re in constant danger despite being the reason for the human race existing.

And then goes on to say that us (women in the west) need to "down tools" when actually, it isn't shit for most women in the west at all. It's better than ever. So us refusing to have sex, not have kids, stop working etc isn't in "solidarity" with the women in Afghanistan or Iran at all. It's actually an insult as they would give anything to have the rights that we have.

As another poster says, it screams of the "campaigns" you see on Facebook / social media which are usually just an insult to the people they are claiming they are supporting.

How is it better than ever? Look at these boards -the number of women posting about being in awful co ercive relationships is sad.

Do you think not sleeping with your husband is going to do anything for that?

Did you protest against women’s restricted access to abortion in NI?

At the end of the day it’s the responsibility of the citizens of any given country to enact the change they want in their own state.

Female medicine is still bordering on medieval. Taking cervical biopsies with no anaesthetic as standard and acting like it’s strange to not want to be able to feel your reproductive organs being scraped and reluctantly referring for it to be done under general. You can bet if men had dick biopsies as standard it’d be generals all round.

According to the ONS there are 35 million women in the UK. Even if 20 women posted in one day about being in a coercive / DV relationship, it is the tiniest proportion of the female population.

Do you seriously think women are treated worse now than they used to be? Purely because a very small number of women post about their problems on a public forum?

Don't get me wrong, I am so glad for sites like MN where people CAN come and get help and advice and generally just air their problems / concerns / thoughts. But it's certainly not an accurate representation of anything. Much like when a survey publishes their poll results and it says 67% of people prefer Emmerdale to Coronation St (out of 100 people surveyed).

I know for a fact that my great grandma used to be beaten regularly by her husband (in front of her children) and back then (1920s - 30s) it was seen as the norm. There was no no Women's Aid, no refuge shelters, no police involvement, no charities to help... Nothing.

No I don’t think that not sleeping with a husband is going to change that. That’s why I didn’t say it.

And yes I did actively campaign and I volunteer for an organisation that supports women who are going through all kinds of hell. How about you?

My mum was beaten by her husband in the 80s -Legislation didn't protect women then either. That's entirely my point -progress has been painfully slow

I do think things are worse for women there are 45 million women in Iran and 21 million in Afghanistan. Do you genuinely believe that things are better for those women?

One woman a week on average in England and Wales is killed by a partner or ex partner. Shelters are full all over the UK. Not just in England and Wales. There aren't enough services to help women who are being abused -thats the main problem

It was a specific question, did you campaign for abortion access in the UK? In what way?
Or is it only when it’s the US it’s a valid topic?

Abortion was unavailable in the uk in its entirety until 2020, and yet even then the conversation was always the US, Roe vs Wade and actually women in Britain rarely made issues closer to home a topic.

Well yes I kind of agree with you. But my point is that there are far more options and outlets available to women in the UK now in 2026 than there ever has been.

That's all.

Not a new idea. Haven't read full thread so apologies if someone else has mentioned the Aristophanes play Lysistrata which is about women going on strike, particularly on the sexual front, in a bid to end the Peloponnese war.

Yes I did campaign. I also have first hand experience. I am Irish and when I was a young woman I came to England for an abortion. As I said, as well as campaigning, I volunteer for an organisation who supported women during that time.

What did you do?

I agree with the strikes in Iran, they destabilise vast swatches of the middle east…. It’s almost like women have different opinions on things. Also women can be fundamentalists, bigoted and all round fucking awful too.

With you on the sex offenders, we seem to have so many, I’d like to build an island in the middle of nowhere and just drop offenders off and leave them there.

There aren't enough services to help vulnerable people full stop.

Targeted feminist collective action on all the issues the OP is concerned about, and many more besides, already exists. Feminism has a brilliant history of collective action that's actually worked. OP, most campaign groups and charities are always in need of support - why don't you research a few and join something that already exists, rather than throwing around weird thought experiments that wouldn't work because they're a) unfocused and b) batshit.

(PS anti-war movements tend to involve men as well.)

Where have I said that? In my previous post I specifically said "in the west".

My point being that we are in a massively fortunate position as women in the UK / Western world. And "downing tools" in solidarity with women in Iran and Afghanistan (who would give anything to be as free as we are) is pretty insulting.

I know. I worked for charities most of my life -homeless ones -we turned away lots of people as we had no space

A more polite and eloquent version of what I was about to say!

I have a lot of admiration for our local women who do so much in the community and put themselves up as candidates in local elections. And obviously, those woman who do go on to become MP's.

Those are the women I admire and would encourage the women in my life to look up to. The Scout and Brownie leaders and helpers, the litter pickers, the local volunteers, the youth club leaders, the amazing female teachers (the ones who are far more than teachers but women that inspire us for the rest of our lives), the sports coaches etc..

Down tools? No way! Continue to get involved and speak up, yes.

I don’t think it’s ridiculous OP. I think we need to do something, what you are suggesting probably isn’t it but I certainly would be on board with a huge movement / protest of some type. I just can’t think of what. I need someone smarter than me to do that.

I said women who can because I completely recognise that many women who say no to their male partners or men in wider society face grave consequences.

That’s my whole point really: so many women aren’t free.

I also didn’t say women just up and leave permanently, I did say a protest.

But that’s also the point: would society crumble if women stopped working for a day or more? Many posters have said but ‘who would look after the children?’ I believe society would crumble yet women are second class citizens in this world (and that intersects with race, sexuality and class). I believe the way we are treated on a whole does not reflect our value.

I agree it starts with small change but my belief is that we need something more radical.

As for my privilege, I know my privilege. I work in an area that is probably 90% women and if those women didn’t show up to work vulnerable children would be at risk. I’ve worked with children and women who have disclosed DA, abuse and exploitation. If you’ve never been adjacent to any of this in your working or personal life, you have no idea of what life is like for many women in this country let alone those with even less rights for women.

I’ve done a lot of that throughout my life actually! I’m sure you have too.