Oxfam training document blames women for "the root causes of sexual violence"

[ChristinaXYZ]

Original thread was deleted. Reposting according to advice received from MNHQ

The article below from the Telegraph appears to be from an Oxfam training document called Learning About Trans Rights and Inclusion

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2021/06/09/oxfam-training-guide-blames-privileged-white-women-root-causes/

An Oxfam staff training document says “privileged white women” are supporting the root causes of sexual violence by wanting "bad men" imprisoned.

Siablue - totally agree with you about people thinking if you put lots of colour on a power point presentation or whatever it is going to make it more interesting. 9 times out of 10 it just means most people cant read it.

And in this case probably better not to. But on this "expert" in gender studies twitter account she is getting lots of support because of the "torygraph" being mean about her book.

I've started a new thread for anyone who wants to discuss this academic attack on women's rights, as I found a link going back to the original set of publicity for the book last year.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/4267550-Who-are-the-real-casualties-of-the-white-feminist-war-machine

Sorry if already mentioned but Alison Phipps is doing a zoom talk tomorrow on the trouble with mainstream feminism

10am . Be quick, selling out to feminists..oh

talks.ox.ac.uk/talks/series/id/affb3e44-106f-4d5e-bd95-3174a367d944

Tomorrow being today. Friday;
talks.ox.ac.uk/talks/series/id/affb3e44-106f-4d5e-bd95-3174a367d944

The idea that there is a 'mainsteam feminism' is in itself a useful idea to denigrate women you want people not to listen to.

There is no 'mainstream' feminism.

Firstly there are Feminists/ women taking feminist action all over the world. Each area has its own specific culture problems etc and will focus on them. The pushback will take different forms and with different justifications.

So the first assumption is that when anyone data Feminists they mean.. UK? UK and USA? Something like that? Why is it not stated.

Then say it is UK. There is no 'mainstream' feminism. The women who are getting most flack at the moment are second wave types. But large numbers of women have a feminism that says sex work is work etc. Polar opposite. Then there are women from different political stances that nevertheless care about women because they are women themselves. There is also the feminism that says it should be for everyone. There are strands for women with different experiences and characteristics. And so on.

What even is mainstream feminism? I have no idea.

It's handy to say there is one though so that you can ascribe whatever actions to it, and then say how awful they are.

The whole thing is dishonest.

And a lot of people have always disliked/ been suspicious of women who speak out about women's issues. So are more than happy to hear why feminists are awful.

Yes the different viewpoints and failings etc need to be raised and discussed etc. By the women who see the shortfalls.

This is not that. This is creating an idea of something that doesn't exist in order to discredit it.

But even if - as would appear likely - this "training document" has come out of some over keen intern approaching an academic on behalf of a group of activists, someone higher up should have put the brakes on it.

I think it means that, post Haiti, they still don’t have a head office culture that would prevent the same thing happening again. Because of what happened they should be vigilant about dogma that suggests that women generally lie about rape to attack men. Clearly they aren’t.

@CleaningMy

The charity sector needs to be much more scrutinised. There are so many unorthodox, empire building personalities hiding their selfish and unsavoury intentions behind a veil of do-gooding.

The charity sector is extremely well regulated in this country, you are talking out of your arse. This woman and what she has written sounds appalling, but this is nothing to do with charity regulation.

She hates the first wave feminists with a passion, seems to regard second wave feminists as the cause of all black people's woes and opposes almost everything feminism has achieved

If it weren't for feminists, she wouldn't be holding a lecturer position at a university in the first place. Ridiculous

As no one could write the shite you linked to and actually believe it

The problem is that this putrid rhetoric is leaking out of academia and making into the real world i.e. a 'training document' used by an actual organisation that we all support with our taxes

But Oxfam is a true warning that many, many of our "trusted" organisations are now poisoned by the queer politics that drives the TRA narrative

Yes, and you don't have to do major detective work to realise which ones are poisoned. Just walking down the street and a bit of superficial reading will do

We need to look into these things without fear or favour no matter what the kind colour of the male rapist and no matter what a hard life men have had that might lead them to rape women. The law is the law

Exactly. We need to make sure these 'movements' don't end up having so much influence that the law is changed though. So, better donating to local charities or groups you know well or giving to individuals directly

Basically, they are killing two birds with one stone here

They've identified a cohort that embodies every characteristic they want to badmouth and have found a convoluted way to have a go at them

Indeed. The criticism of sensible women with families whether white or black is very unfair and also wrong. Sometimes those women are the backbone of society. This is a social good and although other forms of family are fine (I divorced after nearly 20 years and am single so I know about all kinds of families) having a core structure where people tend to grow up get work marry/live together and have children is good thing, not a bad thing and women who want the law obeyed to protect themselves and their children are not morally wicked people who don't recognise the disadvantaged (whether white or black) but instead the day to day heroes of the country who keep it going, get children to school, keep families together, day in day out obey the law and do what is required.

I smell DARVO here.

Notice how the police, courts and government are referred to as daddy or white knights as if we'd never had women police officers, chief constables, MPs, judges, chief justices etc etc.

And clearly it's only rape if you're not living in a developed, democratic system. Is it OK to report being raped by someone of your own race and social class, I wonder, or are all white feminist women just asking for it?

My reaction to anyone saying mainstream feminism is the problem that it is in fact professional jealously.

Most women who are feminist dont write books, or lecture, or tweet, they get on with being feminist. Being a radical feminist was always about acting out feminism, ie grass roots day to day activities.

So many of those saying mainstream feminism this that or the other, aren't even in fact about anything or anyone particularly feminist. They are usually the media feminists. ie the women that the male media has decided is allowed to have a voice. And this means that those who think they are the ones who should have a voice go off on a tantrum about it, ie saying why aren't you giving me a voice.

As if the main aspiration of any feminist is to be the woman that men promote.

I started a new thread about the Alison Phipps book me not you that seems to be the source of the training material. www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/4267550-Who-are-the-real-casualties-of-the-white-feminist-war-machine

But am also wondering from the link posted above re zoom meeting how come there is a Catherine Phipps as well.

So much of the time we spend as feminists is getting pushed down a cul de sac to respond to something that has nothing to do with anything that is actually happening.

I really wish there was no academic feminism, oh dear, sorry, Gender Studies.

As ever, Prof Rosa Freedman has some constructive comments in a thread that is worth reading:

I wonder whether the Gender Studies professor who wrote the book on which this training is based realises that her work is being used to encourage women not to report rape. I wonder also whether she will clarify if that was one her intended results.

twitter.com/GoonerProf/status/1402996645189480455

Stumbled I agree. In the 1970s as a teenager after reading just about every feminism book going but then looking at some of the debates it was like committees gone mad - people spending hours arguing some pointless issue on the head of a pin rather than a broader picture of ensuring fairness for women. I decided then not to join groups and instead just do what I could for women. There has also always been people of different political persuasions who are feminists too even int he 70s and earlier and the question of whether massive political change/ revolution was an aim or working within the system (I have always been with the latter not the former and you can have a similar division with black politics - either defund police v just making sure BAME people are treated equally within our current capitalist system)

I emailed Oxfam last week off the back of the Telegraph article and here is the bog standard reply i received yesterday:

*All forms of sexual misconduct are abhorrent and an affront to everything we stand for. Oxfam treats all allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse extremely seriously and actively encourages people to report wherever they have a concern. How to report is covered thoroughly in our staff training provision. You can read our policies, procedures and latest progress reports here. You can also read more information about how we keep people safe here.

The voluntary training referred to in the article includes links to externally published optional reading, to learn more about different views and perspectives on this topic. These are not presented as Oxfam’s views.

Oxfam works to tackle discrimination and inequality whether that is on the basis of race, sex, gender identity or sexuality. Our commitment to gender equality includes trans people. We believe everyone has the right to freedom of gender identity and expression and will do everything we can to ensure those rights are respected and upheld within our organisation and through our work.

Oxfam works with partners to support more than a million women and girls around the world, challenging attitudes and behaviour, working to end violence against women, improving livelihoods and women’s participation in decision-making – whether in community groups or at a national level. You can read about our work here.*

That's an arse-covering non-response.

my thoughts exactly

I don’t think it even works as an arse covering response.

What is the relevance of this book to ‘trans rights and inclusion’?

If it was presented as one of a range of views, what other views were presented?

I got a quick response to my email:

Thank you for emailing us and I am sorry to read it is to let us know that you will no longer be continuing your kind support to Oxfam due to the recent article in the Daily Telegraph. I am so sorry to hear we have lost your support. It is very important to me that I address your concerns.
Oxfam treats all allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse extremely seriously and actively encourages people to report wherever they have a concern. How to report is covered thoroughly in our staff training provision. You can read our policies, procedures and latest progress reports here. You can also read more information about how we keep people safe here.
Any suggestion otherwise, is untrue.
The voluntary training referred to in the article includes links to externally published optional reading, to learn more about different views and perspectives on this topic. These are not presented as Oxfam’s views.
Oxfam works to tackle discrimination and inequality whether that is on the basis of race, sex, gender identity or sexuality. Our commitment to gender equality includes trans people. We believe everyone has the right to freedom of gender identity and expression and will do everything we can to ensure those rights are respected and upheld within our organisation and through our work.
Oxfam works with partners to support more than a million women and girls around the world, challenging attitudes and behaviour, working to end violence against women, improving livelihoods and women’s participation in decision-making – whether in community groups or at a national level. You can read about our work here.
If you have any further questions or concerns, please let me know as we're really keen to hear from our supporters.

Oops X post sorry

also this bit:
The voluntary training referred to in the article includes links to externally published optional reading, to learn more about different views and perspectives on this topic.
why do you need to read these extreme views & perspectives on this topic? its like a childrens charity pointing their staff to documents giving views & perspectives on the excuses child abusers give for their actions. it is not relevant or needed

“We believe everyone has the right to freedom of gender identity and expression and will do everything we can to ensure those rights are respected and upheld within our organisation and through our work.”

I’m still not understanding the relevance of a book suggesting that white women weaponise the reporting of rape.