What would benefit women most?

[Annalouisa]

There have been some interesting feminist campaigns recently - from #metoo to everyone's invited and Reclaim the Streets following Sarah Everard's murder. All three campaigns had some initial impact and enjoyed five minutes in the public eye. It got me thinking: what grassroots campaign could be organised that would actually make this a better place for women, or make women better equipped to 'live strong'. I had some initial ideas, but would be keen to have other people's perspectives, please:

a) self-defence bootcamps for women
b) a women's university (there are two women-only colleges in the UK, but there are Oxbridge ones, so not accessible to most, and no women's colleges at all in Europe)
c) a coaching, mentoring or MBA type programme specifically targeted at female middle managers, to get them to want to step up to senior positions so they can then have a bigger say in corporate settings and provide role models for the next generation of women
d) work placement scheme/careers talks targeting 14-16 year old girls to encourage them to consider all the various career options available to them, and provide a first placement in that career, so they get a taste and can use that experience in UCAS applications, apprenticeship applications etc.
e) financial planning workshops for women, covering all those things that are specific to women: best financial savings/investments products to save up money for maternity leave(s) or saving up for IVF, the need to have some sort of job even if it's at minimum wage to keep up national insurance, the basics around mortgages, working freelance/contracting, setting up your own business and so on... I'm stunned by the number of women on MN but also IRL who make themselves utterly financially dependent on men, usually after having a child without being married, with no financial safety net or Plan B.
f) something totally different - whatever that may be.

By the way, I know some people say cheaper childcare would make a huge different to women's ability to 'lean in' but if you think about, childcare is already provided by poorly paid women, not sure how paying them less than minimum wage would advance the feminist cause, unless of course the government started paying (more) for childcare directly to the nursery nurses/childminders, increasing their wages while parents paid less or nothing. But that seems rather utopian.

So which of the above would make the biggest difference to "advance the political, economic, personal, and social equality of the sexes", in your view?

[Sillydoggy]

Think long term and tackle misogyny, sexual harassment and sexism in schools. Teach girls to value and respect themselves and each other while you are teaching boys the rest.

Fix the boys and you fix the adult men who make or break the system for women of the future.

No program has any value unless you define women and girls by their biology.

[Annalouisa]

@CorrBlimeyGG

Imagine being more bothered by trans people having equal rights, than being concerned about the impact that cutting Universal Credit will have on hundreds of thousands of women. If you talk about male privilege, and don't acknowledge your own, then you are no better than those you criticise.

I struggle to follow the reasoning here. If UC cuts impact hundreds of thousands of women, we should address why that is: Why are so many women forced to live to rely on benefits? You yourself call them WOMEN, so you acknowledge that UC cuts affects 100,000s of women, not 100,000s of males who identifies women. So again, to get to the bottom of this, we need to find out why so many WOMEN are so vulnerable that they rely on government help. And to do that, we need to be able to claim the term woman, without men being able to appropriate it. We can't be giving trans people the (equal) rights they don't need: A man who identifies as a woman doesn't have the same needs as a woman, be that protection from forced marriage, control of their fertility, and so on. Talk about acknowledging privileged positions.

[PickAChew]

@PickUpAPepper

One male and one female MP in every constituency?

Looking at a large bulk of current female mps, that won't help much. Ironically, female tories are more likely to be on our side than many others.

[Fishflakes]

Someone to just use the data we have and the political will to act on that, would help women’s lives. Especially those with caring responsibilities.
Starting with a good look at the pressures on public services (schools, hospitals, ambulance services, social care, public transport, all of it) and user/patient experience and outcomes and waiting times in great detail and in light of local variations that they will find. Then, the political will to fund to improve services accordingly.

[DivingBoardInGuernsey]

Just wanting to praise the work of charity "icanbe" who work raising career aspirations of girls from age 7, particularly in more deprived areas.

[ColorMagicBarbie]

I think we could learn a lot from men tbh. I see so many women complaining how men often have the privilege of continuing their career, but when given the opportunity to go part time they're on it without a second's hesitation!

[AssassinatedBeauty]

@DivingBoardInGuernsey

Just wanting to praise the work of charity "icanbe" who work raising career aspirations of girls from age 7, particularly in more deprived areas.

Thanks for this, I had not heard of I Can Be but they are exactly the sort of organisation that can make a difference. Such a great age to be focussing on as well.

[FindingMeno]

I love e.
I think so many women are trapped by finances and have no idea of what they can do to improve their lot, or how not to unintentionally slip into a financially precarious situation.
I'd also love to see more womens groups, like little collectives where women could exchange their expertise in a bartering system.

[FemaleAndLearning]

@CuntAmongstThePigeons

I think at the moment it's definitely fighting to retain our sex based rights, language etc.

Other than that I think education around sex, relationship, pornography. We really need legal protection from the terrible harms extreme pornography is creating in our society. Particularly for women and children.

Better education in the authorities, police for example as someone upthread said. Also a more connected database of predators, the wonderful woman who wrote "Men who hate women" said there's a clear link between dv and later terrorist behaviour.

Also I think the value of single sex education cannot be underestimated. Research has shown girls learn better in single sex yet boys don't. More often than not girls are sacrificed to make teaching boys easier. I went to an all girls secondary school and it was incredible. I think going through your most formative years without the influence of boys was amazing for me.

I like all those. Relationship education is critical for boys and girls from an early age. Something adapted from The Freedom Programme would be brilliant for young girls, before they think about having a boyfriend.