Mumsnet campaigns and alliances

[JustineMumsnet]

Morning Mumsnetters,
Following on from something someone suggested a while back, we want to think about how we might use our MN muscle to campaign on things that matter to us - like miscarriage, breastfeeding support, premature sexualisation of children (toddler thongs) etc and also how we go about building links with voluntary sector organisations to increase that muscle. Policywonk and Onebat, dynamic duo that they are - have rashly agreed to collect our thoughts/help out a bit with organisation - so we'd be very grateful if you could let us have your two penneth worth on any and all of this stuff.
Many thanks.

Agree on the nappies issue

See riven, we are all on your side

I thinnk your dd is an anarchist Riven

I'm especially liking being described as a 'young mother'!!!

Not managed to read the thread fully so apologies if im repeating.

I would love us to put some weight behind the fight against Domestic violance.
for resources for women who suffer, to raise awarness of the problem and to get the judicial system to act on those who do get reported more vigorously.

a slap on the wrist is not a good enough response to a slap round the face.

And i would be more than happy to help out with such a cause

Agree with the Women's Aid support. Definitely make it easier for us MNers to donate good quality stuff for refuges etc... Domestic violence is STILL a massive taboo despite all the high profile campaigns, I believe.

Not au fait with the 4 nappy rule, have google'd but not found it. Take it govt / NHS only allows 4 nappies a day on prescription...? or am I completely off course??

Interesting re childcare vouchers.

I def think that small, well defined, campaigns are the way to go. And the 4 nappies a day issue is an excellent place to start.

I'd like to add a campaign to ensure that every hospital who will diagnose and treat miscarriage give out a detailed leaflet to every woman telling them exactly what is happening, what they might experience, and what to do, when. Rather than just giving you the MA leaflet, which excellent as it is, can't tell you what number to ring when you are worried. This would cost very, very little to implement, but make a big difference as so many women come here looking for the advice that their doctor should have given them

I'd go with the 4-nappy rule. I loathe big vague billowing campaigns that invite the considered response of 'duh'. Sharp and specific is the way to go IMO, particularly specifics that are not highlighted by other organisations.

TBH I found my political voice a long time before I found Mumsnet [grumpy].

Can we do a joint support linkup with Women's Aid and Families Need Fathers?

I think some sort of campaign to give parents free or very cheap cooking and nutrition lessons should be thought about, its very much needed in a lot of places.

I am really pleased that so many people are agreeing about the 4 nappy rule being a good one to start off with .

I just think that it is a simple straight forward thing to get changed , unlike a lot of the bigger things , this one would be very hard to argue against and simple to implement .

Getting a change under the belt would give the whole mumsnet campaign future a great boost .

imo it is not just the 4 a day rule that is a problem, the products you get are crap
nappies that are so big that everything leaks out(so more washing) pullups that you have to beg for, but as you can no longer get dri nites, are massive
so in the end you have no choice but to buy them yourself.
(I am lucky dd is dry now)

agree with small campaigns but to succeed they should also be ones that cost little to implement. Can families buy extra nappies from the NHS at cost and if not why not? Costs less to implement and could therefore be brought in sooner.

Campaigns I would support - there will be no planet for any of us unless global warning is dealt with. We need to have the scheme where you can borrow from your energy supplier for energy saving schemes and it is paid back over time from the savings you make.

It should be illegal to provide free plastic bags.

I would like to see car tax abolished and increases in petrol charges. Then you'd have no tax evasion and the polluter would pay. However this is a campaign unlikely to succeed.

How many people know that recurrent miscarriage can be caused by undiagnosed gluten intolerance? I'd like to see more publicity given to that and to the type of test you need to ask for. We could get the information in women's magazines and out to those who need to know.

What would you give up to fund what you want to achieve? For me it would be free prescriptions for the elderly. Abolish them and use the money saved for an increase in the Pension credit.

riven she had the adult small, the nappies were MASSIVE and the pullups were crap.

why should parents have to buy the nappies. we(well I was once one of the we) are already stretched to breaking point with the expense.

oh and tatt
I was told that huggies would no longer supply the incontinence service as the order wasn't big enough.

riven maybe they would give us free petrol instead