Live webchat about women and work with Maria Miller, Culture Secretary and Minister for Women and Equalities, TODAY, Thursday 22 November, 1pm to 2pm

[FrancesMumsnet]

Hello, we're very pleased to announce that Maria Miller, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, and Minister for Women and Equalities will be joining us for a live webchat on Thursday 22 Nov between 1pm and 2pm.

Maria has been the MP for Basingstoke since 2005 and has previously held shadow education and family briefs. Before entering Parliament, Maria worked in advertising. She is married with three children.

This is Maria's second Mumsnet webchat.

Maria is keen to hear your thoughts on how to get more women into work, with a particular focus on getting the right childcare in place for women. She also wants to hear your thoughts on how the government can make workplaces more equal environments, where women can better realise their potential.

Do join us for the webchat. As ever, if you can't make it, please post up your advance questions here.

Thanks,

MNHQ

[bunchamunchycrunchycarrots]

£90K claimed for this second home that her parents lived in. £90K of public money, subsidising her parents.

[Meglet]

She said she'd love to come back again, maybe we should get her back on to discuss crockery. She obviously knows a fair bit about it.

[bunchamunchycrunchycarrots]

From the DM - 'Asked why she suddenly stopped claiming on the Wimbledon home in 2009 as the expenses scandal erupted, she replied: 'Because I think there was a lot of concern about the rules and, er, a lot of concern about, you know, the whole issue, and it?s something I felt that I didn?t want to be, sort of, mixed up in, the fact that I...I just made that decision.'

Arf!

[bunchamunchycrunchycarrots]

Looks like Maria Miller has more than just being piss poor at web chats to worry about

[BIWI]

I wasn't aware that men were banned from childcare . What a ridiculous thing to say!

[FastidiaBlueberry]

"For every inequality that women experience their are similar experiences for men."

Oh spot the whiner.

When 2 men a week are being murdered by their partners and they're paid less than women for having penises, then I'll sympathise. When 25% of them can look forward to being raped or sexually assaulted with a less than 1% chance their attacker will be jailed, you'll have a point. When 1 in 4 of them live with chronic domestic violence, you'll have a point.

As for women having a vice-like grip of childcare - why aren't men marching in the street for the right to paternity leave? Why aren't they demanding the right to go part time and give up their pension rights? And how come the majority of non-resident parents (90% of whom are men) do not pay maintenance? Let's face it, if they're prepared to financially abuse their children, they're not fit people to be in charge of them and it's a bloody good thing they're not.

Women are more likely to get care and control of children on divorce because they have been the primary carers of children, they are the ones who have downshifted their careers and taken part time work. When men do that, they will be more likely to get care and control. Stop whingeing and do it instead of moaning that women actually have a few legal rights nowadays.

Gah.

[LineRunner]

Oh maybe not. They already have a Conservative lined up - David Jones MP.

[LineRunner]

Do you think she will be on Questiontime next week?

[TunipTheHollowVegemalLantern]

'Minister for women and equalities? Who's that? Why does such a post exist?
There are gender issues which affect women methinks, but conversly there are gender issues which effect men.
Why is there no Minister for men and equalities?'

I bet that's what Maria's cabinet colleagues say every time she turns up for a meeting.

[FivesAndNorks]

Men are allowed in childcare

Well, it's very clear she knew what she came on to say and she said it, irrespective of what questions were actually asked.

[slug]

Ahh I wonderd how long it would take

[nongenderbias9]

I agree with BIWI. The solution to all equality problems is really quite simple. Change the law to allow men into childcare. Men are equally good childcarers (some better and some worse). What's wrong is the laws (such as parental leave) which place the responsibility of childcare firmly on the shoulders of women. This is why when Mum and Dad split, Mum is left with childcare and Dad is left footing the bill and with very little chance of continuing a relationship with his children............
This is the main contributor to the malaise in our society, such that we have more people in prison, and our educational standards are lower than most of our European counterparts. Socially we are one of the most backward Country's in the world holding on to age old notions that place women at home and men in the work place or at war............don't get me started

[nongenderbias9]

Minister for women and equalities? Who's that? Why does such a post exist?
There are gender issues which affect women methinks, but conversly there are gender issues which effect men.

Why is there no Minister for men and equalities?

For every inequality that women experience their are similar experiences for men. Mum friendly family courts, social services prejudices favouring women as controllers of childcare, biased parental leave conditions after baby is born, to mention a few.......(12 months leave for Mum and two weeks for Dad!)

Inequality is an issue in itself and one where it's best to take off those rose tinted spectacles.

If women are to be treated fairly in the work place they will have to relinquish their vice-like grip on chidcare methinks

[HanSolo]

Bit disappointing really.

I can't stop laughing at £2m spread across 6000 businesses!

That will help families find affordable childcare won't it?

[OptimisticPessimist]

This Government has done a huge amount for women. Like putting more support in place for childcare,

What, you mean like cutting the childcare element of tax credits as part of the Coalition's first budget? A policy that, by the way, had a direct impact on me resigning from my job.

Totally agree with SGM's points about the CSA as well.

[blondieminx]

I have to say this was the most depressing webchat ever.

The minister wasn't prepared, and indeed sounds massively uninterested in the issues of the people in the sectors she has responsibility for. She came across very badly.

[EchoBitch]

But we will never know will we sm?

They're all out to get us.

The bastards.

[FastidiaBlueberry]

Oh that's why Charlotte Church is going to be on QT next week.

Because of Leveson

[scottishmummy]

intersting will be her reading and debrief of the thread with her staffers

[LineRunner]

Well, Miller's answers are on here for posterity. I do hope they are widely discussed. She makes Danny Alexander look like fucking Socrates.

Also QT (David Dimbleby) just reminded us that by next week Levson will have reported.

[MmeLinrod]

Agree. Completely disengenous to argue that journalists keep bringing it up. That was her chance to state that she does not allow her personal opinions to interfere with her job, and that she supports the government stance on abortion.

[TheMysteryCat]

Cut admin?

Our local sure start has lost 50% of it's groups and activities. Of what remains, you need a hv referral to attend 50% of groups. The open play session is turning large groups of people away every week.

Miller's admin looks an awful lot like front line from where I am.

Oh, and maybe it's my imagination (as miller is so confident that employment for women is improving), but I'm pretty sure that half the female staff lost their jobs too...

[LineRunner]

cut some admin costs

If Miller actually believes that, she's dangerous to women.

She also fluffed it on abortion.

[MmeLinrod]

Hmm. He answer is designed to sound as if the cuts are all back office. But I know that centers are being closed. Someone on twitter was taking about the Trafford centre recently.

[bunchamunchycrunchycarrots]

I think that magic 2 million squid is also 'designed' to stretch even further to 'support' sure start. Ignoring of course the centres that have and are in the process of closing.