MNHQ here: webchat with MPs Jess Phillips and Flick Drummond

[BojanaMumsnet]

Hello,

We’re pleased to announce a webchat with Jess Phillips MP and Flick Drummond MP, co-chairs of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Women and Work, on Monday 23 January at 2pm.

Monday sees the release of the APPG’s first annual report, which explores the broad theme of ‘women returners.’ It has considered ‘a range of diverse issues which impact on the ability of women to return to the workplace, particularly after taking maternity leave or fulfilling caring responsibilities.’

Jess Phillips is the Labour MP for Birmingham Yardley. Before this, Jess spent five years working for Women’s Aid, and served on Birmingham City Council, where she was appointed Birmingham’s first ever Victims’ Champion. Since being elected to Parliament in 2015, Jess has served on the Women and Equalities Select Committee and the Backbench Business Committee. Last year she authored a guest post on Mumsnet in support of the Reclaim the Internet campaign.

Flick Drummond is the Conservative MP for Portsmouth South. Prior to her election in 2015, she worked as an insurance broker, Ofsted lay school inspector and was a member of the TA Intelligence Corps. Flick now sits on the Women and Equalities Select Committee, where her work has included contributing to the Gender Pay Gap inquiry, in which she called for more flexible working conditions to be offered at the start of employment. Flick cites her own experience of re-entering the jobs market after raising her children as important in giving her a first-hand account of the unique difficulties that women face in the workplace.

So if you'd like to talk to Jess and Flick about women and employment, returning to work, their experience of being women MPs (or just plain MPs), sounding off on Twitter or anything else that takes your fancy, do please join us on Monday. As always, please do keep in mind our webchat guidelines - one question each (follow-ups if there’s time) and please be polite!

Thanks
MNHQ

Uppity bloody women wanting to talk about the issues that concern them, rather than what they're told to. Give them the bloody vote and they get ideas above their station.

You say you want to help women back into work, great idea.

As the term woman apparantly now means anyone who wants to be one, can you accurately describe the group of people you are aiming to help ?

Hint if you use any biological reference to define women, you will be labelled transphobic bigot and a target for the trans activists.

Hint 2 if you DON'T use any biological reference to define women, you will only end up helping the trans women (aka men) who always push themselves to the front of any queue due to their male privilege.

You can't even begin to help women until you can define the term woman.

You can't even begin to help women until you can define the term woman
This^^

What damage do you think "self identity" laws will do to women's rights?
What is a woman?

Who can ask a question about women and work when anyone can be a woman??? What's the point?

Hi Jess, hi Flick,

What do you think is the single most effective measure we can take to help women returning to work? (The ideal and the most realistic one, if they don't overlap!)

Thank you for coming, Jess and Flick.

I am another poster who is gravely concerned about the introduction of self-declaration for changes of legal gender, as outlined in Maria Miller's bill, which I understand Jess supports.

While I understand that this will make things easier for genuine trans people and cut down on the hoop-jumping to which they are currently subjected, it is exceedingly naive to think this won't be exploited by those with another purpose in mind. I would like to implore you to look again at this and consider a more balanced approach which also takes into account the needs of women and girls who will have to share private spaces (hospital wards, prison cells, communal changing rooms) with transwomen.

Place mark - I'm keen to hear the answers to these questions.

Thanks for your questions so far. We will certainly ask Jess and Flick to address the issue of transactivism, but do please bear in mind that the webchat marks the publication of the APPG's report on women and work, and leave space for questions on this and other issues.

Thank you for this Kate.

My question is as someone who has multiple disabilities, although I am in no position to work at the moment, I do hope that I may be able to do so in the future.

Do you think there is enough provision out there to help people like me

If large companies could encourage women to work by showing women in senior positions more and giving us a better overall profile would the self identity law mean the 40% female board members is really just a board of men?

I'd like to focus on the provision of support for PND particularly for those attempting to return to work. There was mention recently of employers being given support on how to deal with employees with mental health issues. Will this include specific consideration of PND?

I speak as someone who after a 6 month wait is about to commence a CBT course but is having to take annual leave to access this course. I'm also having to find and pay for my own childcare (there is no creche) to access this treatment.

6 months is the difference between someone committing suicide (believe me I contemplated it) and getting better.

Hello Jess and Flick,

I too would like to know your definition of the words 'woman' and why Jess is supporting Maria Miller's proposals which will remove all sex-based protections for women and girls.

MNHQ may see all the questions re trans as off-topic, but in fact they are very relevant. If being female is simply a case of saying you are, then why don't we all just opt out of womanhood? What's the point of having an APPG on Women & Work, if 'woman' is just a feeling anyone can have?

If you're not already aware of the incredible damage Miller's proposals will do to women's rights, this document is worth reading:
womenanalysingpolicyonwomen.wordpress.com/

Jess - we are counting on you to acknowledge our concerns and stand up for women, like you do so well on most other subjects. Why the blind spot here?

Would like to hear your general thoughts on the kind of Brexit we're heading for -- I know you both campaigned for a Remain vote, so 7 months on, do you have any real cause for optimism?

More specifically, aren't maternity rights going to be the first in line for erosion if we become the Singapore-style offshore tax haven anticipated by Philip Hammond

I know lots of MN users talk about resentment from fellow employees who see parents getting offered more flexibility. Is there an answer to this? Lots of people feel guilty about leaving work early to go to parents' evening if it means colleagues have to pick up the slack.

I just want to elaborate on this post...

TheXxxxx Sun 22-Jan-17 17:09:36

"Hello,"

"Thank you for taking the time to speak with us."

"There are several barriers to women returning to work including poor healthcare provision for women with birth injuries, long waiting list for obstetric gynaecology and proctology appointments can exacerbate injuries and can have lasting effects on women's well being and confidence."

"How will the committee improve access and quality of health care for women with birth injuries?"

I recently had a gynae op for a problem that developed postnatally. It took four and a half years in total to get it - two years for adequate diagnosis and a further two to wait for the op. During this time I have been doubly incontinent and would not have been able to work. (Luckily I have a million other health problems and can't work anyway)

What are you planning to do to address similar situations?

One final question.

Women who raise concerns about self identity laws are frequently harassed and hounded into silence by Trans activists, we see prominent feminists refused platforms (i.e. paid work) because of their view that transwomen and women are different. We are told our biology means nothing and being a woman is reduced to a feeling.

1. Do either of you feel intimidated by this?
2. How can women be protected by any law to overcome our oppression which is rooted in our biology, if our biology is no longer a protected characteristic?

Hi Jess-waves-guesses you'll recognise me from the username!

What I'd like to know is: when you become an MP you're meant to have opinions on everything. And you're expected to know lots and lots of stuff. How do you go from being a 'normal' person, with a 'normal' job to being so knowledgeable on such a wide variety of issues? I mean, I like politics and current affairs and like to keep up to date, but there is no way on this earth I know about some of the stuff you need to know about to do your job. I mean, where does it come from?

I am in awe of your ability to put yourself out there-and hope that there is support for new MPs-but suspect there isn't.

And if I might add another one: why do you think so few women stand for election? If we're talking about women and work, this is definitely one area in which we're massively underrepresented.

Hi Flick and Jess, thanks so much for the work on the report. On women in work more generally, I'm really glad that compulsory pay gap reporting goes into effect this year, but was wondering what other legislative measures to close the pay gap you support. Do you think, for example, that quotas for women in management positions in particular industries are something that there might be political will for in this parliament, given how much research shows that female representation in male dominated industries will usually remain at a saturation point of around 30-35% (much like parliament!) without action to force the number of women higher?

How will we be able to accurately collect statistics on sex discrimination, pay inequality, health issues and anything that particularly affects women due to their biology, when biological males will also be included in those statistics.
How can you accurately measure the effect of your policies on women's equality when anyone can self identify as one.

Hello Jess and Flick

I am one of thousands of women (possibly millions I suspect) who whilst being biologically of the female sex, deny that such a thing as an innate group female gender identity/personality/mentality exists. I reject the idea of brain gender entirely, as does scientific fact.

Much like an atheist rejects the concept of god entirely.

We accept a person's right to reject religion, and we would never assume all people must have a faith of some sort. Nor would we forcibly assign a person a default religion in order to categorise them for convenience.

By the same measure, I do not accept being assigned any "gender identity", as I reject the concept entirely, as do many people, male, female, and intersex.

Given that the definition of woman looks likely to formally evolve in 2017 to become "Those that identify their internal gender belief as " (a circular and meaningless definition) I can no longer call myself a woman.

My questions are these:

What name should female people like me who reject "gender identity" go by?

How will you propose the law protects us as a category from the sex-based discrimination which will continue unabated when sex is no longer a recognised category?

Being a woman is about a descriptive as saying I'd like a hard Brexit.

Some excellent questions here already which I heartily concur with. Seeing as no one's asked the longstanding obligatory one yet... what is your favorite biscuit?

Test

Test

Do Jess and Flick have some sympathy with employers who are being asked to provide more and more flexibility and better parental leave provision - especially small businesses who may be impacted more by having one of their very few staff members go on extended leave or work non-standard hours?