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

KateMumsnet (MNHQ) Mon 23-Jan-17 14:36:16
Hi all

We understand that this is an issue that raises strong feelings - but we don't want our webchat guests to be harangued. We think the points been made very clearly and there's not much to be gained by continuing to post broadly the same thing, so we think it's time to leave it there now, folks.

So asking questions repeatedly because they aren't answered is now haranguing.

Mermaids is really problematic. Please see Grasswoman's post below to see how they have used wrong statistics.
Please don't recommend Mermaids to people!

Thanks for the answer to my question on teaching returners.

Do you think schools as employers should report on "hours worked" surveys, and flexible working statistics? Maybe they and other employers could be encouraged by tax breaks to become more truly family friendly, instead of the lip service that is currently paid to flexible or part time working, and workload?

should girls at secondary school who don't want transgirls in their changing rooms speak out even though they'll be called bigots?

Datun is right. Since refusing hormones for my child I have been refused more help. Hormones are the 'cure' now for children.

Sorry I was so shocked at you recommending mermaids that I didn't answer that part.

KateMumsnet

We think the points been made very clearly and there's not much to be gained by continuing to post broadly the same thing, so we think it's time to leave it there now, folks.

Are you TELLING us to stop asking certain questions?

NOPE.

Either put your money where your mouth is and censor us properly. You know how to delete posts. Of course, it's perfectly possible for screengrabs to make it into a wider forum which will demonstrate which questions you are censoring, and why.

Or sit back and allow these MPs to continue to ignore perfectly reasonable questions about how they will vote on the subject of defining women and their rights.

But we are not haranguing MPs. It is their job to answer valid questions and their responsibility also.

@Bloomers4aChange

We raised five kids while running a couple of eco-enterprises from home . There was a lot of flying marmalade during some client meetings around our kitchen table but all the kids (now young adults) are thriving - and so are the businesses!

That's great news. My husband makes marmalade in our house, but could do with learning how to make it set! Any advice would be gratefully received.

In our report, we've asked for statutory maternity pay for self-employed women, and also that schools teach about entrepreneurship.

Answering things that aren't even questions to fill the remaining time.

Impressive stuff

@WooWooSister

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

I acknowledge and agree that just saying you are a woman doesn't mean that you have the lived experience of being a girl and growing into a woman. I recognise the difference.

If you'd like a list of things I've done for women's lives here it is:

• I developed services for victims of rape, sexual exploitation, domestic violence and human trafficking that benefited directly over 10,000 women in the West Midlands
• Since I've been in parliament, I have worked with others to have women living in refuge removed from the welfare reforms to housing benefit and the benefits cap
• I have - again, with others - forced the government's hand on the issue of domestic violence victims being questioned by their perpetrators in the family court, and challenged the idea that perpetrators have an unquestioned right to have access to their children
• I have fought for sustainable funding for refuge and am working with Women's Aid to design that service going forward

Every day of my life is in part spent trying to improve the lives of women and children and improve women's representation. If you think that's nothing then there's nothing I can do.

To be fair to to MPs they are probably avoiding those questions as really they are damned if they do and damned if they don't. How many of their constituents or the general public understand the "I am Spartacus" stance or arguments?

(I too am Spartacus)

That's great and we all value the work you do Jess.

But that refuge will have to admit trans women once you pass the self identity law.

Trans campaigners have already closed one shelter that didn't allow a trans woman in.

Thanks for the answer on cross-party working.

It almost feels as though Labour and conservatives are now out of date labels - people are either internationalist/liberal/sanguine about the future or nationalist/intolerant/fearful.

So do you see a realignment coming? There must be other things MPs like you share that you don't share with quite a few members of your own parties. (Examples welcome )

@snowysnowstorms

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!)

Better childcare is the single most effective policy, or ending a lifetime of patriarchy (less simple).

@Namejustfornappies

Thanks for the answer to my question on teaching returners.

Do you think schools as employers should report on "hours worked" surveys, and flexible working statistics? Maybe they and other employers could be encouraged by tax breaks to become more truly family friendly, instead of the lip service that is currently paid to flexible or part time working, and workload?

There is a lot of evidence about how hard teachers work. The Department for Education is aware of this, and in the Women and Equalities Select Committee Report on the Gender Pay Gap, to which we both contributed, you can read some of the comments. We're still waiting to publish the response from the government.

It's your record on supporting women that made us hope you'd listen and respond to our concerns, Jess.

jess that is admirable - your track record is (I suspect) why many of us are frustrated that you won't name the problem.

Because the point of services for women who've experienced rape, DV etc is massively undermined if men are present too.

And women who've experienced those things have every right to insist on sex segregated space when they're doing things like showering or in hospital, and your acceptance that men can define as women damages that.

How does one harangue an MP? It's their job to answer difficult questions?

And surely (not expecting an answer here, just thinking aloud) defining who exactly they want to help in the APPG is a pretty basic one

Jess we don't think that's nothing. We think that is very, very much something.

But all of those services, all of those efforts are under threat so long as we move towards a UK where we can close down or penalise or criminalise every such service if they continue to protect the rights and dignities of those women as being exclusively SEX based.

Your vote will erode all of that work you have previously done.

Does this make sense?

What is your view of the NMC's decision to abolish their midwifery committee and to end statutory supervision of midwives? Are you aware that this rejects the overwhelming view of respondents to their consultation?

Midwives and women are very fearful (and reasonably so) that this is the end of midwifery as a distinct profession.

Also, can you tell me why the NMC has prevented self-employed midwives insured via IMUK that they can't work because their insurance is inadequate, but also refuse to state the level of insurance they would accept? Are you aware that the complaint against these midwives was raised by a commercial competitor UK Private Birth Centres?

Jess - no one is disputing that you do work to support women. Of course you do.

What you are being asked to do is to define 'women'

I believe it is an adult human female. Others believe that it is 'anyone who says they feel like one'.

What do YOU think a woman is? Is Ian Huntley a woman? He says he is. If not, whi is he not? Can he go to a prison? Seriously, this matters.

What do you think.

NMC = Nursing and Midwifery Council. I ask the question because the future of maternity care and midwifery is of huge importance to women in this country.

@TresDesolee

Thanks for the answer on cross-party working.

It almost feels as though Labour and conservatives are now out of date labels - people are either internationalist/liberal/sanguine about the future or nationalist/intolerant/fearful.

So do you see a realignment coming? There must be other things MPs like you share that you don't share with quite a few members of your own parties. (Examples welcome )

There is a broad church in both parties. There are plenty of occasions when we have to work together if we want to achieve things. A classic example would be the EU Referendum, when MPs from different parties worked together on both sides.

Jess - I think you do loads. Thank you. I especially appreciate that so much of your work is targeted towards helping more vulnerable women.

@TresDesolee

Thanks for the answer on cross-party working.

It almost feels as though Labour and conservatives are now out of date labels - people are either internationalist/liberal/sanguine about the future or nationalist/intolerant/fearful.

So do you see a realignment coming? There must be other things MPs like you share that you don't share with quite a few members of your own parties. (Examples welcome )

I was raised incredibly tribally but recognise that things just aren't that simple. I'm a socialist and an internationalist and obviously a feminist, but none of my tags matter more than changing things. I will work with whoever to get things changed for the better.

Mermaids' promotional video about a trans-gender camp, called homosexuality deviant.

In the recent court case Mermaids were asked to stay away from the child and his mother whom they had been counselling as the judge felt they were wrong. The child had not been diagnosed as gender dysphoric or trans-.

Mermaids called the judge ignorant and misinformed despite him being the country's foremost expert in trans-gender law and the author of a book on gay families.

Mermaids might well offer support to the parents of trans-children. But it is a one way support. Their way.

Can you tell fish and the other parents of transgender children here where they can go for more balanced advice and support.

And its brilliant that you do so much for women. Please, please don't stop now. Don't let women's rights go backwards.