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Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

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Original poster

Who to vote for as a feminist

419 replies

WorkingBling · 20/01/2015 11:27

I am really struggling ahead of the elections. I have decided that commitment to feminist principals needs to be a strong part of my voting decision making process. But I honestly am not sure this helps.

Lib dems have terrible track record and while I like nick's wife, I can't vote for a party where there's only one woman I am impressed by.

Instinctively i am more of a labour supporter but with the exception of Harriet H I honestly feel underwhelmed by their female representation and view on women.

This leaves the conservatives. There are a number of woman in the party who impress me. But Dave doesn't strike me as a man who really believes in feminist principals.

Help please. All you lovely informed women must have some thoughts.

OP posts:
fayyive · 25/01/2015 14:27

"I suppose if you have so little consideration for women, it's not surprising you support prostitution."

Are you intentionally trying to be provocative? I support whatever model of law will be safest for those in prostitution. And I am a woman myself.

YonicScrewdriver · 25/01/2015 14:34

By women as a class, we usually mean something like "women as a class earn less than men as a class in full time work" or "women as a class suffer more from domestic violence"

Does that help?

FloraFox · 25/01/2015 14:37

How would a completely unregulated street sex industry and a barely regulated brothel in residential premises be safe for women? Have you seen how legalised brothels treat women? And do you know how regulation is paid for? By women being fucked by men to buy licences, pay overheads and the taxman.

robin4 · 25/01/2015 14:37

Hey, thought the questions was:what party to vote for as a feminist?

didyouwritethe · 25/01/2015 14:46

Well, that's what I wanted to discuss, robin. Didn't expect to have all kinds of random accusations of using prostitutes to be thrown at my (female) head, just for typing: "Green".

robin4 · 25/01/2015 14:53

Trouble with Green is that they won't be able to form a government, and I would prefer to vote for a party that will be able to have a chance to change things and promote womens' issues like, low pay, equality, invest in education , invest and believe in public services. All things as women we rely on. Labour

didyouwritethe · 25/01/2015 15:04

If Greens are in any kind of coalition, they'll put loads of women's issues on the agenda, unlike any other party. That could make a vast difference. At least those issues will be discussed, and seen by the media to be discussed, and therefore reported on.

robin4 · 25/01/2015 15:11

but they wouldn't be able to form a coalition with the conservatives so wouldn't have a chance to be in a coalition unless Labour get enough votes.

PhaedraIsMyName · 25/01/2015 15:19

Will they? The Green's raison d'être is environmental issues which may or may not coincide with women's issues.

I won't vote Green because in Scotland they support the SNP. The SNP's raison d'être is breaking up the Union and as such their policies on anything else are irrelevant.

FloraFox · 25/01/2015 15:25

No-one accused you of being a punter. Stop making things up.

How is the Green policy on prostitution not relevant to how to vote as a feminist?

It's not their only policy which is anti-feminist so they're definitely off the cards for me.

robin4 · 25/01/2015 15:25

Labour then?

didyouwritethe · 25/01/2015 15:52

So is all the aggression aimed at MNers who are saying they might vote Green entirely motivated by a desire to stop people thinking voting Green is a sensible option for women? Is that what it's about?

robin4 · 25/01/2015 16:00

No aggression from me, just a desire for debate.

didyouwritethe · 25/01/2015 16:09

Yeah, me too, robin. Smile

Here's a link, which anyone who doesn't believe me to have been fully discredited might like to click on:

www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04ykk4r

It's really good, but, hey, what do I know.

PetulaGordino · 25/01/2015 16:14

there isn't aggression towards people who support greens. the "aggression" came from fayyive who joined this thread to say "I'm surprised some of you are voting Green (which is whom I intend to vote for). The Greens are very liberal, I would have thought you people would prefer a draconian nanny-state society where the Government sticks its nose into anything and everything." which understandably put the backs up of those who had been contributing to the thread

i have nothing but a genuine desire to explore the different parties' policies and what impact these may have on women as a group. i may vote green if my correspondence with my own local candidate can convince me about some of their policies i am less happy about. likewise i may vote for any of the other parties on that basis

Lioninthesun · 25/01/2015 16:18

Flora - i'll bite! Which other Green policies are 'anti-feminist'?

robin4 · 25/01/2015 16:23

Can women truly stand alone as a group? We are made up of so many:-young, old, mums, married, single,grannys etc,etc. We may be able to vote on single issues as a group, but at an election the party that promotes fairness and equality should get our vote?

Lioninthesun · 25/01/2015 16:25

I don't know if anyone has the idea UKIP would be a good feminist choice, but this article should stop that in it's tracks !www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/nigel-farage-attends-hustings-in-south-thanet--boycotted-by-greens-and-labour-for-menonly-audience-10000659.html?cmpid=facebook-post

Lioninthesun · 25/01/2015 16:27

That is what feminism is all about robin Grin
It's just a very hard job to find any party representing women 'equally' which is why were are all struggling here a bit...

PuffinsAreFictitious · 25/01/2015 16:28

I don't think anyone here thinks that UKIP are any good for anything, except pointing and laughing at in a particularly childish way. Their misogynist policies are manifold, most of their candidates and MEPs seem to be the "toast John Bull, may he keep our factories full" type of weirdo and their leader is a pillock.

PhaedraIsMyName · 25/01/2015 16:33

No I don't think women can truly stand alone as a group. I'm basically liberal with a small "l" on social/ sexual politics (which is a pretty mainstream view) and probably just left of centre on economic issues.

There may be some issues where I will have a common viewpoint with women further to the left than me but there will be others we will never agree on.

didyouwritethe · 25/01/2015 16:35

Of course the US has its own view of which party is led by a doofus.

Would a coalition of LibDems and Greens being numerically feasible under any circs? Disclaimer: not saying anything about anything contentious. Just asking.

PhaedraIsMyName · 25/01/2015 16:37

This thread took a very odd turn after fayyive's post.

I'm also not sure if fay meant to say "liberal" or "libertarian" . I haven't read The Green manifesto but if fay is reporting it accurately re prostitution that is a libertarian agenda , not a liberal one.

didyouwritethe · 25/01/2015 16:37

Sorry, "would it be ..."

PetulaGordino · 25/01/2015 16:39

what do you mean by standing alone as a group? women are an identifiable group and our society is based in many ways on that identification - it's one of the first things people want to know when a baby is born, boy or girl, what category does it fall into

the fact that not all women are the same or have the same desires or needs is an important thing that society is in many ways not set up to handle. and that in itself is something that unifies women as a group in terms of consideration of whether a party's policies would benefit women