Who to vote for as a feminist

[WorkingBling]

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.

I don't think women in prostitution should be arrested if they work together (and they don't even have to be working at the same time- if a premise is shared it is still a brothel if there is a max of 1 at any given time).

I also don't think women in prostitution should have their children taken from them just because they are in prostitution (this happens with the Nordic model).

This is partly why I support the Green's position on prostitution. Only within the NZ model will those in prostitution be completely decriminalised. The Nordic model has too many faults.

I have grown more disillusioned with politicians as I have grown older. I want a new box to tick on the election vote slip. It will say 'I vote for none of you. Nobody on this form deserves my vote. You don't understand me, you don't represent me, and frankly you don't give a shit.'

I'd then make it compulsory to vote. I hope enough people would tick this box that it would be a real kick up the arse for those in Westminster.

what about the strategy in Ipswich (and across Suffolk tackling sexual exploitation in general), does that have any major flaws? Body count seems a lot lower

I would like to see the NZ model combined with the Merseyside model (which would treat crimes against prostitutes as hate crimes)

www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/ruth-jacobs/prostitution-law-merseyside-model_b_4731381.html

Try this site which tells you what party you side with most according to the questions it asks you: uk.isidewith.com/political-quiz

Id vote SNP or Greens

But surely the local, individual MP represents the party they join and stand for ....voting for them will give that party they represent your backing. policies are what changes lives.

i would also like my vote to send a signal of what kind of people i would like to be in power, who i want to be advocating for me

my vote can't do all the things i would like it to do obviously, because we are bound by the candidates and parties that are available to us to vote for, but it is something i want to consider

Zippey thanks for that link, excellent questionnaire! I live in a Tory area so voting Labour won't make any difference ( my vote would be wasted anyway) so I'm going to vote Green. Apparently they've got more support than the Lib Dems now. Although I abhor prostitution I don't think criminalising it will help. A bit like with drugs, if you legalise it, hopefully you can regulate it and help people to get out of it or at least manage it better.

Wish we had a MN party ( sigh)

I'd vote for Buffy!

< and Anyfucker >

The only thing I know about the Ipswich model is that a dedicated team of social workers is part of the scheme to help them.

Growing up with a parent being a prostitute obviously doesn't necessarily have to mean a bad childhood, but I would have thought it was pretty obvious how awful it could be as part of a bigger picture.

So (sorry Buffy - but I don't know the answDr to your question!) this idea of checking out candidates, makes sense obviously! How are people finding out more about candidates who are running for the first time?

The Nordic model does not say that women in prostitution can keep their children regardless of their home situation or the welfare of the child. That would be ridiculous. Similarly it does not require removal of children.

Given the prevalence of drug addiction and abuse among women in prostitution, I would think there would be a higher level of removals for women in prostitution.

Buffy all the pro-pimp/punter lobby can do is manipulate the discussion. It's the same as when they use the example of Petite Jasmine, who was murdered by an abusive partner, as evidence that the Nordic model leads to women being murdered.

But that is what happens in Sweden, not because of drug abuse, but because they are in prostitution they are seen as victims of self-harm. Petite Jasmine also had her kids taken off her once she reported her abusive partner which led to the police finding out what she did for a living.

Prostitutes will also have to hide what they do from their landlord because the landlord would legally have to evict them if s/he knew the residence was being used for prostitution.

The Nordic model has recently been passed in Northern Ireland and just like Sweden, it will still be illegal to sell sex unless the prostitute is alone. A prostitute will also be committing an offence under the Nordic model if she advertises her services (advertising sexual services is not currently a crime in GB).

IMO it sounds like the Nordic model forces people in prostitution to be secretive about what they are doing (or being forced to do) rather than feeling free to be able to contact police or social services if needed.

Quote from Carina Edlund, a Swedish women in prostitution:

“Before even thinking of a law that criminalises men who buy sex, UK politicians should hear from Swedish sex workers like myself about how we have treated under the law. We are still criminalised if we work together in apartments, we risk losing our home if we sell sex there even if we own it, social workers treat as like children and we can even lose custody of our kids because we are seen as victims suffering from a form of self-harm who can't take care of ourselves. This law should be taken away not exported to other countries.”

lauraslifeandthoughts.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/sex-workers-response-stop.html

Compare to the NZ model- if someone in prostitution wishes to contact police he or she can do so without fear of arrest for anything prostitute-related, and won't have to worry about losing her/his home or children just because they are in prostitution.

Selling sex is decriminalised completely under the NZ model, but not the Nordic model.

Fay, wouldn't you be better telling us about some of the other Green Party policies that might appeal yk feminists?

Oh and welcome to MN - how are you enjoying it so far?

This is more an environmental issue than feminist but how does a 10% price reduction on buses/trains sound?

www.facebook.com/thegreenparty
(scroll down to post on 6th Jan)

I used to vote Labour until the Iraq war.

Then I voted a mix of green/lib dem. Then stuff came out about the lib dems around treatment of women in the party / wanting to reduce age acting in porn to 16 / covering up for sex scandals etc and thought no thanks.

Since then I have voted Green, was a party member for a while, never went to any meetings or anything though

I'm pretty disillusioned with the whole thing really.

There is an idea that voting for a woman (if there is one to vote for) is the feminist action, on the basis that women in general will be more aware of / care more about "women's issues" than men. This means voting for a woman even if it's the "wrong" party. The argument against is well what if it's a woman but she's UKIP / what if it's a woman but she has anti-feminist beliefs eg anti-abortion. I take that point but personally it's an interesting thought. I have noticed a few female Tories coming out strongly with views that I see as feminist over the last couple of years (can't remember what they were now but still!).

Anyway.

I am in a tory stronghold, the MP is a minister and fairly prominent. So not going anywhere. But she's a woman.

So I'll probably just vote green and/or any monster raving loony type options and leave it at that

zippey great link - thanks!
I'm voting SNP. I can see the attraction of Green policies but they aren't viable in our area and also, at a local level, the SNP have been more effective and more vocal in championing issues that impact on women and those living in poverty.
I also think the SNP are more likely to implement policies to benefit the disadvantaged and poor at local, national and international level.

Zippey's link I got

labour
green
snp (i'm in england though)
lib dems

Not hugely surprised!

What I found really interesting though was that I didn't feel particularly strongly about most of the questions. I know I am a "political person" and am regularly to be found ranting on about stuff.

So either the questions are selected in some way that doesn't mesh with my sort of profile, or maybe this is the reason I am so disillusioned with mainstream political parties? I care about stuff, and strongly, but if that is accurate, very few of the things I care about are on the agenda IYSWIM.

Interesting.

that was v interesting, thanks zippey

"I side with Green on most political issues" it said, 78%

I also felt it missed out on quite a lot of stuff, despite doing all the 'extra' questions