For Women Scotland - Public meeting on Women's Rights in Scotland - Edinburgh, 31/1/19

[CharlieParley]

On Thursday 31 January, For Women Scotland are holding their first public meeting in Edinburgh.

There'll be information on and discussion of the current situation in Scottish schools, councils, hospitals, prisons and any other areas affected by the ongoing erosion of women's rights and the undermining of safeguarding.

There's been a lot of interest and quite a few of the tickets are gone already, in just 24 hours. If any of you wish to go, you can book your ticket here. (The price covers the costs of the group as no-one funds us but us.)

As always, the venue will be announced on the day.

When I went to my first women's rights meeting (WPUK) on Valentine's Day last year, I was a little unsure and worried about going. Some wonderful women reached out to me here on Mumsnet and helped me feel welcome and reassured, so now it's my turn:

Feel free to DM me if you are worried about going on your own, I'm happy to chat any time and also willing to meet you beforehand.

Hope to see you there!

Awesome meeting with some excellent speakers, and some great women to chat to afterwards too

Glad this went well, thank you for tweeting throughout for those of us who couldn't be there.

Very proud of my countrywomen

It was a brilliant meeting. I've just got home - stayed for a bevvy or several with some fabulous women in the bar afterwards. I'm so grateful to the organisers not just for getting it all together which has obviously been a huge job, but for working with the hotel all afternoon - can't imagine how stressful that must have been. Thank you!

I spent about half an hour before the start talking with the protestors. They were very pleasant and very, very young, just kids really.

The protesters are on twitter talking about stopping hate, transphobia and bigotry. I must have missed that tonight.. I’d really love to bring some of them in just to listen with an open mind to what actually happens.
The age differential was very noticeable tonight - definitely more mature women seem to see the pitfalls more easily. I’ve heard people say they came to feminism as they grew older and the impact of sexism became more apparent to them. Let’s hope we’ve not thrown away your legal protections before these young women have the chance to reflect on their stance.

Also they did their utmost to get the venue to cancel. Speaker quite rightly saying protesting is a right we would want to uphold, but I’m not sure trying to ensure we were unable to meet is in the spirit of that.

I agree entirely Lifeinthelastlane- if they would have actually listened then they might at least have seen that there was no hate at all.

Wonderful meeting! So so good to see everyone and talk afterwards.

Also noticeable how much more comfortable women are getting in speaking out. So many women standing up in the Q&A and saying "my name is X, I work for Y, we are doing Z, you can help us by doing A, B, C". That is a big change from a year ago where everyone was terrified of being outed. So inspiring, and great for those of us who want to do something but don't know what to do to help most.

Since extra security had to be hired after the harassment to the hotel yesterday, if ForWomen are setting up a crowdfunder for the extra costs of the event can you please share it on here too (I've been Balldemort banned on twitter).

Article in today's Guardian!
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/feb/01/activists-in-scotland-disagree-about-transgender-legislation

As Sonic explained above we had to quadruple our security cover at the last minute in order for the event to go ahead. Seems the right of free assembly doesn't come cheap!

There's a Paypal Donate button on our website and we're grateful for any donations - and there's the next meeting to plan for too. What do we think, Glasgow or Dundee?

woah ForwomenScot ! that is a really sympathetic article from the Guardian

you are making progress, it's fantastic

I've donated a small amount of my hard earned via the www.forwomen.scot website to help with the extra security costs incurred

Good to get the meeting in the Guardian. I arrived 15 min late and the protesters had all gone by then and there were only 3 when I left.
Great speeches by the women and interesting discussion afterwards. Lots of ideas on moving forward and more things to do.

Donation made by me too. We should not require 8 security guards for a bunch of women to meet, it's absurd.

The Guardian gives one quote from Sisters Uncut and then two different quotes from the Sisters Uncut people protesting outside the meeting.

And only after that does the article get to the substance of the meeting. And quotes one person who spoke at the meeting.

And the URL states "activists disagree about transgender legislation".

Apparently The Guardian is willing to cover women's issues but only if the blokes get to talk first and frame the issues as transphobic.

Glasgow please!

Dundee would be great. There is a whole lot of Scotland north of Glasgow and Edinburgh 🤣

The Guardian also doesn't note that Scottish feminists don't protest outside transactivist meetings. We accept that they have a right to meet and to put forward their opinions where as they don't accept our right to do the same.

On Twitter, the Guardian has put:

Activists in Scotland disagree about transgender legislation

and then a link to the article.

twitter.com/guardian/status/1091250231595945984

Another for Glasgow! Then Dundee 😉

Another vote here for Glasgow!

Thanks for the link to donate, Bernard

I couldn't make it last night, but will make a donation towards the cost of security later today as I'm just about to go out the door right now.

Glasgow please! But if it has to be Dundee I might persuade him indoors to drive me and then we could get a hotel room and stay overnight.

Please come to Glasgow!

I'd love to have been there last night but work commitments meant I wasn't able to get there.

Sonic it's interesting that you feel things have changed quite a bit since the meeting last year with more women prepared to speak out - that's incredibly heartening.

Dundee would be great for those of us further north (Aberdeen, Perth, Inverness, as well as Dundee itself )

Dundee please

I think go for the Billy Connelly World tour of Scotland option - do both!

I’d come along to a Glasgow meeting.