[1] Let's talk about: Feminist issue policies

[ByGrabtharsHammarWhatASaving]

I've decided to start a series of threads on non trans topics, partly because there are other important feminist issues at hand, and partly because I'm sick to death of people starting threads complaining that we never talk about X, Y, Z.

"But Grabthar" you cry "we do talk about X,Y,Z"

Yes, I know, but apparently those threads are invisible, so I'm going to try and make them more visible with a specific set of threads I'm calling the "let's talk about" series.

Thread the first

Women are massively under represented both at a political level and in terms of policy that is specifically relevant to us. I want to make feminist issue policies more visible and also encourage more women to vote for parties that specifically represent their interests. Our vote is important and we need to use it wisely. To this end I have a plan to go through the manifesto of each major political party highlighting their campaign policies that represent feminist issues, and also to go through the various party members looking at their voting history. My goal is to create something fairly neutral - so, abortion is obviously a feminist issue and I would make a note of politician's voting records on this subject, but I wouldn't take a pro/anti choice stance on it, just highlight it so that women can vote according to their beliefs.

Anyway, I wanted to canvas opinions on what issues to look out for. There are obvious ones like abortion, prostitution, surrogacy etc, but I'm hoping better feminists than I might have some relevant facts or stats to hand about things like housing, economics, sustainability etc. For example, a policy on increasing carers allowance is unlikely to specifically mention women, but is still a feminist issue given that the majority of carers are women. So that's the kind of thing I want to have in mind as I read through the manifestos.

Hope that all makes sense and thanks to anyone who contributes.

There's a lot around women and debt that needs exploring.

As I’ve gotten older and seen how the world is meant to be evolving, I’m enraged.

I’m a carer. Three children and two have disabilities that didn’t become apparent until they were older so this isn’t a situation by choice. I can’t put them in any childcare as it would be too much. I had a good career before but now I get carers (£66 a week). I’m stuck as I can’t find work.

I often wonder if women ran the world how our world would look. I’m horrified by the twaw movement, horrified how women are taking on the majority of life work and how little our rights mean.

On the free school dinners issue, since most schools in England have fairly standard holidays, I don't see why CHB cannot be increased for those weeks by a corresponding amount to reflect that the responsibility for the midday meal falls back onto the parent for that time.
We seem to be able to programme the system to pay £10 Xmas bonuses to certain tranches of people, and winter fuel allowances to other groups - it must be capable of singling out those receiving FSM and increasing their payments for the 13 weeks a year needed.
Again, not strictly a feminist issue, but women probably bear the brunt.

Thanks so much for all the contributions so far!

Benefits, especially UC, and cuts to social care featuring high (not surprisingly). There's definitely a big conversation about women and debt that needs to be had (both as a structural problem, and as an abuse tactic).

Hazardtired thank you for your post, utterly shocking that you get so little to do so much. It ties up with Florals post about the food banks as well. We have a country surviving on the goodwill hours of (mostly) women. I've also seen this in schools and hospitals, women working effectively double shits for know more pay and being told they're greedy for complaining because the job should be the reward

I'd be interested in whether others think acknowledging the cost of childcare as a major stumbling block to working women is constructive, or whether this only serves to reinforce the idea of childcare as women's work.

A very interesting question PCohle, and personally I think that yes it is a barrier. Firstly, whilst it would be great if families pooled their money and childcare came out of "the pot", in practise this often doesn't happen. Secondly, even where this does happen child care is often still a barrier. It's all well and good if "the pot" is £50k, but if both partners are earning, say, £15k a year, and you have 2 kids, one parent basically can't go back to work until the youngest qualifies for funded hours. The average UK cost of full time childcare is something like £1000 a month per child. For many people it isn't worth going to work and losing time with your kids for basically no extra money - but for many staying in work would actively leave them worse off. And that's a 2 parent household - if you're a single parent with nursery age kids on a minimum wage job it's really not even an option to keep working.

I've posted about this before, as a disabled woman on benefits, I'm prevented from entering into local politics or activism. If the DWP found out they would say I am fit for work.
I did try to discuss this with local Labour Councillors, but they didn't believe me.

www.disabilitynewsservice.com/police-force-admits-agreement-to-share-information-about-protesters-with-dwp/

I saw you post that the other day TheInebriati and was shocked! It's utterly disgusting and a complete violation of your right to protest. People with disabilities/ on benefits need more access to protest not less ffs!

Bit of a niche one but on the topic of women and debt: we need to campaign for joint and several liability debts (most credit cards and loans in households) being dealt with as several liability in cases of coercive control. Abusive ex partners can skip out on debts whereas the woman, who was the victim of his coercive control, is often the one pursued as she is easier to find and more static because of children.

Very very true Lang. Also, I've read so many threads on here about women who have been forced to put debt in their name as part of an abusive relationship, or coerced into paying off a partner debt. Even stories of ex's taking out credit cards in the woman's name and running up debt for her that way.

There's a woman at our food bank drowning under debts her abusive ex ran up. He's done every trick in the book to avoid paying his share.

Wow TheInebriati that is genuinely shocking and chilling. Not surprising that politics is always dominated by the same types of people if certain categories are actively prevented from getting involved. Seems that democracy is only for the rich.

Just to add some links to show that there are many groups campaigning on some of these issues, even if FWR on mumsnet doesn't reflect this.

I am fairly sure that the Fawcett Society goes through the Party Manifestos pre Elections eg www.fawcettsociety.org.uk/analysis-of-the-parties-manifestos-general-election-2015

re medicine shortages, this has been happening for some time because the NHS budget cannot compete on the open market against richer countries plus more countries entering the competition. (I have 2 prescriptions that are basically rationed). www.opendemocracy.net/en/ournhs/brexit-or-no-brexit-life-changing-medicines-already-aren-t-getting-through/ And don’t forget that even common and cheap but life enhancing operations like cataracts ie the difference between going blind and being able to see and remain independent are now said to not be essential

In fact 42% of carers are men, and in old age it is 59%, but in the early and middle years women have multiple caring roles and this impacts on their opportunities and income over a longer period metro.co.uk/2018/08/08/the-burden-of-care-is-in-danger-of-falling-on-women-if-enough-support-isnt-given-to-all-carers-7809623/

And for so many women access to housing is a real issue, because of lower wages, caring responsibilities. How many women have stayed in a relationship because it seems to offer the only option for somewhere to live. wbg.org.uk/media/press-releases/exclusive-data-housing-is-unaffordable-for-women-in-every-english-region/ How many of the sex for rent are women. I suspect 100%. metro.co.uk/2019/03/19/landlords-request-daily-unprotected-sex-in-exchange-for-rent-8917895/ And how many single mothers are being forced out the area where they have support networks and family because of the HN cap? focuse15.org/2019/07/26/stranded-in-southend-expectant-mother-told-by-newham-council-that-she-hasnt-been-moved-far-enough-away-yet/ Or are forced into prostitution? www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-49013769

I cant find the link but there was a report about how the harsher climate in the benefits system is direct discrimination against women. Eg women trying to escape domestic violence wbg.org.uk/media/press-releases/governments-commitments-in-domestic-abuse-bill-undermined-by-the-social-security-system/

This is the latest report on increasing childcare costs. www.familyandchildcaretrust.org/families-face-rising-tide-childcare-costs-prices-rise-again

What I don’t understand is how all the Tories are cheering on Boris suddenly spending money like there’s a bottomless pit, but have been part of a Government that since the crash have endlessly gone on about the need for austerity which again effect women more wbg.org.uk/resources/the-impact-of-austerity-on-women/

That's brilliant stumbledin thank you, the Fawcett Society analysis was very interesting. Will look through the rest of the links.

I'm surprised about those carer figures as well, will look into that more.

Medical research into menopause (HRT etc) and also education about its effects, particularly on mental health / sleep patterns etc.

Ditto periods.

I was almost going to start a thread on economics. Ive just discovered the WBG and that they've just launched a commission on a gender equal economy. Why didn't I know this.
wbg.org.uk/commission/
We need to lend weight to this kind of thing by writing to M Ps in a more structured way

1. I'm a mother's rights activist , I became one in response to fathers rights activists.

I want more awareness about domestic violence and wife/ girlfriend murder statistics and I want this to tie in with a mother's right to custody of her child upon divorce.
I have read too many news items of a battered wife losing custody of the kids, only for the father to then go on and kill the kids.

Also what happens a lot is a mother having to agree to some shared care agreement with the father, only for the father to palm the kids off onto his mother or new girlfriend because he can't do it himself, while the mum then has to sit around missing her kids

I want transparency in the family courts. I think these are microcosms of abuse of mothers , who are being accused of parental alienation syndrome and losing custody of kids for spurious reason - because a misogynist court is always keen to believe a Disney dad carried out 50% of the childcare , which is impossible anyway because the baby was carried inside the woman's womb for 9 months. And the courts are also too quick to disbelieve a woman's claim she was abused.

Yes I know NAMALT and WDIT, but those aren't feminist arguments.

2. Nuclear disarmament. Also Can men stop blowing people up with regular bombs please?

3. the food supply chain and seeds.
   This is a complex one and I can't go into detail here as it takes too long, but men have destroyed the food supply chain, it is unsustainable and can only continue with the enforced exploitation of women in the third world. That's literally the only reason we have food on our supermarket shelves. If the pool of exploited labor runs out our western governments are likely to wage war on other regions to ensure the continued supply

On the subject of carer's allowance I would like to point out that the government considers these recipients EMPLOYED therefore reducing the unemployment statistics.

Scotland recently introduced an increase for carers, this increase is included as income by the UK government so U.C. is reduced accordingly.

Although there is an option of direct payments via social work to help with care costs for children too severely affected by disability to use mainstream childcare (usually home schooled for same reason), there are instances of families who pursue this money (as their legal right) being threatened with the removal of their children. This is a direct result of budget cuts leaving not enough to go around and a legal system that leaves no room for a "not enough money" response to being unable to meet state obligation. Obviously this is illegal but works immediately and means families are going without the meagre care they are entitled to as well as living in fear of state interference.

In Scotland the child risk assessment form completed by medical professionals etc lists risk tick boxes - the more ticks the higher risk deemed. The box "single parent" is next to "smoker in household". 90% of single parents are women. Disabled children are more likely to be in single parent families. The game is rigged.

Another very unpopular opinion that I'm even scared to write because it's so taboo.

I believe that very young, poor disenfranchised women are still having babies removed to fuel the adoption industry.

A lot of mumsnetters are social workers and are highly invested in believing the system is fair but I just know it isn't

I listened to an interview with a young single mother who had her baby removed at birth, in a study carried out by a university, I think it was Bath University, I can possibly find it again.
Anyway, if she knew for a fact they wouldn't have let her keep the baby she would've aborted it. Social workers lead her to believe she could keep it. In week 37 of her pregnancy they announced that they would remove the baby after all. One of the spurious reasons they gave is that after surveilling her in pregnancy (dropping in at her home all the time unannounced) they felt she slept too much , especially in the afternoon, this being proof she was disorganized and wouldn't be able to cope. She said she had a friend, Amber, whom this had happened to as well, telling me these women are from the same social and economic backgrounds.

The state is failing women by not making adequate provisions for them to enable them to keep their babies, be that financial or emotional provisions.

The young woman said she was told afterwards that her inadequate lawyer could've done more to help her keep the baby, such as advocating for a mother and baby unit

In addition to having to lose her baby she was treated appallingly by the hospital and even though they let her have a couple of days with it to feed it colostrum she felt she was looked down on and treated poorly .

Most of all this woman was clearly very young, uneducated and way out of her depth. If feminism doesn't advocate for the poorest and most vulnerable women in society then what is it really for?

I think it's classist to say this is "for the good of the child". Just a coincidence that these women are poor?

Issues around education and how we broaden girls horizons. Women have been engaged with all new developments at the beginning only to be frozen out when there importance is seen. E.g. women were crucial in the development of IT but now it's been taken over by men.
The future of A. I. is game changing we need women involved not just in creation but establishing ethical guidelines. Same with engineering etc etc.

I think your unpopular opinion sakura has a lot of truth in it. The system is shit. Some great indivduals out there in it. However the imbalance of power between women and the state means it's open to structural exploitation and abuse.

There is a group working with women who experience a repeat pattern of giving birth and then having their baby taken into care. I think it is more about trying to tell women they shouldn't think getting pregnant again will stop authorities stepping in, rather than from the view point of the women concerned. (but may be wrong) www.pause.org.uk/

re % of carers being men - I think the figures get a bit skewed because women caring for children are seen as the norm, so that isn't included. Haven't had time to check but I think the figures come from Carers UK who are campaigning for an increase in the Carer's Allowance. www.carersuk.org/news-and-campaigns/campaigns/fairer-for-carers

% of women who are carers compared to men

Have now found this:

Women are twice as likely as men to be carers according to national poverty charity Turn2us. The charity is highlighting the gender gap as it calls for more support for carers. The charity is pointing to figures that have just been published by the Department of Work and Pensions which show that there are 803,670 people in the UK who are receiving Carer’s Allowance, and that 579,850 are female compared to 223,820 that are male. Turn2us says that most of the female carers would be women looking after a family member such as a parent, partner or child.
www.turn2us.org.uk/About-Us/Media-Centre/Press-releases-and-comments/Women-more-likely-to-be-carers-than-men

It is from 2 years ago but doubt it has changed much.

Medical research into menopause (HRT etc) and also education about its effects, particularly on mental health / sleep patterns etc.

Yes, women’s health care is a major issue for me and would include menstrual issues & endocrine issues including menopause, and medical research too.

Women's health care is dismal. Invisible Women really shocked me with how utterly ignored women are in society when it comes to research, health and safety and social strategy.

I am really horrified by the threads on here about maternity wards allowing all and sundry "partners/visitors" to camp out and abuse dwindling facilities at women's most vulnerable time. Staff seem entirely overwhelmed and unsupported in this new wild west. Every time I read one of these I am thankful I had my children in the olden days when visiting hours were strictly adhered to, phones had to be switched off in hospitals and woe betide anyone who argued with staff. It didn't seem great at the time but this new situation seems disastrous and incredibly dangerous.

Now at the other end of the cycle I find GPs are generally uninterested in women's health, symptoms are dismissed as lifestyle related with very little investigation unless seriously hassled by patient to refer to gynae. It's frustrating and I think life could be immeasurably improved for women throughout and following child birth and in later life by very basic improvements like routine testing, post natal physio, mental health support etc.

^There is a group working with women who experience a repeat pattern of giving birth and then having their baby taken into care. I think it is more about trying to tell women they shouldn't think getting pregnant again will stop authorities stepping in, rather than from the view point of the women concerned. (but may be wrong) www.pause.org.uk/^

Yes I think you are wrong about this.

The women eligible for this scheme have extremely complex problems, usually a combination of a history of severe abuse, current domestic abuse, grown up in care, drug and alcohol problems, mental health issues, prostitution, gang abuse, trafficking ...

These are the most vulnerable women in our society. Services have been cut to the bone so if there's any sort of intensive help still going I'm glad it's going to these women.

Continually getting pregnant, having a baby, having it taken away and then getting pregnant again because life has carried on being just as shit is no good for either these women or their children.