[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.

I draw your attention to section 7 para 190, where the report talks about developing robust guidance based on case studies from service providers. No mention of service users.

To be fair, with regard to social work practice, vulnerable women and adoption orders, this issue was stemmed somewhat by the 2014 Munby judgement re: B-S.

www.first4adoption.org.uk/news/sir-james-munby-to-step-down/

And we know what service providers have to say in public or they'll lose their funding.

Thanks to Karen and the anonymous female service users for speaking out. You tried, but the Govt don't want to listen.

That report was very interesting reading wacademia. Lot's of words used to not say very much, and very little clarity given regarding the future. Will head over to the thread on it to say more in a bit.

So, I've been looking in detail at Chapter 1 of the Labour manifesto "For the many, not the few" (HA! What a joke - anyway). One thing that jumped out at me was this:

"While our industrial strategy is one for growth across all sectors, Labour recognises that certain sectors are of strategic significance to the economy. For each strategic industry, the next Labour government will establish a council modelled on the highly successful Automotive Council to oversee its future security and growth."

I've been searching the internet but can't find any specifics on what these "strategic industries" are. Does anyone know any more details on this?

I will add child maintenance system to the list, there was a very enlightening thread on this recently.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/divorce_separation/3640724-MNHQ-here-Parliamentary-debate-on-the-Child-Maintenance-Service-an-MP-wants-to-know-your-views

Also came on to say about Child Maintenance. Definitely a feminist issue. The amount is paltry, it doesn't take account of the childcare costs, men often get "weekends" (or every other weekend) and this is used to reduce the amount of maintenance paid, while the woman is forking out for full-time childcare to enable her to work on "her time". If both parents work full time, then childcare costs should be shared (in a proportion of salary way) regardless of which days each parent has them. It is not OK for men to be able to carry on their career free of all the burden of responsibility of what happens to their children while they are working.

Next, the Child Maintenance Service (is it still called that) has no teeth to enforce it, so we end up with a double (triple, quadruple?) whammy of men getting paid more, not having to share their portion of the actual costs of the child/childcare, and then not even having to pay the paltry amount it is. Then, when they are reported to the CMS, the "sanctions" are noting. My own relative's abusive ex has been playing cat and mouse with the CMS for about 10 years now. She now gets a whopping £60 a month (and has done for 3 months). Their childcare alone is £800. He also doesn't pay for clubs, sports, uniforms, school fees (not private, but still £900 a year for state school). Her ex is so enraged by this £60 he has been made to pay that he will probably quit his job soon.

The sanctions need to be severe. Punitive fines, enforced payment of those fines and backdated payments, then confiscation/revokation of driving licences and passports, then imprisonment.

I have no truck with the "Waaaa, how can I work if I have no car/am in prison" or "I can't see my children if I'm in jail" argument. Absent/ barely-involved fathers need to pay for their children, first and foremost. Maybe if the consequences are more severe men won't fuck about as much and women who are single-parents wouldn't be left high and dry.

Great idea.

In terms of childcare/staying at home being a women's issue- the reason often cited is that the man earns more. So it is actually linked to teh gender pay gap. If men and women earned similar amounts, then this would be less of an excuse.

And whilst it shouldn't be thcase, women do a far greater share of the caring and therefore often go part time, give up work.

If youhaven't read it "Invisible Women" by Caroline Criado-Perez is a fantastic examination of teh gender data gap- in medicine, public transport, planning, safety etc.

Sorry to but in. Got an email saying my name had been mentioned and i have read with a sense of deja vu the posts about adoption and Pause etc.

Similar discussions along these lines prompted me to set up my website with the help and encouragement of many mumsnetters - I say thank you again. Rather than derail the thread, please read this

about forced adoption childprotectionresource.online/forced-adoption/

And why you should be very, very wary of John Hemming.

childprotectionresource.online/why-do-i-worry-about-john-hemming/

I think it would be useful to call political parties to task about many of these issues. With regard to violence in the family courts, the agenda has been hijacked entirely by Woman's Aid leading to the setting up of an utterly useless 3 month 'Inquiry' which has invited 'submissions' from the public with apparently no thought or interest as to how these will be fact checked. This is apparently what counts for 'research' in 2019.

The major problem the courts have in cases involving disputes between parents about their children is of course the removal of legal aid and the lack of court time to have fact finding hearings. By all means, call politicians account for this as it is their responsibility.

The last time I came on mumsnet and voiced such views I was called, iirc a 'rape apologist' so if anyone wonders why I am not on mumsnet as much as I used to be, it is because of things like that.

Thank you Spero and apologies for the summons. Thank you also for putting NSPCC on the spot, you're an absolute star

Legal aid is a definite campaign issue and cuts across everything. It doesn't matter what rights we have if we can't afford to enforce them.