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Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

IWD - Women who inspire you

24 replies

WhatsMyNewNameAgain · 04/03/2020 23:06

Name change for obvious reasons.

We have an IWD event coming up at work.

I am very gender critical. One part of the event will be a transwoman telling us about their journey to "become a woman" Hmm I won't attend that session. I suspect that lots of sexist stereotypes will be endorsed and I will find it hard not to roll my eyes and to keep my mouth shut.

I will be attending some of the rest of the event though and we have to nominate women who inspire us. Any suggestions? I do find Posey quite inspiring but it would probably be seen as a bit too goady. Karen Ingala Smith perhaps? I do like Caroline Criado-Perez's work as well and have finally got around to reading some Germaine Greer recently too.

Grateful for any thoughts. I'd like to keep my job so don't feel I can really be my true self at work, but would like to make a nod towards the importance of women's sex -based rights even if it's a feeble gesture when the event will be so bloody woke.

OP posts:
WhatsMyNewNameAgain · 04/03/2020 23:07

*Posie not Posey

OP posts:
Thelnebriati · 05/03/2020 00:42

Imo if you want to reach other people, your best bet is Caroline Criado-Perez.
Maybe you could suggest your workplace starts a lending library, and donate a copy of Invisible Women...

DuLANGMondeFOREVER · 05/03/2020 00:46

m.youtube.com/watch?feature=emb_title&v=ivO5N_VzU-w

Hibo Wardere

hoorayforharoldlloyd · 05/03/2020 08:58

Lending library great idea. And caroline is a good way in for lots of people as it's factual and interesting about bias etc whereas some excellent women would need you to already care about the area.

On a personal level, karen ingala smith and catherine corless who proved the tuam babies deaths at the homes in ireland - as an amateur historian, she paid for the death records herself for nearly 800 babies to prove they were not buried correctly. She came under a lot of pressure to stop upsetting the religious order and leave the bodies where they were (some in a septic tank). She was of course proved right. I like the painstaking honesty of her work and the fact she as an individual could not be bowed by huge social and institutional pressure. It was only accepted as true in 2017.

ScrimshawTheSecond · 05/03/2020 09:57

While there are many wonderful women in the public eye who inspire me - brave and tenacious and hardworking and awe-inspiring women - politicians, artists, writers, musicians, sportswomen, scientists, etc -

personally it's generally everyday women I find most inspiring. The grandmothers and mothers, often, who make such enormous sacrifices daily, who hold families and communities together, who suffer inequality, iniquities, low pay, disregard, sexism, disinterest in their healthcare issues, pension inequality, domestic coercion & control, post-natal issues, yet continue to carry out the lion's share of domestic work, most of the unpaid care work, all of the work of gestating and birthing the next generations, much of the emotional labour of the world as well as - I think it was 2 out of 3 'labour hours' described recently by the UN.

Women deserve, at a minimum, to be free from the fear of the threat of male violence, to be supported in their caring work, to be respected for all of the work that they do whether paid or unpaid, to be paid fairly, have their health issues given due consideration, to have excellent peri and postnatal care, have pension equality, to not have to encounter sexual abuse, harassment and discrimination, to have single sex spaces protected and the right to name and own our own experiences as women, distinct from male-bodied people.

Er, not sure that's useful for you! But I think shifting the focus from individual women to the general population might be worth thinking about - we all experience the effects of a sexist society, we can all lift each other up.

Newuser123123 · 05/03/2020 10:16

Sparked by Karen's webchat yesterday I am really grateful to all the women who aren't mothers that work to support those who are. I can't imagine it's always easy but I appreciate it enormously.

WrathofFaeKlopp · 05/03/2020 12:09

Pippa Bunce.

WrathofFaeKlopp · 05/03/2020 12:12

Sorry wrong thread. Blush

Newuser123123 · 05/03/2020 12:16

Top 100 woman in business though, that's inspiring

WrathofFaeKlopp · 05/03/2020 13:43

DuLANGMondeFOREVER
Thanks for the link.

Hibo Wardeer
I am in awe of those women who speak out on this. Hibo is one brave woman representing 200 million females damaged by FGM.
Whenever I hear strong, inspirational women speak I am struck by their determination to right the terrible wrongs inflicted on women and girls.

I'm not talking about Mermaids.

WrathofFaeKlopp · 05/03/2020 13:47

Hibo Wardere.

ScrimshawTheSecond · 05/03/2020 13:52

Wow, yes, Newuser. That.

Lowhum · 05/03/2020 14:48

Anne Diamond for her work in raising awareness for SIDS.

DuLANGMondeFOREVER · 05/03/2020 14:56

Anne Diamond was indeed brilliant on SIDS. I can still remember the name of her late son and I’m so middle aged I frequently forget what my own kids are called.

LangClegTheBeardedVulture · 05/03/2020 15:15

The Night Witches

Coyoacan · 05/03/2020 17:54

I like your suggestion ScrimshawTheSecond

Too many women do not any free time, what with all their other responsibilites, but without them none of us would be here.

Thelnebriati · 05/03/2020 18:16

Fantastic speech by Joanna Cherry to an empty HOC;
International Women’s Day debate
vimeo.com/395754391

IWD - Women who inspire you
nonsenceagain · 05/03/2020 18:48

All the women who've spoken out over the GRA, often at huge personal and professional cost. They are magnificent.

HarrietThePi · 05/03/2020 18:51

I was in a charity shop today, having just finished my shift in a normal shop where I get paid to work, and it struck me how the volunteer there was giving up her time to do what I do, but for free. And that got me thinking about all the unpaid work that goes on that's carried out by volunteers, so many (IME it's always been the majority) of whom are women. Including even things like helping out at your child's school, helping female centred organisations for women in domestic violence and other kinds of similar situations, helping feed the homeless, unpaid care work, and so on. I think that's quite inspiring. It's not unique to women and it's not one person so it doesn't answer the question, I just wanted to mention it because I'd been thinking about it just today.

An individual, Julia Long. I think she's brilliant and lovely.

theflushedzebra · 05/03/2020 21:33

All the women mentioned above definitely, but I want to give a shout out to JK Rowling. Utterly inspirational woman.

theflushedzebra · 05/03/2020 21:35

(And not just for her mildly terfy stuff- she was inspirational before that!)

Lowhum · 06/03/2020 13:09

TIME magazine has listed JK in their list of 100 influential women.

www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-8079369/TIME-releases-100-WOMEN-Year-list-spotlight-influential-females.html

Lowhum · 06/03/2020 13:09

Some examples for you on that list OP. ^^

Socrates11 · 06/03/2020 14:45

Hmmm there are loads of women who inspire me, some already mentioned, some in my day to day life, here's a few shining stars...

All of the WPUK organisers & speakers, who are slogging through the sea of misrepresentation to help us stand up for women's rights. Kiri Tunks closing speech at #WomensLib2020 was uplifting & brought a great to my eye.

The awesome Fiona Broadfoot and her Build a Girl project in Bradford.
www.nesta.org.uk/feature/new-radicals-2018/fiona-broadfoot/

Raquel Rosario Sanchez for her brilliant writing, a lot can be found on Feminist Current, whilst doing a PhD, away from her home country and persisting despite suffering appalling bullying.

The erudite philosophers Dr Stock & Dr JC Jones

The awe inspiring legends that are Helen Steel, Linda Bellos, Meghan Murphy and Julie Bindel.

...Ok, just one more absolute legend & then I'll stop for now...Queen of the YouTube educators, Magdalen Berns...

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