Time to homeschool the GVMT?!

[CJA37]

Hi everyone,

I'm a member of WEP and on their Policy Committee for equal parenting and caregiving.

We're launching a campaign to homeschool the government as they don't seem to realise:
12 hours caring for young children + 6 hours teaching older kids + 8 hours working = >24

We're asking everyone who cares about this to take a photo/make a short clip of how you'd homeschool the government to be better for women. Share it on Twitter or Instagram using the hashtag #homeschooled at 3pm on Saturday 30th Jan.

We're aiming to create an impact so that we can show that there are ideas for better eg legal right to furlough for parents, nursery bailouts etc. More info: www.womensequality.org.uk/home_schooled_action

We know that Covid is having and will continue to have a massive impact on equality so we want to keep that conversation going.

Cheryl

such an important message for the government to hear Cheryl. Thanks for leading the conversation! I'm personally fed up of parents' needs being overlooked.

Great idea!

Really important initiative - I'll definitely be taking part. Thanks so much for sharing.

Parents (and children) really do get overlooked time and time again. Very sad figures about mental health problems on the rise in children right now.

I would love to see more policies that put parents'/children's needs at the centre.

If anyone ever has any ideas or suggestions on things that WEP can be doing to make this happen, please get in touch.

Very important message, Cheryl, well done for getting this going!

I'll definitely be there, pic in hand and hashtag at the ready!

What if you're banned from Twitter and not on Instagram?

I'd be interested in what your thought are in this Cheryl, given the WEP's inclusive stance and definition of 'woman' (though I'm not sure what the WEP's definition is of mother).

Thanking mums for juggling childcare/work during pandemic www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/4147321-Thanking-mums-for-juggling-childcare-work-during-pandemic

[quote OhHolyJesus]What if you're banned from Twitter and not on Instagram?

I'd be interested in what your thought are in this Cheryl, given the WEP's inclusive stance and definition of 'woman' (though I'm not sure what the WEP's definition is of mother).

Thanking mums for juggling childcare/work during pandemic www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/4147321-Thanking-mums-for-juggling-childcare-work-during-pandemic[/quote]
Good point. I know that many people are not on social media and don't want to be. In which case, if you want to be involved you can email me on [email protected] and I'll share. Or just let me know ideas of what else we can be doing to share these messages.

As for Sunak's "thanks". I can only speak personally when I say that it annoyed me. To me it entrenches the view that it's women who, are of course, are doing the juggling. It frustrates me too because, like the clap for carers, it's easy to do a token thanks or gesture but without using your power to change the system practically then it's means less. I would prefer his debt of gratitude was paid in bailouts for nurseries, extra holiday days for parents, legal right to furlough etc.

What are your thoughts?

I'd agree with your thoughts.

I'm afraid I'm very sceptical of the WEP as I know how they have thrown women under the bus so I am reluctant to support them.

That said I know there are women and men in the parties on the left trying to keep some sense.

I appreciate the good work of this new campaign but as so many women have been lost from the left and from Twitter it's hard to know the best way of reaching them. At least there's Mumsnet and it's still called Mumsnet and not Parentsnet as a man who was not a parent once told me as it was not very 'inclusive'.

@OhHolyJesus

I'd agree with your thoughts.

I'm afraid I'm very sceptical of the WEP as I know how they have thrown women under the bus so I am reluctant to support them.

That said I know there are women and men in the parties on the left trying to keep some sense.

I appreciate the good work of this new campaign but as so many women have been lost from the left and from Twitter it's hard to know the best way of reaching them. At least there's Mumsnet and it's still called Mumsnet and not Parentsnet as a man who was not a parent once told me as it was not very 'inclusive'.

It is always hard to know how to reach people given how polarising social media is. Where can anyone go for conversation and to listen/learn/support each other?!

I'm sorry to hear that people feel WEP have thrown women under a bus. From my experience of being a member for the last year or so, I've found comfort in the number of people who are trying to do/make things better for all. That said, I know that there are very engaged and passionate people who believe different things in the party and that's always tough.

I never see the WEP mentioned without feeling sad that they've let us down so completely, especially when I was so filled with hope when it launched.

We're asking everyone who cares about this to take a photo/make a short clip of how you'd homeschool the government to be better for women.

What are women?

No self-respecting woman should wish or work for the success of a party that ignores her sex.

I think that it sounds like a great initiative, we don't have to agree on everything to work together for common goals

@MaudTheInvincible

I never see the WEP mentioned without feeling sad that they've let us down so completely, especially when I was so filled with hope when it launched.

Yes, exactly.

It’s hard to feel they’re doing something genuinely positive when they’re bent on undermining the very foundations of women’s rights.

Like if you had a partner who was cheerleading for you to get a pay rise at work, but emotionally abusing you at home.

Mindfuck.

@JellySlice

We're asking everyone who cares about this to take a photo/make a short clip of how you'd homeschool the government to be better for women.

What are women?

That’s a great question, JellySlice.

as @CJA37 is on the policy committee, maybe she could take our feedback to them?

It seems rather pointless to try and advance the situation for women while simultaneously supporting the very ideology that is threatening our rights and safeguarding.

Gender ideology relies on a set of very rigid gender stereotypes (we still haven't got to the bottom of what can possibly make a man into a woman other than feels and in Eddie's case some lipstick (Charlotte Clymer obviously finds it harder as they needs a gold lame pocketbook as well as lipstick to feel properly womanly) and perpetuating those is not to the benefit of women.

How do you feel about it OP?

That said, I know that there are very engaged and passionate people who believe different things in the party and that's always tough.

I think “tough” is a bit of an understatement from an organisation supposedly for women that can’t say what they think a woman is.

Your website talks of women being disadvantaged by their gender. We’re not disadvantaged by our gender but by our sex.

I also struggle to see how WEP can take a tough campaigning line on anything when it couldn’t take a tough line on what a woman is and push back at the men insisting that identifying as a woman meant the same as being born a woman

So whilst I think this campaign is a good idea, it rather sticks in one throat to be told to join campaigns to support women by an organisation that seems unable or unwilling to define woman in a way that excludes men 🤷🏻‍♀️

Has the WEP held its consultation on what a woman is yet?

Genuine question - it was being discussed on here and Twitter a few months ago, but I can't remember when the consultation was supposed to be. If it's already happened, what was the outcome?

Otherwise, best of luck in the campaign.

The consultation is in process @EdgeOfACoin. We've had the members assembly part and it will be moving to the next stage of the consultation shortly.

I will of course all of this feedback back to the Policy Committee @gardenbird48

Hi @CJA37
I left the WEP when I heard Heather Brunskill-Evans describe her experiences when she raised the problems with the Party's TWAW position and how she was ultimately, and very unceremoniously, booted out of the party. My jaw dropped to the floor, and that was pretty much the end of my relationship with the party.
I think it would be a good idea to feedback what some of the posters here have mentioned. If you wanted to start a different, more focussed thread, you would get much more feedback and be able to get a better gauge of how women feel about your party.
My own position, in a nutshell, is that you cannot advocate for women unless you have a robust, coherent and meaningful definition of what a woman is. At the moment, WEP doesn't and I won't be wasting any more time on them until they sort that out.

@EdgeOfACoin that consultation was held in the form of a members' assembly that took place at the end of last year. The assembly heard evidence from all sides of the debate and are in the process of deciding what that means for WEP policy in relation to the core objectives. It's ongoing.

I will of course all of this feedback back to the Policy Committee @gardenbird48**

Thank you and I would join like a shot if I was sure that the WEP genuinely understand and want to address the problems that face women based on our sex and don’t prioritise the wants of people who do not share our lived experience of being female.

We have seen irl that male born transgender people placed in reserved women’s positions of influence are open about their total lack of interest in women’s issues, preferring to prioritise trans issues.

Just to qualify, that is not about not accepting trans people, it just is about acknowledging the difference in needs and priorities and not lumping us in together.

I would not have an issue if authorities wanted to reserve positions for trans people. I do have an issue with trans people taking women’s positions to which are they are not entitled by reason of their birth.