Daily acts of feminism - a thread for ideas

[teawamutu]

Pinched the idea shamelessly from another thread after an hour of speechless rage reading the papers and Twatter. I need to DO something.

I pledge to do something positive every day to stand up for women. Deeds not words.

Today was taken care of for me - a subscription to The Radical Notion for Mother's Day. I'm also going to fill out the VAWG consultation.

Thought might be good to share anything else we come across here, so anyone in need of ideas could check?

teawamutu

Could we develop some template notes for MPs and councillors as a starting point for once we're out of lockdown and have less time?

Really good idea.

Just going to plug the @MaryBCH question.

Do you agree that there should be sex-segregated facilities for women in hospitals, schools, refuges and prisons?

twitter.com/maryBCHR/status/1356382271243235329?s=19

Write to your MPs.
They are pretty much obliged to reply so can't avoid reading what you say. So you can pass on ideas and opinions that they won't always come across.
As far as I'm aware many /most constituencies have similar populations so you have as much chance as anyone of being heard.
Apart from me I don't know anyone who has written to their MP so not everyone does it by a long chalk.

Consider the SDP - I'm having a read of their literature at the moment. This is in their statement on Community:
"We believe the shared ‘identity politics’ of both the far right and far left to be inherently divisive and self-defeating. For many years the liberal-left has abandoned the politics of solidarity for those of individual emancipation, without realising that putting differences above common bonds can harm mutuality."

Be interested to hear from those who know more.

sdp.org.uk/new-declaration/

I can’t disagree with that SDP quote. “putting differences above common bonds can harm mutuality.”

I really think that the root of the problem is the importing of neoliberal individualism from the USA and giving up on traditional values of community and “the politics of solidarity”.

@PurpleHoodie

teawamutu

Could we develop some template notes for MPs and councillors as a starting point for once we're out of lockdown and have less time?

Really good idea.

Do FPFW post on here, or best to contact them via the website?

Or better to start another thread here for MNers to add their own versions?

tea

I do think the individuals in FPFW do post here.

A separate thread specifically for template letters will be a great idea.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/4194477-Template-letters-and-emails-to-politicians-and-organisations?watched=1

Thread created here.

Hope it makes sense. Am multi-tasking.

Oh I'm not sure if this counts.

I get Hedgehogs visiting me, I name them alternately with female and male names.

@PurpleHoodie

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/4194477-Template-letters-and-emails-to-politicians-and-organisations?watched=1

Thread created here.

Hope it makes sense. Am multi-tasking.

Love it. Any letter you wrote that got a good response, bung it in there so we can all steal it

@sashh

Oh I'm not sure if this counts.

I get Hedgehogs visiting me, I name them alternately with female and male names.

I love this.

When meeting new dogs, I always say owners 'What's her name?' to avoid the default male assumption.

Following on from my thread about the DWP, guess what they have published?

A Brilliant Civil Service:
becoming the UK’s
most inclusive employer

The Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy

Now guess which word is missing from this document?

assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/658488/Strategy_v10_FINAL_WEB6_TEST_021117.pdf

Published in 2017 - maybe worth a few little notes asking when it will be updated? With the CORRECT PCs?

@FeministRabbit that's a good idea. I name animals I meet with female names eg herons who knock around our nature reserve. Most people default to male names. It's insidious.

I assume animals are female unless told otherwise. And for a lot of the farm animals I see that's correct. Cows are female, sheep are female, hens are female, etc. Yet so many people (not farmers) still say "he" when talking about them. And I live in a very small city surrounded by a lot of countryside, so farms are relatively common.

@sashh

Oh I'm not sure if this counts.

I get Hedgehogs visiting me, I name them alternately with female and male names.

My neighbours refers to all plants as she because Mother Nature.

This does involve money but is a loan. I donate with lendwithcare and lend only to women. The money is repaid and you can either loan it out again or withdraw it. Obviously there is the chance they won't be able to make the repayments but I think that is infrequent.

lendwithcare.org/

If anyone could recommend a good book on women's history/ suffragettes I would appreciate it. My know of history is embarrassing shocking and it's hard to know where to start.

Sorry if it's been mentioned, but I'll suggest the book "Feminism: Ideas In Profile" by Deborah Cameron. It's a topic a chapter (rights, culture, sex) and a good starter if, like me, you are fairly new to learning in this field.

If anyone could recommend a good book on women's history/ suffragettes I would appreciate it. My know of history is embarrassing shocking and it's hard to know where to start.

If you haven't already, may I recommend talks (see YT) and books from modern historian Professor Selina Todd?

selinatodd.com/

I'm not sure if this counts. I get Hedgehogs visiting me, I name them alternately with female and male names.

I'd certainly count it, especially if you have children who won't grow up seeing 'male' as the default setting for everything that hasn't been explicitly set aside as 'female'.

Thank you Embarrassing! I have seen some of Selina Todd's speeches and been impressed but hadn't taken in that she has books out.

If anyone is on Twitter, could you go to AnnMSinnotts page and retweet her message.

Crowdfunder are ignoring her emails and refusing to give her her money. It was raised to provide information on single-sex matters.

(!) Thanks.

It's around £15 000 and I'm sure some of that money was gifted by MNetters.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/4006401-Ann-Sinnott-is-asking-for-clarity-on-guidance-for-the-Equality-Act?pg=1

This is relevant thread about Ann's work.

@Scout2016

This does involve money but is a loan. I donate with lendwithcare and lend only to women. The money is repaid and you can either loan it out again or withdraw it. Obviously there is the chance they won't be able to make the repayments but I think that is infrequent.

lendwithcare.org/

If anyone could recommend a good book on women's history/ suffragettes I would appreciate it. My know of history is embarrassing shocking and it's hard to know where to start.

Sorry if it's been mentioned, but I'll suggest the book "Feminism: Ideas In Profile" by Deborah Cameron. It's a topic a chapter (rights, culture, sex) and a good starter if, like me, you are fairly new to learning in this field.

What a great scheme, I’ve just ‘lent’ money to another woman on the other side of the world to help grow her business. I can see myself becoming a bit addicted to www.lendwithcare.org

I also make a monthly donation to a local DV refuge and charity, and to www.asn.org.uk/