The potential upsides of gender ideology

[ArabellaScott]

I am hoping as (at last) some of the issues with gender ideology are becoming more discussed and debated in wider society and in politics, that the fiasco of the past few years may have some positive effects:

1. A greater awareness of safeguarding.
2. A greater awareness of male violence
3. A greater awareness of the risks of sexual assault and how to protect women and girls
4. A greater awareness of the issues facing women in prison, including mothers.
5. A greater awareness of lesbians and the need for lesbian-only spaces and cultures
6. A greater awareness of the strength, intelligence, courage and resilience of women and what we are capable of
7. More discussion of mental health issues and how gender and stereotypes can potentially cause harm
8. More discussion of how to address sexism and stereotyping in education and child-rearing
9. A greater awareness of women's health and more discussion of how we can better serve it

10. A new flowering of the women's movement, that helps to empower and educate women

I agree that this has really, thoroughly kicked the ant hill, and a lot of things that were not changed much at all but were under a nice veneer that looked like they had (women's rights and safeguarding in particular) have had the veneer pulled off.

And grassroots movements have surged and a lot of women have opened their eyes and started to get really quite cross. More veneer won't fix things this time around.

I like this positive way of looking at it, rather than feeling anger and despair whenever it feels like we've taken another step backwards.

I hope it will lead to a greater awareness of sex based issues. Women are often expected to hide 'women's issues' and not bother men with them.

• miscarriage
• menopause
• period flooding
• endometriosis

Interesting - I hadn't really thought about it from that point of view, but you're probably right! That's cheered up my day - thanks OP!

You are spot on. Without gender ideology I wouldn’t have become too interested, feminism rarely crossed my mind, I thought we had it all… Then I had a daughter to take care of and I questioned ‘it all’ starting with GI, because that didn’t seem to fit quite right with ensuring my daughter was safe. I also think Lib feminism did a right number on my generation.

As AD said: “Women will come back to feminism, because things are going to get far, far worse for us before they get better.”

Well I know it's opened my eyes to a lot of uncomfortable truths. And in order to discuss the issues involved it forces people to look for evidence. Where there isn't evidence it calls for research. And where there isn't consensus it calls for discussion.

Ultimately that can all bring some of those issues out into the light more. It could even be a great wave of sunshine shone on all of these things. Oh, also:

Ageism

Great post Arabella. I agree that there's been a lot of awareness and engagement with all kinds of issues related to women and women's rights as a result of gender ideology.

Hopefully that will translate into longer-term change now that so many have seen how easily women's rights and protections are swept aside for men, and how we cannot rely on established institutions and organisations to stand up for us.

I see it as a pendulum or maybe a spiral, in that things swing one way then there is a push back and hopefully everything gets a bit better. To take one of the less potentially damaging examples: pronouns - it's not a bad thing to have a conversation about unconscious bias and pronouns and maybe with time come to a realisation that society does approach women and men differently and that's wrong, and maybe that will change if people are prepared to discuss it.

The more immediately dangerous issues like child medication and women's exposure to rapists in prisons are a deep concern, one that makes me feel especially powerless to be honest and I struggle to see the bright side.

@ArabellaScott

Well I know it's opened my eyes to a lot of uncomfortable truths. And in order to discuss the issues involved it forces people to look for evidence. Where there isn't evidence it calls for research. And where there isn't consensus it calls for discussion.

Ultimately that can all bring some of those issues out into the light more. It could even be a great wave of sunshine shone on all of these things. Oh, also:

Ageism

Yes exactly my experience.

A lot of the issues Caroline Criado Perez highlights are very much linked to our sexed bodies and are all bright to the fore through this.

I remember a thread years ago (I actually remember chatting to datun but I had a different user name) about trying to square/ untangle the idea that I feel we we were supposed to claim that we are the same as men to avoid discrimination in the work place, and not talk about the physical impact on us of things relating to our sex, whereas it's the work place and everywhere else that needs to recognise the differences and needs and protect those rights.

Eg pregnancy, post partum, peri menopause, physical strength etc.

The more immediately dangerous issues like child medication and women's exposure to rapists in prisons are a deep concern, one that makes me feel especially powerless to be honest and I struggle to see the bright side.

Yes no silver lining here.

There is a lot of force teaming going on in that article. For what its worth I don't think turning this into a battle of the generations is helpful - the situation at Sussex Uni was portrayed in some parts of the media as a woke snowflake issue. But while some of the students did behave awfully, its interesting they were incited to do so initially by other lecturers - who are probably older than me.

And just re climate - which ALWAYS comes up as the biggest issue young people are concerned with on surveys. We don't need to "keep up with their views" on the issue. The adults, in positions of power, need to actually tackle the crisis before its too late. I know that's of topic but I remember the "young people will solve this" mantra from when I was a child and its infuriating because it just breeds inertia. (Don't get me started on Shell sponsoring an exhibition for children on the theme of "you are the key to solving the climate crisis." No Shell, I think you as a giant energy company can do more than my 5 year old actually.
Sorry for the rant - but I think this all ties into a general trend of older people to basically abdicate the responsibility for being adults. Which is also an issue with the gender ID situation. And children NEED responsible adults.

Sorry, wrong thread

Yes, no silver lining for the women and children directly at risk because these issues, for sure. I'm not trying to look on the bright side, exactly, just trying to envision a way through that might mean we can strengthen the position of women & children in a system that seems to fail them so often, without anyone even noticing.

The more immediately dangerous issues like child medication and women's exposure to rapists in prisons are a deep concern, one that makes me feel especially powerless to be honest and I struggle to see the bright side.

There's not a bright side to any of this, but the fact that people who are sufficiently privileged to be in a position to effect change (including average people writing to MPs, tweeting, blogging, discussing these issues, as well as the people with more direct influence) are even aware of these issues now is progress.

I never even gave a thought to how vulnerable female prisoners were before all of this - it simply wasn't on my radar at all, whereas now it's a huge issue for me (not least as they have literally no way of opting out and therefore desperately need our help). They wouldn't have had my help or support before all of this as it didn't even occur to me that they needed it - I trusted that prisons were run safely and it just never crossed my mind.

Yes, that's definitely something I have greater awareness of now, Longines.

I'm hoping it might translate over to other issues too because otherwise once we 'win' the will and energy will evaporate.

@Artichokeleaves

I agree that this has really, thoroughly kicked the ant hill, and a lot of things that were not changed much at all but were under a nice veneer that looked like they had (women's rights and safeguarding in particular) have had the veneer pulled off.

And grassroots movements have surged and a lot of women have opened their eyes and started to get really quite cross. More veneer won't fix things this time around.

I hope this is in the outcome. That it results in a deeper conversation and understanding of what it means to be a woman and how our experiences cannot be separated from our sexed bodies. And that coherent policies are formed based on that understanding.

And that women learn it is not their job to be 'nice' at their own expense.

Well we are laying the foundations for that, YetAnother, perhaps, even if we don't realise it?