"International Women's Day: Newry council defends male keynote speaker" - it's that time of year again!

[Fenlandia]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-68444531

I haven't heard of the man, for all I know he is a terrific speaker.

But were there really no inspiring women in his field ("personal marketing, coaching and image consultancy")?

I am not sure it is worth getting surprised.

Traditionally IWD was about women's workers rights and more often than not were part of a trade union event ie the expectation that men would be supporting women's equality at work. (Better that the Soviet Union celebration of IWD which was for men to give women a red rose and still expect her to do a full day's work and then go home and do all the housework and childcare.)

It was only during the era of Women's Liberation that women only events and marches started to happen (and the TU tradition continued).

But as Women's Liberationists faded away and third wave feminism who went out of their way not to be seen to be aligned with old dinasours, women themselve stopped celebrating IWD.

So a local council having men at one of their events is surprising.

What we really need to be talking about is why so few women are motivated or feel able to organise a women, even a feminist, IWD event.

Surely this means that it's now been officially rebranded as "everyone's day" or "human's" day. Since it's absolutely not about women anymore.

This post 😂
This thread 😅

There's a world full of women saying FFS! at the moment as we look at what's going on, with the mighty penis being centred bloody everywhere - even on IWD 🙄

At our organisation's annual staff conference a few years ago there was a keynote speech on the barriers women face in the workplace. Given by a man.

Lots of us complained and the group that organised speakers was told to Have A Little Think, but we never got an answer to why they'd thought it was a good idea.

I don't think it was the same man as this one, but a similar meaningless-empowerment-waffle type.

DP just asked what I was muttering about so I told him.
His response, 'Oh dear, that's not very clever of them. Why have they done that?'
If your average normal bloke gets it...😡

FFS

The new British Flag. It should be on tea towels, t shirts and billboards.

I know right! Poor buggers, they hardly get a word in do they?

"the mighty penis" 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 just about sums it all up.

There's an industry event I wanted to go to for IWD as the one they did last year looked great.

This year they are actively inviting and "including" men as allies.

I've declined

It's the logical end point of course but goodness the TRAs will be cross!

Well thank fuck for that, I say. I’m fed up of women’s voices being the endless focus of issues pertaining to women. I want a man to tell me what to think!

A male main speaker on IWD. What the fuck were they thinking?!

Though he does at least have the benefit that there is no worry he's hoping for unconsenting participation in his fetish so there is that.

Of course in a few years, Woke and Queer Politics will have got things so arse about face that the really shocking, anti establishment 'how do we break new and different boundaries and look exciting and progressive this year' thing to do will be to take a women's day and actually centre women.

actually centre women.

Steady on now! You know that's just an impossible unattainable dream!