Not allowed to run a women's health event at work

[Iamsorryyes]

And I work in a hospital!

I'm a HCP and currently have to work alongside our Equality and Inclusion Team. My colleagues are putting the brakes on an event for women's health because the title isn't inclusive and want to change the name to something else that is non binary. What can I say? Help me form my argument please?

Is it specifically about a certain type of women’s health? Eg periods, endometriosis etc? Just wondering if you can reference something that only affects women.

Could you offer to add a subtitles "Open to all those of the female sex" or call it "female health"?

Is it open to all or just open to women?

Why the hell would a women’s event need to be inclusive?
It’s all such depressing nonsense.

So it is open to both sexes anyway and therefore will be inclusive. But apparently the language needs to be inclusive and calling it women's health will exclude people who believe they are not women but are still experiencing the health conditions that are being talked about. Does that make sense?

The person leading on it wants to call it Women's Health but my EI lead is saying no.

For women and women who believe they are men?

The Inclusiveness At All Costs religion strikes again

Birthing vessels?
Gestational carriers?

It's all bloody nonsense! What is the specific event about in relation to women's health?

People who believe they’re not women know full well they have female biology and will be (potentially) affected by any health issues exclusive to women.
This sort of pandering makes me sick, tbh

I can't say exactly or I'll totally out myself but think of things that can only ever be an issue for cervix havers.

Yes basically it's for women and women who think they are men and also men and men who think they are women. Anyone can come! So in my mind it IS inclusive!

But what can I say to explain why the topics relate to women's health and so it should be advertised as women's health not health of the cervix (for example)? Don't want to get sacked. But want to push back here.

It sure is.

Health event for anyone whose body is biologically female to address concerns about biological female body's health issues

Sorry that title is meant to be a joke, but honestly how is it possible to stay sane if you cant have a health event related to a biological fact in the NHS.

Just to try and be a bit more serious, can you not use the Single Sex exemptions guidance, one of which is to provide an environment where (biological) women aren't intimidated / embarrassed to talk about issues that are specific to biological females.

It in the law.

Even law makers recognised that on occassions this is what actual women. A space to talk to other actual women.

Good luck.

I am sure someone on FWR will come up with a positive approach to help you put on the event you want.

For biological women?
For adult human females?
For women and women who identify as not women?
For biologically female bodies?

This is nonsense we really are not allowed anything for ourselves or to just call ourselves women and say no to men.

Seems that women can’t have anything without some DEI twit jumping up and putting their oar in. I feel for you OP, it’s frustrating.

I think I would point out that renaming it risks an alternative form of discrimination: against those with e.g. dyslexia or those without as much education or those with English as a foreign language.

Because you're not going to get past someone who thinks that without playing the same game.

I'd go with a Hi so and so,

Thanks ever so much for your concern about "Women's Health Event". I agree it's really important to be inclusive. I've considered the other options available for naming it (e.g. some alternative names) however the alternative risk making the event non-inclusive in other ways. For example, these would all be harder for people with English as a second language to understand, and therefore risks being discriminatory on the grounds of race.

While I am always happy try and be as inclusive as possible, I think in this instance changing the title would risk excluding others. As a way of including everyone, could we add a subtitle saying "An event focusing on the health of those of the female sex, open to all men, women and non-binary people" to make clear that we intend it to be an inclusive event.

Or even delete the "event focusing on the health" bit of that makes it worse.

If it’s something to do with the cervix can’t it just be a Cervical Health Event Open To All?

So rather than hold the event to inform women, they've cancelled it?

If it's open to all, why would it put off women who claim to be men or non-binary? I don't get their logic.

I would stick to your guns - be firm that the subject matter is women's health, but say you are being inclusive by opening it up to anyone.
"Women's health day - for anyone who is interested in the health challenges of a female body." Might they accept that?
Also if you don't call it women's health what will you call it - "health"? There's a danger that people won't know what the day is about.

I’d like to second what Ineffable said. I used this argument with my GP practice when they promoted cervical screening without using the words woman or women. They wrote back acknowledging my point and promising to change their materials.

It feels like there is an attempt to try and cancel out our existence. We should be getting sngry

I regard 'women and people with [relevant organ]' as the maximum compromise anyone should make, and even that is a negative imo. If it's your event and you're running it, I think you choose the title, unless it is actively offensive.

If your EDI person regards the name of the event as insufficiently inclusive because ut is medically accurate, that wouldn't be enough for me to change it to something that in my view is actively attempting to exclude and confuse. This is not a situation where you are the ignorant person ready to be enlightened and led by the hand to the sunlit uplands. This is a clash between two worldviews.

Having said that, I would do pretty much anything to avoid the actual conflict. I'd just ignore it and say 'oh sorry, i thought it was just a suggestion' afterwards.

Can ask your DEI lead whether it's meant to be inclusive of those who have English as second language? You are not -from what you say - excluding anyone. But you want people to know this event applies to them. Otherwise they will self exclude. There was a leaflet for travellers shared on here in last week or so that does not mention women. It's doubtful they would know what in earth it's about. Maybe offer a risk assessment document? What is the risk of a transman or non binary woman not realising it's for t hem? Will changing the title ameliorate that risk? Er nope.

Just to be clear I'm not the decision maker and the lead will not be able to run the event unless I can talk my Equality lead round. So I'm trying to help by gently challenging the need for any re-naming.

This exactly. If we want all women from all walks of life, cultures etc. to be aware of health issues specific to the female body we need to be able to say simply women's health. As pointed out above it really is shocking that more consideration is given to a biological man who will never have the same health issues that women do. As for biological women who identify as not women, they know they have biologically female bodies and to be honest, if they choose to ignore that then they can crack on. I'm really not interested in other people's fictions I'm more interested in women and girls being aware of what happens to their bodies and what help is available.

Good luck OP.

A surprisingly large number of people wouldn't know what that meant.
And therefore it wouldn't be inclusive of all of the target audience.

Yes basically it's for women and women who think they are men and also men and men who think they are women. Anyone can come! So in my mind it IS inclusive!

So how is it a women’s health issue then? If it is also for men (who think/agree they are men)?

It’s not breast cancer is it?