The “women’s march” that’s all about the men.

[BackToLurk]

I couldn’t see a thread about this, but I’m just here to share how annoying it is to see a so-called women’s march so concerned with placating men. This is the march in January.

As well as the highly predictable “this is for all women” (meaning including the ones who are men) and the ‘we don’t tolerate transphobia’ (meaning any concept of sex-based oppression), the Facebook group is full of posts reassuring men that of course they’re welcome and it’s not all men and obviously “not my Nigel”. It’s infuriating. Why do people do this?

I just came to post that...I'm on that post and it's bloody ridiculous.

i would love to March for Women's Rights but in all conscience don't think I'm going to do 18th January as this group seems largely batshit.

The problems women and girls face are enormous. So daunting. Misogyny is so deeply saturated into society, so baked in, (and internalised - see 'Karens', 'boomers', 'terfs') that it will take a lot of marches and a lot of work to even begin to find ways to address it all. I hardly even know where to start and I've been ranting on about it all my adult life.

I'd love it if this group/march achieved some consciousness raising - even if they do want to exclude large groups of women, they may be able to do a bit of good.

Unfortunately, though, I'm not sure they're focussed or robust enough to do more than a bit of ineffectual shouting.

I would love to see the group response to this. A properly considered response.

If only. I would love that.

I too thought it would be good if they can try to make something out of this march but I think with what they have been doing will just put people off. They just feed into the misogyny and excluding behaviour and they lack the insight to see it.

Women’s rights are, by their very definition, a wee bit Terfy, like it or not. Sexism and sexual harassment are sex-based, not gender-identity based. Abortion rights? Only female people will ever need them - even the ones who are non-binary or identify as men. Sex-based again. Therefore slightly Terfy.

Gender-critical feminists are not going to go out sabotaging this march. The only people who sabotage women’s marches are trans rights extremists (when they feel left out). As this event is fully trans inclusive, there should be no pushback - the women will be able to march in peace. Gender-critical feminists are not going to turn up with drums and banners and threats of violence to spoil the event. That’s not how we roll.

Good luck to those women, they might be able to shine a spotlight on some genuine issues affecting female people. I only hope they stop, think and educate themselves about why they feel such hatred for gender-critical feminists, and why they want to silence anyone who dares to even gently question their motives in centring transwomen in their feminist campaigning.

If the women involved are reading these pages, I want them to understand that fantasising about belting terfs is really not a good look for women’s rights campaigners. I may be a wrong-thinking gender critic but I would never wish harm on another human being, or want to inflict pain on anyone, least of all another woman. We have enough problems with male violence without turning on our sisters. What the hell is wrong with these people?

Well said 👍

Thanks @TigerLily40. It’s so frustrating but I can only hope they wake up to what they’re doing - excluding the very people they should be helping.

Yep, I was a lead organiser that got chased out just because I questioned their way of things and then excluding women with opposing views. They even blocked SV and DV victims.

Are the current aims of the march being published anywhere?
It sounds like a group of teenagers are tying themselves in knots trying to please MRA.

I want them to understand that fantasising about belting terfs is really not a good look for women’s rights campaigners

It's pathetic and try hard. They aren't women's rights campaigners, they don't actually believe in "women" as a coherent concept. They're just attention seekers.

You can see them on Insta.

Abortion rights/trans rights/Afghanistan womens rights/an end to MVAWG seem to be the main ones.

It's a bit of an odd and partial mix - perhaps because it's based on the American marches, hence the focus on abortion. While we always need to be vigilant, there is no credible threat to abortion rights in the UK. And a main aim is to support 'transwomen' but no mention of transmen or lesbians or bisexual women. Focus on the males!

Glad to see a march against MVAWG, though perhaps a focused approach might have been more effective.

Anyway, women with 'gender critical' views are excluded, so my views are by the by.

How is it possible to march for trans rights and the rights of women in Afghanistan at the same time without being tone deaf and insulting?

These women cannot choose to 'not identify as female'; they are suffering due to their sex, not their gender identity. Biology is central to this. Women are oppressed because of their biology, not because of how they conform to stereotypes of femininity, or the extent to which they 'feel' like a woman.

Struggling to articulate exactly what is angering me so much about this point in particular, but something about lumping these two groups together under the title of 'women' just feels fucking revolting.

It is revolting.
I'm in one of the group chats, and some of the stuff posted on there is insane.

I'm not on Instagram. Are the current organisers teens/20s with colourful hair and too much time on their hands by any chance?
(Bored at college/Uni, full of opinions but mainly 'be kind', or I will beat you into agreeing with me).

https://socialistworker.co.uk/womens-liberation/uk-womens-march-2025-group-plans-marches-across-britain/

As well as their mission statement on Insta, I also found this article explaining what it’s all about. Whether they like it or not, it’s a march for women’s sex-based issues (MVAWG, abortion rights, Afghan women’s plight) but also a march against transphobia, which means anyone with even mildly gender-critical views is not welcome. So if you are a survivor of sexual assault or domestic violence but you don’t believe TWAW then you’re out on your ear. Not so inclusive after all, then.

At the very least I hope your questioning has made them think, @TigerLily40 - it’s not easy to challenge people with such deeply ingrained views.

I bet they would allow penis hats!!!!

Seems powered by social media fuelled enthusiasm, access to Canva, and a dash of quite understandable rage at VAWG. But also seems to lack insight into the roots of the issues, critical thinking, and any idea of how one might affect meaningful change.

I do empathise to an extent - how to tackle the relentless horror of male violence is no small task. I'm not sure this slapdash feminism is going to do it, though.

(Cynics may even say Lib femmery is tolerated and feted in part because its shallow and harmless.)

Anyway. I hope they gain something from the march, and if they could just dial down on smearing/defaming other women and 'belting terfs', that'd be great.

When the third-wave feminists say they want to punch terfs, they're admitting they believe that might is right. And who has the might in our societies? MEN.

Except for single-sex spaces. Oh no, you can't choose that, girlies! They are so captured they don't see the irony. 😩I'm in my 50s, and the incidence of sexual assault and harassment is so much worse than it was when I was in my 20s. Men have never prioritised putting a stop to it, so if these feminists think bringing men into the fold as women will make things better, they are dreaming.

🫡 like this?

Is there any chance you could share some screenshots? It's awful that this is happening.

Sounds like a total non event. I've not even heard about it. Nobody has - who does not live 24/7 in certain corners of social media. Marches have now just become a weekend or bank holiday leisure event.

As long as you deny the reality of sex based differences you are never going to be able to deal with the effects and consequences of them. A generation brought up to believe there are no differences will inevitably keep getting confronted with the truth - and in fact, violence and sexual abuse will simply proliferate.

People who think that you can change sex just by the power of magical thinking are utterly delusional and their 'march' is a total waste of time - if helping women is the aim, anyway.

Why must being female always be viewed through the lens of oppression? Being female is no more oppressive than being male. When women see their sex only as a matter of victimisation it is no wonder they want to deny, or escape, it; though men with kinky thoughts about passivity and submission might well want to buy into it.