Women’s Rights Network imploding

[NameChangedWren]

WTF is going on? There are letters circulating with members alleging bullying, and anyone who asks a question is suspended and comments deleted. The leader calling everyone to urgent meetings with bizarre messaging: ‘there is no letter, and if there is it’s full of lies, and you can’t see the letter just trust us, and ooh look, something shiny!’ Should I cut my losses, cancel my standing order and just follow Let Women Speak?

They didnt respond to my request to join. Your money would be better spent on Sex Matters.

No issues at my local WRN.

I also asked to join several times, but they just ignored me.

As a member of the WRN I haven’t seen this at all.

I haven't seen this

You might not have seen it because the leadership are desperate to shut it down. It’s being treated as a test of loyalty - if you even ask a question you are not demonstrating trust. I am instinctively wary of being told to look away, more important women are dealing with it.

Well where are you seeing all this? I only interact with my local group and there is no drama.

I haven't seen it but heard of it. I'm assuming its not WRN national but a local division? TBH I don't do much with the WRN as its mostly just chat groups.

Do I have deja vu? I read this a few weeks ago.

I think it happened in Scotland, and other areas before that. Looks to be becoming a pattern.

I tried to join got through some validation hoops made an appointment for a phone chat didn't happen, rearranged didn’t happen.

freeform is the answer LWS and sex matter.

That doesn't sound good. I would cancel my standing order or at least bring it up with someone. That would be off-putting to me anyway!

I think the local groups are swamped with requests to join. New people who don’t get nominated by an existing member have to be vetted by two local volunteers who spend their own time at weekends and evenings. So anyone wanting to join may eventually hear… or if you know a member get them to accelerate your request. The weekly emails are good/useful. I don’t have a standing order. I’ve heard nothing about group’s imploding. But it sounds like any other volunteer group with some people falling out from time to time. I think theres a common theme that members have strong opinions so conflict is to be expected. I think they do good work and should be supported alongside the other Womens rights organisations.

It is a national issue. The leadership are trying to control and remove anyone who has disagreed or challenged some of their processes. There have been several letters highlighting their poor practices and those who are challenging are trying to get the facts out to the rest of the membership. Those at the very top need to go, they are causing so much damage.

It is a pattern, they are trying to shut down any independent thought.

There is a depressing history of overly controlling behaviour from WRN HQ which has already resulted in several groups leaving en masse. Serious governance issues which they won't address.

I think this happened in leicester

My local group is quiet but a few of us get involved in campaigns like the Sex Matters ones at Parliament. WRN gets some good speakers but there’s not much action, and all this suppression of discussion about bullying makes me want to give my time and money elsewhere.

In my group, the group administrator got on the wrong side of the leadership, she is a strong woman who inspires confidence, and I think there was a lot of jealousy. She got kicked out of WRN, and the rest of the group left in protest. We are better as a local group, without that control from an unelected group.

In Scotland 62 women were dumped because they wanted to meet up in person to “ network “ not just have zoom meetings. The WRN Scotland coordinators decided, without any consideration or consent to break uo the long running Scotland wide group, and split up into 3 regional groups, which did not suit everyone.

There are groups like Women of Wessex who do their own thing, if WRN doesn't suit someone it's not the only game in town, nor is it impossible for people to set up groups of their own, let all the flowers bloom, eh?

The chat is helpful for women who are in really difficult situations at work and need help and support negotiating the genderwang.

Me too.

"Women’s Rights Network imploding" It seems that the tribal council of TERF Island has spoken. 😂

Leadership are deliberately shutting the letter down, which has been addressed to Members as well as directors and co ordinators. It’s not just about procedure, from what I can see it’s about refusal to even follow those procedures, and the bullying is going on right at the top. There seems to be some real issues with ego conflicting with the good of the org which is a bad sign.