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’re behaving like one of the WRN and posted a screenshot from a women’s group chat so it’s possible they are a mole, or The Mole.

How would you know where the screenshot came from?

🤣 you’re not very good at this are you?

Better than you think hun, better than you think x

What were all those deleted posts by HeilMaryFullOfGuff about? Trying to make sense of the flurry of cryptic posts that followed. Was there doxing going on??

I think what might be an issue is that there could be an attempt to get MNHQ to delete this thread if "someone" was to complain to them that unproven statements were being made about them.

And if it did disappear that would be a real shame.

Then why ask about the screenshot? I know that you know that it came from the group chat that was the catalyst / excuse for all those Scottish women being thrown out of WRN, it was posted at 20:57 on 14.6.25. Any wimmin in that group chat would have seen the same post, hun.

And why are you defending WRN? A group that has treated women appallingly, has bullied and manipulated women and really doesn’t care about women’s rights. You’re clearly a member or even an admin or coordinator, you’ve got their style, hun.

I too saw it in the chat, I just got tired of seeing how that chat and this thread have gone. I didn’t like what happened last year any more than you did but I’ve moved on from WRN, maybe you should too?

That would be an issue if it hadn't all been Archived.

But your screen shot of it was taken 30 mins after it was posted. Why did you save it then? To use it later against the woman who posted it?

I don’t think you have moved on have you, hun? If you don’t like this thread, you can leave. It’s important that other women know what WRN leadership is like so that other women don’t waste their time and efforts supporting an organization that doesn’t care about them. There have been so many hardworking brilliant women tossed aside for the sake of what, a paranoid power struggle? We don’t know because they’ve never explained and that’s exactly why this discussion needs to be open.

Have saved thread up to my post a little higher up.
I'll save the link https://archive.is/Oy78e, but if anyone else want to make a note, as just as likely I'll forget where I saved it!

That’s a rather odd statement coming from an anonymous account. I don’t care if anyone knows who I am. I only used a pseudonym on Mumsnet as I was commenting on the “Period Champion” job which was given to a man by some woman who had also appointed him to his two previous jobs (which looked a tad suspicious).
The Muslim rape gangs were banned as a discussion topic in WRN Scotland because the leadership were pro “Palestinian” & didn’t want anyone to lift up the stone & let the truth crawl out.
The surrogacy issue was the same.
Both topics affect women & girls so should have been allowed to be discussed. Those of us who wanted to expose the nationwide abuse of young vulnerable white girls by Pakistani Muslims and argue against surrogacy shouldn’t have been denied a platform.

That's what Bookmarks/Favourites ⭐️ are for 👍

because I couldn’t quite believe what I was seeing, it’s not rational behaviour and not what I joined that group for.

Which screenshot are you talking about?

WRN is pro-surrogacy and against a statutory Grooming Gang Inquiry???

The one that was posted after HeilMaryFullOfGuff posted the photo of WRN women in t-shirts with their leader’s image on. I assume notfinishedyet is linking them to the photo. They saved that comment to use against them so clearly have a grudge. Not sure if notfinishedyet is either of the women mentioned in the screenshot or someone who posted after it.

No they didn’t want to discuss surrogacy with someone who could see the benefits of it (not me, I think using vulnerable women’s bodies for producing babies for others is wrong) but they silenced the woman who wanted to talk about it.
The rape gangs enquiry was labelled as irrelevant to WRN Scotland’s priorities. We had personal messages to change the subject in the chats.

No, try harder that doesn’t wash with anyone. How can it be irrational behavior asking for a face to put to the name of a woman because someone said she was nice 🙄

Thank you for the clarification 👍

An obvious next question: who decides WRN Scotland's priorities?

I was told that the WRN Scotland high heid yens were discussing me & thought that I wanted to “take control” so they were looking at ways to bin (😂) me. Nothing could be further from the truth. I just wanted to be a part of a genuine grassroots feminist organisation. I think this is why they had three admins in every subgroup to make sure those who had expert knowledge were silenced so the leaders could get all the publicity for every issue. After this exposé I expect gongs for Heather & Mary are less likely, even if they become a charity.
My advice to them is use your (non paying) members who have established expertise in areas you do not (police, prisons, education, rape crisis centres, public & acute healthcare) to talk to the media while referencing WRN.
I was happy to help but don’t need any publicity as my academic and clinical service achievements were already on national record.

It’s almost as if they didn’t want your input. They cast aside so many brilliant, experienced, professional women. They just want minions to hand out leaflets, hold banners, share Twitter posts and write letters to their MP. They want complete control over everything and woe betide anyone who steps out of line (or mentions the letters 😱). I think they need to be more upfront with members that it’s their way or the highway so other women don’t waste their time, money or resources on an organization that doesn’t value them or women.

There’s also an element of paranoia with the leaders and coordinators, they had it in for certain women and I’m sure that’s why so many women didn’t get granted an interview after they were kicked out. They used it as an excuse to cull. To do that to ordinary members is one thing but to do it to another director is shocking behaviour. They ought to be ashamed and exposed for how they treat women.

It is absolutely insane that the WRN Coordinators Chat is instantly deleting the most recent letter. It is highly relevant to current and past issues with groups and treatment of members, and the fact this thread is running and bringing up it and other issues should be raising more discussion, not shutting it down. Like a PP said, it’s the Women’s Rights Network, where’s the flipping networking if discussion is being suffocated?

The full WRN membership must all be made aware of all the issues being brought up, and frankly we need votes on them.
‘WRN Ltd’ may be Heather’s personal property, but she doesn’t own the network of women itself, and it’s clearly unsustainable to conflate the two. If we have to rename, so be it, but that would be a shame.
I’d rather fix WRN’s problems than split up these fantastic motivated women who have done great work.
We don’t want to compete with WRN, we want it to function fairly and transparently, and keep working within it.
We need a re-jig at the top of ‘company’ structure and leaders (elections wouldn’t go amiss), and ideally let’s get back to more independent group action under a national banner for recognition and impact.

It is valuable to be part of a national feminist group, WRN has given a great sense of belonging to many, and the opportunity of joining the various working groups (sports, academics, policing, legal etc etc), and these groups have only been so effective because they’re pulling in talent from the wider network - it’d be impossible to run that diversity and standard of work within one county.
The calls frequently went out - “Can anyone help with XXX?” and we answered, sometimes dipping in or out as our capacity and commitments changed. I dropped out of the working group I was in due to family issues, and another woman stepped up.
We were instructed by HQ to remove Lurkers from groups a while ago, as they didn’t think they were valuable if they weren’t actively working on projects - we refused. Women join in when they can, and some just come to pub/cafe meets, and that’s fine.
Since that first letter leaked, several women have spoken up about being dropped from or kicked out of working groups without reason (or gratitude).

Looking at the list of work in the letter, I am boggling the arrogance of treating those women as disposable, so many were instrumental in the early days of WRN. The utter disrespect from on high, booting members (inc a Director!) who’ve done such sterling work, is actually offensive.
ALL THEY DID WAS DISAGREE WITH THEIR MEMBERS BEING TREATED UNFAIRLY. None of them actually did anything wrong.

Heather doesn’t own the regional groups. She has no right to say who’s allowed to be in local groups, and therefore had no right to demand members are kicked out without group coordinator’s full agreement. It’s pure overreach and the buck stops with Heather. She’s put herself in this position, she can’t unilaterally rule when it suits her and then not take responsibility when it goes wrong.
Currently the whole Bucks group is in limbo - all their coordinators are suspended with no access to WRN, their Director member has been sacked by Heather’s Irritated Ego, and they’re expecting to be booted out for Wrongthink en masse.
I suspect HB can’t see what everyone’s got their knickers in a twist about and thinks she’s 100% in the right. If that’s really the case she needs to step down even more urgently.

Would becoming a charity give the opportunity to re-shape WRN in a more democratic form, or would it crystallise the current setup?

Quite frankly, we could all just rename our regional groups “(local) Women’s Rights Association” and elect a new core team, and ‘WRN Ltd’ and HB couldn’t do a thing about it.
Wonder how many of us would vote for that if they were actually informed about what’s going on and given the option?