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?

Agreed. Mission creep is always very tempting. But an activist group can't spread its focus too wide without becoming much, much less effective in achieving its goals.

With the grooming (child rape & torture) gangs I'd have suggested to those women to set up their own dedicated network solely for that issue. It's a tragedy that is so big, complex and important that it needs a dedicated activist group. It doesn't have the issue of women-only spaces at its core. It's something else, and it needs its own champions.

Or something like that.

WRN will be fine. Every group has grumbles and rumbles.

How do central get to be in power?

I'd agree with PP, communication is key. And respect especially for any group claiming to be grassroots. Of course there will be differences. What happened to @HagsRule didn't sound particularly well communicated nor respectful. But these things happen, hopefully there will have been some learning along the way.

How indeed!
Self appointed

How indeed!
Self appointed

That's your opinion and many would disagree, and example of the Labour Party make it clear why this doesn't work.

So maybe the problem is some joined thinking they were going to be part of a local group who supported the politics of WRN but didn't feel they need leaders to tell them what to do, say and think and when.

Others may have joined thinking I dont have the time or inclination to go into things in depth or on a personal level and happy to be a spear carrier.

But if WRN wants to be invited onto platforms on the basis that they represent grass roots women then they have to listen to grass roots women.

If they want to be a specialist group in say the way that MBM are (ie providing detailed analysis to certain situations) that's an option and many may be happy with having acess to that resource.

So certainly based on the opaque and un-useful web site and difficult to navigate web site, I am not clear, and it seems those joining or trying to join aren't clear. That alone needs to be addressed.

But on the positive side if the repercussions have been the setting up of groups like Women of Wessex that's great.

Despite the real concern about TRA infiltration or whatever, I think the fact that new groups are forming that let local women work and talk with other women is great.

And to those who think this shouldn't be discussed, of course it should.

You cant hope to organise and be accessible and accountable if you wont allow being discussed!

Certainly better to let off steam here and now, rather than wait until a more crucial point in campaigning to have it implode publicly!

To those who have posted wasn't this discussed recently. Yes there was a thread started about WRN with images of letters(?) which seemed to be about something else.

Most responses were this is confusing.

Someone suggested getting that thread deleted and started one that was clearer. So I assumed this was it.

Or maybe this has been started by someone else!

How do central get to be in power?

presumably by starting the network?

Im afraid that I get a bee in my bonnet about the word bullying … when I was young bullying consisted of things that could be called assault, extortion and verbal abuse. But more recently people seem to think that it’s anything they don’t like, or any sort of “demand” or “disagreement” even if polite… so I’d be curious to know concrete examples of what the mention of bullying refers to … it’s such any easy thing to sling around and such a hard thing to defend

ETA some people feel the slope of power very strongly. It doesn’t often bother me. But some of my close family cant tolerate any sort of criticism or difference in opinion. I’ve had the misfortune to work or volunteer next to people like that also. It’s very tiring

I started this thread and I don’t know anything about any other one. I joined WRN to get involved in feminist action and to meet local women to do that. I didn’t sign up to be told what I can and can’t discuss, or to defer to women who have set themselves up as “leaders” without any democratic process.

Thanks for the clarification.

And sorry that for some, such as yourself, this has not been a good experience.

Which 2 recent threads (even if one was deleted) implies there is an issue.

If this leads to WRN publicity being clearer and more women's groups being set up, that's good.

But if WRN wants to be invited onto platforms on the basis that they represent grass roots women then they have to listen to grass roots women

Yes, they don't have to do what those women say necessarily (there will be a diversity of opinion so that's probably impossible) but they have to listen and respect. And communicate well. And, if they're supposedly representing those women, represent that diversity of thought.

It sounds like one of the things that's gone wrong is not communicating clearly about differences when they've happened and having an attitude of 'you must believe us when we say this is nothing, we're not going to tell you what it is, but what you're hearing is definitely wrong'

It doesn't create trust. They're telling not trying to convince people or letting them make up their own minds.

That type of communication is not going to work well with GC women, who are not the type of women to be told what to think.

Still, in the grand scheme of things let's hope they can learn and move on as they do good work and obviously many women find their work valuable.

Directors of company set policy
shock horror

There are persistent concerns surrounding the Women’s Rights Network (WRN), and as the old saying goes, “there’s no smoke without fire.” The sheer number of women who have departed or been expelled en masse from groups across the country suggests that not all of them can be mistaken in their grievances. From my own involvement, members were discouraged from raising questions and strictly prohibited from networking with women beyond the organization’s boundaries—I’ve even heard direct quotes like “these are WRN women and not to be poached.” Those who dismiss these issues as nonexistent likely haven’t yet challenged the status quo themselves. WRN often handles its members as if they were employees under strict oversight. This year could prove pivotal for the group, especially with their upcoming plans to implement a mandatory subscription fee for all members and their push toward charitable status, which seems to dangle incentives like potential payments to keep volunteers in line.

I’ve only seen one woman leave (and tbf if she hadn’t left she probably would’ve been booted out) because she wanted us all to adopt support for Palestine as a women’s rights issue, and spammed the group chat about it.

I hope the whole organisation doesn’t implode, it’s doing good stuff. It’s really bloody hard to manage such a disparate, grassroots network and very few people would be up for it.

How times change. Political campaigns run on the basis of rules for a commercial company!

Seriously, adopting a legal structure of a company doesn't mean you are then obliged to act as some tyranical CEO in charge.

Also, actually not true, the politcy would be set by shareholders and trustees.

And Directors employed to implement them.

Which shows even commercial companies know you need to listen to your customers.

(Not saying this about WRN but what I take to be the opion expressed in this post.)

It’s ore complicated than that. Many of the groups pre date WRN. We were called Shirley’s shopper’ groups. They were taken over (without consent) by Heather B.

@Scottishwifey
In my WRN group, women support other women's rights groups, both locally and nationally. Sometimes women are also members of other groups (eg LWS or LGB Alliance). Other times, women aren't members but will support actions organised by other groups.

It's never been a problem. Nobody - either the local co-ordinators or anyone in central WRN - has asked for this to stop.

The only request is to be clear when we're acting as members of WRN and when we're acting as individuals.

It’s tricky though isn’t it because we can’t just take your version as gospel without also considering that “there’s no smoke without fire” might also apply to the person who didn’t want to accept the result of a complaints process.

my DH had an employee who has brought multiple complaints against him via his regulator - who decided no case to answer (because there’s zero evidence to support the very serious allegations and the regulator’s own expert witness has been very critical of the employee) but the employee is refusing to accept the result. And keeps going on about “smoke” etc. it’s not cool. Please give concrete examples or stop casting aspersions.

How did this exactly happen? Someone must have agreed/thought it was a good idea. When you say “without consent” do you mean without a consensus?

Thank you for sharing your positive experience.
However, this isn’t the reality for many, as the letter from North & South Buckinghamshire WRN underscores. For instance, women who established a non-WRN sports group were forced to choose loyalty to WRN or face expulsion. In Scottish groups, members were instructed to prioritize WRN above all, including reporting back on any WRN-related discussions in external groups—effectively mandating surveillance that fosters division and mistrust.
These inconsistencies reveal deeper governance flaws: removals without due process, bias without safeguards, and punitive escalations over informal resolutions.

What shareholders ?
What trustees ?
What employees ?
What customers ?

Regardless of the sector, you have a poor understanding of CLG Law.

These inconsistencies reveal deeper governance flaws: removals without due process, bias without safeguards, and punitive escalations over informal resolutions.
Do please link to the governance law that has been breached.
And the due process legislation breached.

Companies are companies.
Their directors make and set the rules
like it or lump it
(as the Tory defectors to Reform are soon to find out)

Yes I hope so too, and I hope the new women who have come into the WRN Scotland group oblivious to previous issues can work together and achieve good things. I'm not angry or upset anymore, my personal life has been very stressful since this all happened last year so tbh even if I'd have remained in the group I'd have been minimal in the campaigning involvement anyway. As it is I keep up to date with Scottish news through this section of Mumsnet plus by following For Women Scotland and others. I sign lots of petitions now! But tbh I've stepped back generally. These groups are an excellent idea but strong personalities will always result in issues I reckon.