Thread by @MForstater

Courage calls to courage: a thread about women's organisations: 29 UK women & human rights orgs launched a manifesto for women & girls - on violence against women, representation in politics, equality at work, poverty & public services: important stuff #GE2019womenandgirls

It is not setting Twitter (or anywhere) alight. Scroll through the tweets on the hashtag. These professional orgs are lucky if they get 30 likes and 10 RTs on a post.

Its not like twitter is not full of women who are angry (really angry!) and motivated about these issues.

Perhaps the communications people are scratching their heads and wondering why they are not getting more engagement.

I'll tell you for free: Its because individually & collectively you have lost the trust of your base, by not standing up for the definition of women: for rights under the Equality Act as a sex, ability to talk about the issue of sex self ID & single sex services without fear

What does the ‘Manifesto for Women and Girls’ say about the question over the definition of woman, and single sex services?

.....A question that features in the main party manifestos and is currently controversial and politically very live. ....?

Nothing.

Where is the session in @fawcettsociety big razzmatazz conference "courage calls!" on what the policy issues are, and how this conversation might be had without fear?

........There isn't one.

There is a session on "Courageous Conversations: Having inclusion conversations that matter in the workplace... that will begin to identify the behaviours that get in the way of courageous conversations."

Led by an organisation that calls us cis-gendered.

<hollow laugh>

I don't think it is going to address what happened to @Docstockk @8RosarioSanchez @rachelara @selina_todd, & all the women who have told me they are scared to speak up publicly. Doxxing, bullying, vexatious complaints, disciplinaries. Those behaviours?.... No i didn't think so.

I know not all these orgs agree w self ID & allowing males into womens services. And there are internal differences. but if you listen publicly it sounds like there is no issue at all.

Where are the reports on the issues & Qs?
Where are the roundtables & conference panels?

Scrappy little outfits like @fairplaywomen @AllianceLGB @Womans_Place_UK @ForwomenScot get hundreds of likes and RTs.

Well-funded women's organisations get a handful.

There is something going on here! You are losing your base

Keeping up a united front of "nothing to see here" is not working.

There is something to see here. There is something to talk about. And women who do are punished for it.

The role of civil society organisations in to create the space.

Hold the fearless conversations.

The @Commonswomequ had a whole enquiry about the Equality Act 2010. fairplayforwomen.com/single-sex/

It made a recommendation that the government should agree new statutory guidance on single sex spaces.

The manifesto put out by these 29 organisations says nothing on this.

The one mention of the Act in the manifesto, it gets its name wrong 😱

Still it is significant what the manifesto does not say.

It does not say "transwomen are women".

It does not call for self ID.

It does not talk about gender identities at all. (it does talk about pregnancy and maternity).

This is a manifesto by organisations that know that women are a sex, not an identity on a spectrum.

They know that the ability to analyse the material reality of women's lives is important.

But they are too timid and cowed to say it out loud.

Women's organisations: please stop whispering this.

Find your courage to say it loudly.

Find your courage to make the space for the women who *are* brave enough to say it.

Find your courage to say it to your funders

Women's rights didn't get here by women being quiet.