Thread by @Womans_Place_UK

We are getting ready now for tonight's webinar A Woman's Place is fighting for women's services. Start taking your seats. We will be tweeting using the hashtag #WPUK4WomensServices

Women joining the meeting from all over the country and greeted by lovely shout outs from panelists @VivHayes @ShonaghDillon @Mocha_Soul @benge_nicola and chair @K_IngalaSmith #WPUK4WomensServices

Introduction to the meeting from @K_IngalaSmith explaining the origin of WPUK - starting as a short campaign to make sure women's voices represented in discussion of GRA reform with five demands. #WPUK4WomensServices

@K_IngalaSmith now talking about the reasons why women can't speak. Tonight women who wanted to speak, then said they couldn't - sometimes under pressure from boards. Due to pressure and coercion of transgender rights activists.

Talking about hostility for liking tweets and funding pressures that control what women can say. #WPUK4WomensServices

Local authorities threaten funding for women's services that support single-sex exemptions, giving examples from @nia_endingVAWG and @riseuk #WPUK4WomensServices

Strategic panels exclude the smaller, feminist organisations which will challenge victim blaming and whole local authorities to account. #WPUK4WomensServices

About ten years ago @nia_endingVAWG lost contract to generic services, but still took strategic decision to prioritise and centre women. Speaking out for single-sex services might jeopardise organisation, but they are worth fighting for. #WPUK4WomensServices

It's our responsibility to speak out. #WPUK4WomensServices

Now hearing from first speaker @ShonaghDillon who is CEO at @AuroraNewDawn, who will talk about her doctoral research #WPUK4WomensServices

She started working in MVAW sector at 19 in 1994. Her view - based on experience - is that men have no place in violence against women services, and that women deserve women only space.

Recounting her experience of having quote tweeted WPUK saying she supported discussion on GRA, and the campaign of vilification that followed. Her experience led to doctoral research, and now she is here speakingfrom WPUK platform. Thank you @ShonaghDillon #WPUK4WomensServices

She interviewed people on both sides of the contested debate. She wanted to provide a catalyst to foster trust. She wanted to open up a space for discussion in the women's sector. #WPUK4WomensServices

MVAW women has stayed deafeningly silent on debate on GRA. #WPUK4WomensServices

Women are subjected to a postcode lottery on their rights and desires to have access to a female only space. #WPUK4WomensServices

Such a rich talk and completely impossible to do credit to in live tweeting!

Now hearing from @benge_nicola talking about the campaign to support @riseuk . She was supported by RISE with casework, therapy and many other services - delivered in a trauma informed way. #WPUK4WomensServices.

She was shocked when @riseuk lost their contract with Brighton & Hove. She set up a petition which in 24 hours had 3,000 signatures. In six week period the petition gained 30,000 signatures. #WPUK4WomensServices

The decision was taking to split up domestic abuse provision between three different providers. First ask of campaign was to City Council to fund RISE, and secondly to bring our refuge home - to keep trust based on local connections. #WPUK4WomensServices

It took digging to work out what was happening. The contractors had had a month notice, but the service users didn't have advance notice. The Council failed to give sufficient weight to the social value that @riseuk brought to their services, that they had founded the service.

Freedom of Information queen @rebelyarns submitted many FOI. social media campaign featured #RiseUp hashtag. Petition displays were held on Brighton sea front. #BringOurRefugeHome #WPUK4WomensServices

FOI covered the consultation process of the council, the Equalities Impact Assessment, the procurement process. Paid representatives did not understand what had taken place - left to survivors to unpick what had gone on. #WPUK4WomensServices

FOI revealed - no VAWG strategy document, only one mention of women. #WPUK4WomensServices

@riseuk now are based in a shipping container. Petition was presented to council policy and resources committee. Survivors asked to be included as stakeholder group for new contract. #WPUK4WomensServices

Brighton council dismissed @benge_nicola's experience as a service user of @riseuk . She talks about retraumatising treatment. #WPUK4WomensServices

Sadly unable to achieve goal to overturn decommissioning of @riseuk They have had huge support from survivors, members of the community, with stories which will become case studies for future campaign #WPUK4WomensServices

We are left with fragmented services. No HQ for @riseuk . They are run by men. #WPUK4WomensServices

There is no recognition that trauma is not transphobia. All organisations talk about recognising service users needs and wants, but they have shafted us. Fear of male violence makes so many women lead smaller lives #WPUK4WomensServices

Showing memes made by the campaign #WPUK4WomensServices

Now we are listening to @Mocha_Soul speaking. Talking about her mother's flight from Angola, she ran for her life and for Catia's life.

And the attempt of a Scandinavia couple to buy Catia - dressed up as a benefit to her mother. All their insistence did was add to her troubles - adding terror of losing her child. She lay on floor in Lisbon airport - leaving her pain in her right arm. #WPUK4WomensServices

My mum's right arm informs me politically. Catia found herself along years later - except for her mum. Talks of relationship between mums and daughters. #WPUK4WomensServices

*alone

I was in a daze during my time in the refuge. There was a big contradiction. I was safe. It was exhilarating. But I couldn't quite believe that I was safe. #WPUK4WomensServices

The man who punched me in broad daylight - nothing happened, despite witnesses, despite police giving impression that something would be done. Safety was to leave my male abuser and find somewhere else, until he found me. #WPUK4WomensServices

Safety was another house - until the drunken trouble of abuser was too much trouble for my landlord. #WPUK4WomensServices

Safety was a refuge, where she was euphoric. Until a family member gave abuser her mobile number, leading to no contact with her family, apart from her mum #WPUK4WomensServices

She praises the refuge workers, including one in particular. She helped Catia to prioritise her needs. She planted seeds in me, political seeds, revolutionary seeds. #WPUK4WomensServices.

With awareness that Catia was in survival mode but would grow beyond that. Infusing Catia with confidence and awareness. #WPUK4WomensServices

Women who came before us started these services on the sex-class conscious basis. #WPUK4WomensServices

Talking now about the Portuguese fascist regime. Talking of her mother's descriptions of her great-granny tuning into world service and telling her mother not to speak. #WPUK4WomensServices

Talking of women now meeting in secret. And women who are the most class conscious, unable to speak. #WPUK4WomensServices

I want to make a direct call to women who work with women who are abused to rebel against your boards. #WPUK4WomensServices

Sex Matters. Deal with it. #WPUK4WomensServices

Now listening to @VivHayes from second-tier organisation Women's Resource Centre. The women's sector was set up by women who were political. Who understood men's violence was global pandemic. #WPUK4WomensServices

Women's Sector organisations are not confident about using the Equality Act exceptions. They are worried about being attacked. The burden of using single-sex exemptions lies with individual organisations. #WPUK4WomensServices

I've spoken to countless women who support single-sex spaces for women, but are frightened to speak out. As human rights defenders we need to be able to support the human rights of everyone. Which allows women to say what they want, and trans people to say what they want.

It's complicated because for some time now, the women-led women's sector is under threat of being dismantled by the state. #WPUK4WomensServices

Women only, women led, by and for, organisations has been taken for granted. The independent women's sector is the single most important critical thing to do to protect women's human rights. #WPUK4WomensServices

Commissioning practices - moving from grant to commissioning - has destroyed the sharing and collaboration between organisations. It has penalised small specialists. It has penalised black and minoritised women organisations. #WPUK4WomensServices

It has increasingly become gender neutral, which in a patriarchal society means for men. #WPUK4WomensServices

Touching on what was said by Catia, about nurture. The services were built on human love, revolutionary love, to change. #WPUK4WomensServices

Rage is an appropriate response to what happens to us. And that rage can grow to politicisation and grow into a movement. #WPUK4WomensServices

The dismantling of the women's sector is linked to undermining this rage. If you have a service run by a housing association, you don't get that transformation #WPUK4WomensServices

@whywomen has done work showing many local authorities don't understand the Equality Act. #SexNotGender #WPUK4WomensServices

However you want to live your life - go for it. But don't at a policy level force people to believe something they intrinsically don't. #WPUK4WomensServices

The rise in gender stereotyping is coming with the rise of an ideology that says you can choose your sex. #WPUK4WomensServices

Revolutionary love to all the women. #WPUK4WomensServices

Question about case taken against Camden council about lack of single-sex homeless shelters.

So many questions! So little time!

Can panelists sum up.... do speakers since women are regrouping and will make a dent in this trans ideology and nouveau misogyny? #WPUK4WomensServices

@benge_nicola it's harder for women because we are tired, traumatised. @ShonaghDillon the time is now, women in the sector must speak up. @VivHayes sometimes it feels lonely for women putting their necks on the line, but there are 100s doing what they can. #WPUK4WomensServices

@Mocha_Soul I take inspiration from women at @Womans_Place_UK. Organise! Make the connections. Start secretly. When you're ready to come out, you will get support.

Now @K_IngalaSmith closing the meeting. Speak out! Solidarity! Goodnight! #WPUK4WomensServices