Thread by @SVPhillimore

Things have changed for the better. Peaceful protest - absolutely fine. Peaceful entry - to Bristol Uni no less - priceless.

Shine bright like a diamond

Huge cheers applause and a standing ovation to @8RosarioSanchez - thanks to @BristolUni and security! #FeminismBirthMotherhood

#WPUKWithWoman women have a right to organise, end violence against women. Professor Hester, first speaker, leading research into violence against women.

How can I not mention what is happening in Roe v Wade in the US? Fundamental to a woman’s right to choose. #WPUKWithWomen

Mothering is part of the front line in the battle for equal treatment. Male control of female bodies. increased risk of violence when pregnant. woman 8 months pregnant, husband jumped on her stomach. Can never get that image out of my mind.

Reason for increased violence is about control over women and their bodies. Persuaded to have more children to keep her busy and prevent her from leaving.

Project looking at emerging forms of coercive control. control of contraception. all forms of control.

being a mother is very dangerous. Twice as likely to experience abuse as women who are not mothers. What men do is often magnified by professionals who undermine mothers, in courts and child protection - failure to protect.

Men target women's bodies as part of their abuse and control; it is central. Terrain and mechanisms shift over time. that's why its so important to keep documenting what is happening to female bodies and sex based rights. <applause>

Second speaker. Holds up clothes hanger. 'message to our sisters in the United States. We won't go back to this' <audience applauds and shouts 'no!'>

<Just what do the people outside think they are protesting? >

So many stories about women who suffered in pregancy and childbirth. The invention of forceps. Midwives prevented from using them. Power and control. From the past - but elements of this story remain today.

Third speaker - women in flight from femaleness itself. So much erasure of female experience and refusing to name it. Denying the connection of the female experience across generations.

Why are female bodies so amazing? So important that we articulate this. Female body hatred isn't a trivial issue. goes so much deeper than simply not being considered as attractive. Bodies a source of shame and disempowerment.

young girls binding their breasts, starving and cutting themselves ... a rational response to the messages from a pornified culture.

Refusal to acknowledge the female state - none of the pain can be cured if its unspeakable.

Would like us to feel a sense of pride in belonging to this class - the maker of humans. Binds all of us together. Attempts by men to disrupt this. 'reproductive consciousness is culturally transmitted'.

We now have to pretend there is no class of person that gives birth at all. 'body made so problematic for women, easier to shrug it off'

We need body positive image campaign that celebrates women at every stage. Pride in femaleness is more potent than pride in artificial femininity - 'blank expectant eyes'

Fourth speaker @millihill - founded and run the Positive Birth Network. Amazing to see birth being discussed in the context of feminism. Women are badly let down and disrespected when giving birth.

between my first and second book - something had changed. 'Birthing people' was everywhere. I tried it but it didn't feel right.

Who decided on that phrase? Where did it come from? Who wanted to be called it? Not sure anyone knows the answers.

'sex assigned at birth' makes no sense to anyone who understands pregnancy and biology. Why so many using it? It doesn't make sense AND you aren't allowed to question it.

Punishment is being cast out of friendship groups and huge reputational damage. This has happened to me. 'boys have babies too' <audience groans>

Feels like being back in Catholic School - no questions, 'have faith'. Why such a strong need for this ideology to meet reality in the birth world? 'using more ink' - that's all. 'Woman and birthing people'.

But 'adding the ink' concedes there are two types of people who give birth. So woman doesn't mean adult human female. In one brief phrase you have completely changed the word woman from a sex, to a gender.

This wouldn't matter if end goal is to be kind and inclusive. Everyone should be treated with dignity and respect. But changing meaning of words at population level is different.

Countless examples - vagina havers, vulva owners, post natal people, bleeders - drive to remove any reference to the female sex at epidemic proportions. Why is this happening?

These ideas are pivotal. Child birth/reproduction is major barrier to ideological insistence that anyone can be a woman. no connection between female biological processes and being a woman.

We have to now agree no relationship between biology and whether a person is male or female. The more connected our work to female bodies, the more the insistence that we agree with this. Ideology is having impact far beyond birth room

young people with gender dypshoria on life long medical pathway. Amazing that midwives so captured by ideology that supports puberty blockers and CSH. This is supporting billion dollar sex reassignment surgery industry.

it is the unquestioning affirmative approach and it is everywhere. A lack of critical thinking. Safer to affirm and repeat mindless mantras. Teach students that a man with a penis can get pregnant - taught to catheter a penis, he may be transitioning.

David Lammy for eg thinks you can grow a cervix. Kier Starmer said it was wrong to say only women have a cervix <audience laughing> only 9% of Britons can label all parts of the vulva. Less than half knew women had three holes. Taboo around women's bodies.

Please seek out 'effective communication - the importance of sexed language'. Desexing language of female reproduction delivers serious consequences for women and children. Very useful resource.

Women find these language changes dehumanising. Mention long history of medical professions treating women's bodies as faulty. New terminology risks excluding women, who have English as second language.

Only when something is under threat do we consider its value. Does the word woman mean something to us? Is mother a word that we need? Some situations where biology is starkly relevant. Sex matters.

If our words become taboo, how can we organise and fightback on issues that only impact women? Need to hold the boundaries around our words and spaces. Don't have to apologise or justify this. No is a complete sentence.

Tonight has been my graduation ceremony says @8RosarioSanchez <emotional> standing ovation. #WPUKWithWomen