Feminist Library Event – Care Webinar Resources
A series of online Feminist Library events during 2020, that focused on ‘Care’ in its various forms. Below are the resources that were shared during the event by the speakers and participants.
Webinar 1: 4th June 2020 – Care Workers in Crisis
Video:
Speakers:
Karolina Gerlich, Director of the Care Workers’ Charity (CWC)
Sue Himmelweit, Women’s Budget Group
Nadia Whittome, MP and care worker campaigner
At last, some attention is being directed towards workers in care homes, though the provision of PPE and adequate testing remains patchy, to say the least. But the plight of domiciliary care workers continues to be completely overlooked. Come and hear the testimonies of women who care in various situations, and find out more about the stress of working on this vital front-line, and how the vital work of caring, both paid and unpaid, has been neglected and needs to be reformed.
Resources
- A new campaign group: https://www.reclaimsocialcare.co.uk/
- Karolina from the The Care Workers’ Charity wasn’t able to join us, but has recommended their carers’ fund: carers can apply for financial support: https://www.thecareworkerscharity.org.uk
- The Women’s Budget Group report on the impact of COVID-19 on women:
https://wbg.org.uk/…/rep…/crises-collide-women-and-covid-19/
And on the care sector: https://wbg.org.uk/…/uk-…/briefing-social-care-and-covid-19/ - Nadia Whittome speaking out on the lack of PPE in the care sector: https://www.theguardian.com/…/i-worked-care-home-sacked-spe…
- ‘Towards a New Deal for Care and Carers’ – The PSA Commission report on care:
http://www.commissiononcare.org/…/Web-Care-Comission-Toward… - OPEN LETTER TO GOVERNMENTS – a Care Income Now!
(organisations and individuals invited; issued by Global Women’s Strike (GWS) and Women of Colour GWS https://globalwomenstrike.net/ - Green New Deal for Europe http://www.gndforeurope.com/): https://docs.google.com/…/1FAIpQLSfJS_qM-zyku4ig2Y…/viewform
- Recommended unions for carers:
https://www.gmb.org.uk
https://iwgb.org.uk - Silver Voices: https://silvervoices.co.uk
Webinar 2: 11th June 2020 – When Crisis Collide: Women and Covid-19
Video:
Speakers:
Mary-Ann Stephenson, director of the Women’s Budget Group
Eleanor Lisney, co-founder of Sisters of Frida
Wanda Wyporska, executive director of The Equality Trust
The Women’s Budget Group has worked tirelessly to produce a number of reports about the multifarious impacts on women of the current pandemic, so we are delighted to welcome them to the Feminist Library to share some insights with us about their findings. These shocking statistics must be a wake-up call to all of us to make sure that women do not slip even further behind economically as society returns to so-called ‘normal’.
Resources:
- Website for The Equality Trust: https://www.equalitytrust.org.uk/
- The Women’s Budget Group report on the impact of COVID-19 on women: https://wbg.org.uk/…/rep…/crises-collide-women-and-covid-19/
- Update: https://wbg.org.uk/blog/covid-19-and-women-what-we-know-so-far/
- Sisters of Frida’s position paper on disabled women and COVID: http://www.sisofrida.org/the-impact-of-covid-19-on-disabl…/…
- WinVisible’s evidence to MPs on disabled women https://winvisibleblog.wordpress.com/…/testimony-to-mps-un…/
- Petition to call on the UK govt & NHS to listen to disabled people’s voices when making health policies! And please help spread the word! https://t.co/Br4zMkbOPc
- WBG report on BAME women and COVID: https://wbg.org.uk/analysis/bame-women-and-covid-19/
- Petition to improve Maternal Mortality Rates and Health Care for Black Women in the U.K: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/301079
- The Migrant Women Report from WBG https://wbg.org.uk/…/latest-report-migrant-women-and-the-e…/
- The Women’s Budget Group have also written a blog on migrant women and domestic abuse risk during the lockdown: https://wbg.org.uk/…/we-need-a-way-out-for-migrant-women-e…/
Some other organisations that have been doing good work in the area of migrant healthcare charges:
- The Patients Not Passports toolkit, with step by step advocacy guides, patient advice cards, key arguments, and other resources (navigate to the resources page) – www.PatientsNotPassports.co.uk
- Medact’s briefing on charging, where it came from, how the policy is applied, and why it doesn’t work – https://www.medact.org/…/…/briefings/patients-not-passports/
- Maternity Action’s report ‘What price safe motherhood?’ – https://maternityaction.org.uk/…/what-price-safe-motherhood/
We talked about ‘the law of humanity’ and how we need a different way of doing things and working to come out of these multiple crises. Learn more about other relevant campaigns:
- No recourse to public funds:
https://ukhumanrightsblog.com/…/the-law-of-humanity-home-…/… - We need solidarity, collaboration and unity could get us through the crises: 1forequality.org
And last but not least, please donate to the Feminist Library and any of the organisations who have spoken that you might want to support:
https://feministlibrary.co.uk/support/
http://www.sisofrida.org/donate/
https://www.equalitytrust.org.uk/support-us
https://wbg.org.uk/donate/
Webinar 3: 25th June 2020 – Reproductive health(care) is care too!
Video:
Speakers:
Abortion Support Network – Mara Clarke – founder; volunteer manager and abortion funder
Birthrights – Maria Booker, programmes director
Brook / Ponton – Paula Wawrzynczyk – sex educator, Poland/UK
Decolonising Contraception – Annabel Sowemimo & Edem Ntumy
Fumble – Lucy Whitehouse – sex educator
Marie Stopes UK – Sarah Salkeld – clinical lead for early medical abortion
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have heard a lot about moves to restrict reproductive rights and limit access to healthcare provisions. In many countries, anti-choice organisations saw the pandemic as an opportunity to attack reproductive, women’s and human rights. Access to sexual education has also been affected. In the third session of our care series, we will be discussing reproductive health(care) and sexual education, and how the pandemic has affected the accessibility of these services, with speakers from Fumble, Brook, Ponton, and Abortion Support Network (and more to be announced). We will also be discussing these issues from an international perspective. We will be looking at the international context and how things have changed during the pandemic, and what we can do to support campaigns, organisations and activists doing important work in this area.
Resources:
- We talked about the impact of the pandemic on abortion service access: https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/coronavirus-abortion-clinic-doctor-nurse-mental-health-a9424236.html (Thanks Annabel!)
- And similarly with other services – with international resources being shared: https://www.aidsmap.com/news/apr-2020/uk-sexual-health-services-are-being-decimated-covid-19 (thanks Paula!)
- We discussed how we could put more pressure (locally and internationally) to make abortions services legal and more accessible. It always makes a difference to write your MP, because trust me the anti-abortion crowd never stop (Mara). At UN level all this, including abortion, as health care is very much being argued for. (thanks Sue!)
- We also talked about (some) improvements in access to abortion that have been enabled in the UK as a result of the temporary (hopefully not!) lifting of the restrictions imposed by the 1967 Abortion Act, the campaigning organisation to join is Abortion Rights: https://abortionrights.org.uk/ (thanks Browen!)
- We also talked about some underground abortion initiatives, like the Second Wave:
‘Ask for Jane’ in Chicago: https://www.marieclaire.com/politics/a27496761/ask-for-jane-movie-true-story/
Or today’s Abortion Without Borders: https://www.asn.org.uk/about-abortion-without-borders/
Or this fascinating DIY initiative in Barcelona attempting to reclaim body autonomy (much like the second wave feminist movement in America): https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/qkvyjw/meet-the-gynepunks-pushing-the-boundaries-of-diy-gynecology (Thank you Sara!)
And resources, like this one from Fumble: aimed at young people (up to 25) but relevant to everyone: audio package on abortion – a supportive and honest journey into abortion, including real-life experiences and advice on how to access an abortion: https://www.fumble.org.uk/fumble-talks-abortion/ - We talked about all the patriarchal reasons why reproductive healthcare is always (and still!) such a contentious issue, and some useful reads on this were mentioned, like:
‘Witches, midwives and Nurses.’ – a Second Wave classic you can find in our collections or a version freely available online: https://www.feministes-radicales.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Barbara-Ehrenreich-and-Deirdre-English-Witches-Midwives-and-Nurses-A-History-of-Women-Healers.-Introduction..pdf
And its new version: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/45464/for-her-own-good-by-barbara-ehrenreich-and-deirdre-english/ (Thanks Sarah!) - Check out also, e.g. this free resource on the politis of menstruation: http://ww3.haverford.edu/psychology/ddavis/p109g/steinem.menstruate.html (thanks Sarah!)
- ‘Invisible Women’ by Caroline Criado Perez also good for medical sexism (Thanks Georgina!) *Please remember to buy from independent bookshops if ordering any books!* Like: https://pagesofhackney.co.uk/lockdown/product/invisible-women-exposing-data-bias-in-a-world-designed-for-men-caroline-criado-perez/
- We also talked about alternative and natural family planning methods. And these great resources were shared: paper that analyses fertility apps and provides insight on the gaping holes in the data gathering parameters especially the quantification of it: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13691058.2014.920528 (Thanks Sara! Sarah P added: ‘They’re a great tool for recording info but they are not reliable for interpreting. I see too many women who have been let down by them. https://www.befertilityaware.co.uk/apps.html. Should add that apps are improving – and that I do appreciate how they have raised the profile of fertility awareness. There’s a really promising one coming out called Read Your Body.’)
- Sarah Panzetta, Fertility Aware shared some wonderful resources: NHS guide to fertility awareness as contraception (Natural family planning) https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/contraception/natural-family-planning/.
Facebook as a useful resource – 28K women in this group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/FertilityAwareness.BirthControl.
Guttmacher contraceptive efficacy chart: https://www.guttmacher.org/fact-sheet/contraceptive-effectiveness-united-states
BMJ article on fertility awareness: https://srh.bmj.com/content/46/2/147 - We talked about how we can make safer environments for young people to speak out about these issues. Involving young people in these discussions can help a lot to relieve guilt and give more autonomy to young people in their schools, whilst emphasising that sexual abuse and bullying is not to be tolerated or accepted. (thanks Emilie!)
Some resources were shared:
- To make it easier for young people to engage with sexual education in different formats: like social media or Netflix (thanks Sarah!)
- But also, free RSE resources from organisations like Brook which joined us: https://www.brook.org.uk/resources/
We further discussed the difficulties with getting boys engaged in these conversations: (ref. Boys Don’t Try? by Mark Roberts and Matt Pinkett – thanks Georgina!)
Fumble is recruiting a youth advisory board, so if you know any young people please pass it along: https://www.fumble.org.uk/get-involved/ - We also talked about how we can help other sexual and reproductive health organisations integrate decolonising thinking/ methods into their work.
We’re looking forward to reading up on this, for example Annabel from Decolonising Contraception suggested: ‘Decolonising Methodologies’ by Lidna Tuhiwai Smith: https://www.zedbooks.net/shop/book/decolonizing-methodologies/ - Other useful links:
Abortion Support Network updates: https://www.asn.org.uk/news/
Birthrights COVID resources: https://www.birthrights.org.uk/covid-19/
Birthrights coronavirus statement: https://www.birthrights.org.uk/2020/03/31/birthrights-calls-for-protection-of-uk-women-giving-birth-during-coronavirus/
Brook Covid response: https://www.brook.org.uk/covid-19-response/
And free SRE courses online: https://www.brook.org.uk/brook-learn/
Decolonising Contraception – coronavirus guides: https://www.decolonisingcontraception.com/guides
Fumble blog: https://www.fumble.org.uk/
Marie Stopes UK coronavirus guide: https://www.mariestopes.org.uk/news/coronavirus-covid-19-statement-1/
And links shared by our other participants:
Abortion Rights Cardiff: https://www.facebook.com/groups/abortionrightscardiff/
BPAS – British Pregnancy Advisry Service: https://www.bpas.org/
Desperate Artwives – a platform for mothers/artists: https://www.desperateartwives.co.uk/about/
Maternal Journal: https://www.maternaljournal.org/
S.A.R.R.A. – an independent abortion rights group based in County Sligo, one of two remaining counties with no abortion provision since Repeal: https://northwestactivistsireland.com/sligo-action-for-reproductive-rights-access/
Sue E, Germany, mentioned a series of presentations to Women’s groups in Munich at present, covering the international structures (UN, Council of Europe and Istanbul Convention) and situations in different countries – we’ll have to follow up to get the resources.
Women’s Health Cross Party Group in Wales, set up to address inequities in access to Abortion services across Wales: https://business.senedd.wales/mgOutsideBodyDetails.aspx?ID=539
And last but not least, please donate to the Feminist Library and any of the organisations who have spoken that you might want to support:
The best way to support the Library is with a regular donation. You can sign up here: https://feministlibrary.co.uk/support/friends-scheme/
And other organisations involved:
Abortion Support Network – www.asn.org.uk/donate
Birthrights: https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/charity-web/charity/finalCharityHomepage.action?charityId=1007158
Brook Charity: https://www.brook.org.uk/get-involved/donate/
Decolonising Contraception: https://www.paypal.me/decolonisingcontra19:25:53
Fumble: https://www.fumble.org.uk/donate/
Webinar 4: 13th August 2020 –Housing as a feminist issue
Video:
Speakers:
Mandy Ogunmokun, Treasures Foundation
Luchia Fitzgerald, housing activist in Manchester
Representative of London Renters’ Union
Representative from Sistah Space
After a short break, and as some of us begin to emerge from lockdown, we return to the question of how we can build a feminist future based on coming together to fight against the deficit of caring in society. Housing is one of the key areas where women’s caring and care for women has been consistently undervalued. In this capitalist society, housing is seen as a market and as an investment for those who own it and trade in it – this obviously conflicts with the concept of housing as a home. Decades of government policy has focused, in housing and beyond, on caring for profit rather than people. This means that social housing in particular has been going through tough financial times, which impacts disproportionately on women. To give just two examples: there is a big crossover between key workers and people living in social housing, and especially in the fields of education and healthcare, many of these workers are women and women of colour; the Covid-19 crisis has worsened the situation of many families living in overcrowded situations with no respite, leading to an increase in domestic violence, mental health problems, and loss of childcare provision.
Resources:
Coming soon..