Press Release: Feminist Library welcomes Nadia Whittle MP to the first of its webinars on ‘Care’
29th May 2020. For Immediate Release.
Feminist Library welcomes Nadia Whittome MP to the first of its webinars on ‘Care’
Building a feminist world – finding our way out of crisis
Launch events:
- Thursday 4th June 7 p.m. (BST) – Care workers in crisis
- Thursday 11th June 7 p.m. (BST) – When crises collide: women and Covid19
Since the advent of Covid19, more attention has been paid to the role of caring in society, but much of this work is still hidden. Caring covers all areas of life, but it is not widely acknowledged that the vast amount of caring, both paid and unpaid, is done by women, and often women of colour.
The current crisis has highlighted the gaping holes in welfare provision that have become increasingly evident over the last decade of austerity, and how they have disproportionately affected women and poor people.
The Feminist Library is launching a series of webinars to expose some of these unacknowledged inequalities. The series will launch with the following two webinars:
Webinar 1: Care workers in crisis – Thursday 4th June 7 p.m. (BST)
Registration here £0, £2, £5.
Online event on Zoom. Event link given via email after registration.
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.
Mary, a local authority care worker, said:
‘I want to bring attention to domiciliary care workers – the government and media don’t give us any attention, even now. At first the clapping was only for front-line workers in the NHS, and of course they do a very good job, but we need to be recognised as part of the healthcare system. When the situation in care homes began to be revealed, they changed the Thursday night clapping to Clapping for Carers, but I still didn’t hear anything about domiciliary care workers.’
Webinar 2: When crises collide: women and Covid-19 – Thursday 11th June 7 p.m. (BST)
Registration here £0, £2, £5.
Online event on Zoom. Event link given via email after registration.
Speakers:
- Mary-Ann Stephenson, director of the Women’s Budget Group
- Other speakers TBC
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’. Link to WBG report
Upcoming events in the series:
Further webinars are being planned by the Feminist Library, covering such topics as women of colour, migrants and asylum seekers; LGBTQ+ issues; housing and homelessness; childcare; pregnancy, birth and maternity leave, reproductive rights; employment; education; physical and mental well-being.
Notes for Editors:
For more information please contact:
Email: emma@feministlibrary.co.uk with any enquiries.
About the Library
The Feminist Library was founded in 1975 by a small group of passionate volunteers at the height of the Women’s Liberation Movement. It boasts an incomparable collection of over 7,000 books, 1,500 periodical titles from around the world, several archives of feminist individuals and organisations, pamphlets, papers, posters, and ephemera.
With no government or external funding, it has survived for nearly 45 years by the goodwill and passion of dedicated volunteers and the support of the public. It opens five days a week and welcomes visitors of any gender. It is committed to a community policy that is intersectional, non-sectarian and trans-inclusive.
The Library has a vibrant book club, shop, arts and community programme. As well as enabling research and activism, it provides a space in London for feminists and community groups to have meetings, readings, exhibitions and events. The Library supports not just archiving work, but also independent producers and artists, and publishes its own zines.
The Feminist Library
The Sojourner Truth Community Centre
161 Sumner Rd, Peckham, London SE15 6JL
Telephone: 0207 261 0879
Web: www.feministlibrary.co.uk
Twitter: @feministlibrary
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The Feminist Library is a registered charity 1174735 (formerly 272410)
Company no. CE012267