Green Party Women Q&A

Elections are underway for a new Green Party Women's committee and following the recent hustings (link to follow), we dealt with written questions. These are my responses as a candidate for Co-Chair: 

Question for Co-chairs: 

Q- What will you do to resolve the conflict GPW has had around the sex /
gender debate over the last couple of years?

A- The solutions are best found by involving more voices/views and yet there are so many who have been excluded from discussions because the environment has become hostile and cruel. We must be able to speak, even if we don’t get the words all correct and especially if our voices quake. We need a space for this discussion that does not involve being shouted down or labelled in ways that are just not true.

We also need to ‘quarantine’ (not sure the best word?) this subject so that it stops dividing us and tainting all the other aspects of our Party; making it seem this is all we are about. Members and voters expect the Green Party to be a political party focused on protecting life on earth and striving for system change to enable the best outcomes for all. We know that media and other parties are using this conflict to demean and degrade us so that we fail and so… we must unite in agreement that this conflict will be addressed.

INCLUDING:
Q- What's the *first* step you would take in moving GPW beyond the debates that mire us down, so that we can actually start getting things done again
(lifting up women's environmental activism)?

A- Request the same circumstances that have enabled Young Greens to become the largest group within the party – auto-enrolment. When new members join and fill-in their details – if they match the criteria for Young Greens – they are automatically a member of the group and receive welcoming emails and engagement from the start (with an opt-out for those not wanting it) – for all other criteria, this doesn’t happen. I don’t understand why it’s different for the Greens of Colour, Seniors, Disability and Women’s groups - each would benefit hugely if this could be implemented.

I have come to realise that good outcomes come when we have many more voices in the conversation and I believe that GPW when populated with many more members, will thrive.


Questions for All Candidates:

Q-  Male violence against women is not high on all agendas as it should
be and too many males just can't or won't take responsibility. "Not all
males" is the usual deflection. How will GPW address this issue with GP
males?(for context, 2-3 women a week are murdered by their partners and
rape cases are increasing in the UK although convictions are down)

A- I recognise this and like most women, have relatable experience; the fear, limitation and perhaps worst of all – the dismissiveness that this is the massive problem that it is. A strong women’s group could and should be bringing this issue to members and requesting support at actions, campaigns and policies that will address it. The Green Party men I know (maybe I’m lucky?) are already supportive and I don’t doubt that the ones I don’t know are too but there is no opportunity or situation in which we discuss this in any meaningful way. The past few years of conflict over sex/gender have made this even harder to discuss and created more division. GPW though can continue to champion the rights of women to live without the threat of violence and for laws and sentencing to reflect this. Joining with other women’s groups with the same aims will ensure we have the numbers and volume to achieve more.

Q- What events, meetings etc would you organise for Green Party Women?

A- I’d hope to see our participation with other women’s groups of all sorts in order to expand our reach, enrich our network and understanding and truly begin to represent the rich diversity of women. From rallying and protesting around key issues for and about women – to joining as women together to tackle environment and social challenges.

Unity and power in a group are strengthened by social and creative events and we’ve seen how popular and enjoyable GPW’s book club, yoga and chat rooms could be (during the first lock-down, they helped to keep us connected and provided a calm, welcoming and warm place to be online when all around was becoming so unfamiliar; huge thanks to those on the committee that made this happen)… my experience amongst women in the anti-fracking movement was made all the more rewarding because we sang, danced, shared food, learned crafts from each other and found our unity outside of political/personal opinions.

I would also love to see us aim for a yearly ‘Women’s Conference’ not just as Green Party women but to have an inclusive conference open to all women.

Q- Women are crying out for a left-leaning political home. Why is the
Green Party failing to provide this leadership and how could you help to
reverse this lack?

A- I see this too, the need to provide a place for the politically homeless as well as ‘naturally Green members’ and the opportunity we’re missing in not reaching out to them. Our party has exceptional social as well as environmental policies and at the last election, I often felt that Labour was reading from our manifesto! There have been mistakes I think in the way we have engaged potential new members who’ve come from other parties – a genuine warm welcome would be an excellent start.

As a women’s group we can cross political and other divides and work, engage and unite with women of all parties and none, to achieve goals together ie: defend a women’s refuge against closure, support victims’ groups, join actions or create them around the impacts of climate and the lives of women across the world etc. We need to BE open and welcoming and inclusive of all women from differing backgrounds, beliefs, abilities and politics and in doing this, we will grow.

Q- Is changing gender the same as changing sex and are there
implications for policy if they are not the same thing? Including, how
can GPW act effectively to advance the interests of women as a sex class
if male non-binary people are included in the group?

A- No the terms gender and sex refer to different aspects of a person. Gender is how we express ourselves and can be fluid throughout our lives, whereas sex is about our physical state ie: anatomy/biology that is observed and noted at birth.

In matters of policy (particularly around healthcare) it is essential that the terms gender and sex are not misused.

I see Green Party Women as being about so much more than protecting women’s sex-based rights - but our sex-based rights are at the core of the group’s purpose. GPW must be an inclusive group for all women of every race, class, ability and religion and the introduction of male non-binary members can lead to the exclusion of women who due to religion, personal beliefs or experiences etc. will not be able to participate in a mixed-sex group.  

...

*I wanted to check ‘official’ use of the terms sex and gender and the Office of National Statistics definitions do in fact match my understanding.

[The UK government defines
Sex as: referring to the biological aspects of an individual as determined by their anatomy, which is produced by their chromosomes, hormones and their interactions generally male or female
Gender as: a social construction relating to behaviours and attributes based on labels of masculinity and femininity; gender identity is a personal, internal perception of oneself and so the gender category someone identifies with may not match their sex - where an individual may see themselves as a man, a woman, as having no gender, or as having a non-binary gender – where people identify as somewhere on a spectrum between man and woman]

(ALL candidates' answers here: Candidates 2022 written answers to hustings questions - Green Party Women)

Green Women 2022

Another round of internal elections for the Green Party - this time for the committee members for the Green Party Women's group. I'll be standing as Co-Chair. All candidates are being announced today. and there will be one online hustings on THURSDAY 6th Jan 2022 at 7pm - link will be sent to members via email. Voting will take place (for those registered) up until 21st Jan 2022.

*Below is the statement I made about why I would like the role:

[Green Party Women is destined to be a powerful and effective group within Green Party of England and Wales and I’d love to be on the committee that makes that happen. I’m running for the position of Co-Chair and if elected, would seek to grow our membership and create a powerful lobby of women; able to stand strong and campaign on key issues for women… but more than that, to work AS WOMEN on a whole host of issues that matter to everyone.

My experience as a climate activist fighting fracking, taught me a lot about the power that women bring to campaigns and I’d love to harness that vitality and unity.

As well as effective climate campaigning, Green Party Women would be a bold, beautiful part of what will lead voters to vote for the Green Party; bringing our members to higher visibility through local campaigns across the regions.

The Green Party is the only OPPOSITION to all the other parties that would NOT prioritise the climate emergency, and with an ever more authoritarian Tory government, it has never been more important that there is a genuinely ‘Green’ party and that it comprises powerful groups. Green Party Women has so much potential and I believe I could help ‘tap’ into it.]

Activist is not a dirty word

It’s been all waves of hope and despair churning away at my optimism/pessimism as #COP26 fills the screen… I’m speaking later today in Glasgow at the Rally (from the top of a fire engine!) and it’s hard to know what’s even worth saying and I can’t work out how I feel about where we’re at right now and whatever’s next ☹

What the hell is the appropriate tone to take when discussing potential extinction? Some say "be positive, we can't give up hope" - others say "talk about adaptation, about dealing with the reality of the worst that could come". And what point is there to all this anyway – to us gathering in Glasgow and all the others at gatherings all over the UK and the world today… why are you and I even bothering to pay attention when so often we’re failed and have no reason to expect better? My friend Alan asked in a poll: “Do you believe #COP26 will result in significant global change on how we tackle climate change?” 90% or people said NO. Not me – I was in the 10%. I said YES - but not necessarily BECAUSE of #COP26 the conference - but because of the increased awareness and understanding of what we're actually facing. Our survival depends on action and that at least, is more obvious than it’s ever been. 'The Leaders' may fail - but I don't believe that 'The People' will. We gather because WE want to plan ahead and not live for just this moment and the next. Our OBLIGATION drives us - our obligation as parents, grandparents, brothers, sisters – and as co-dependent creatures in a habitat that's sick and sickening more every day. ACTIVIST is not a dirty word - it's an aspiration and an essential ingredient in *democracy. (*We don’t seem to currently have a democracy though; we are in the hands of businessmen and their greed. That's what needs to change in order for anything positive to come. ) There’s been an awful lot of false-promising and lying coming from those at COP26 who are trying to deny reality and keep on profiting… but also, there’s been a huge amount of determined, powerful energy and unity in the protests and the knowledgeable words I hear from activists on media. So many good people, far out-numbering the bad… we may not hold ‘the power’ but we are powerful when we realise it in ourselves ...and each-other. We activists, we’re the optimists - we see what CAN BE and we fight for it. The Greenwashers are the killers – they see what they can get away with, what ‘growth opportunities’ they can seize, what future technology they can imagine as a magic solution and they condemn us and other species to extinction. The wealthier countries are trying to claim credit for cleaner back-yards at home… whilst off-shoring the dirty industries that their voters won’t tolerate. UK-supported fracking in Argentina or Canadian-supported fracking in Namibia – is STILL BLOODY FRACKING! It’s still bloody methane in the air, plastics as a by-product and earthquakes that come as standard. Yet the UK government and Canadian will not own those emissions, seismic activity, water pollution, lost habitats, ruined lives and fractured communities… they off-shored it! We know, there is a better way. We know that there are multitudes of clever, creative innovators who already have the solutions – they’ve just been silenced by the system... denied funding, denied support, denied a place to put their solutions and been kept out of the conversation by big business and its big lobbying. In fact it’s not even lobbying anymore is it? As we’ve seen this week – politicians can be lobbyists & politicians & in industry all at once… multi-tasking for profit. I read a quote yesterday: “State capture happens when narrow interest groups take control of public policy, buying influence to rewrite the rules. There are signs it’s happening in Britain” - Liz David-Barrett So why gather? We need to roar to be heard and we’re louder together. We need to show that we are watching and we will act to preserve life – even if they won’t. We need to reassure ourselves that we are many and they are few… we need to make our connections and weave our networks so that we can call on each other as we did when we fought fracking… to know that those boots will come to the ground we’re preserving or the tree we’re protecting or to halt trucks, hinder HS2, prevent more coal mines and oil fields. Each and every one of us can take a role and increase the power to the good-side… and although not everyone can physically be present – there’s plenty else to do to add weight to the good-side; research, sharing, writing, informing – all this matters. WE need to take back control of the conversation… to ensure it’s not bullshit from politicians that we hear the most but authentic voices, speaking out for the right reasons. We each – as far as we actually know – are born and get just this one ride, this one go-round at life… and we gift the same to our children and theirs. No ONE of us was born with a special-issue ticket entitling us to a different class of life or an upgrade… this fight for our lives, is OUR fight, every one of us. I'm on a one-ticket go-round with you – let’s stay close, refuse petty divisions and fight first for the one thing that matters above all else – ensuring the life-support system can support life. We can deal with the rest once we’ve got that bit sorted 💗

The Era of Injustice is Over: COP26 Coalition Opening Event

Hustings Intro for LGBTIQA+ Greens

 Thank you. Tonight I’ve written a script for the intro – something I rarely do but I  wanted to be sure I got my words out as well as I can.

As a child in Australia and later as a teenager in Hong Kong, I watched in confusion and later anger as my mother’s dearest friend and boss Brian, a homosexual man – was forced to hide is love for his partner Colin. In Australia it was easier for them than it proved to be in Hong Kong, where the penalties were fierce and the determination to apply them, strong. At 17 I started working as a reporter on a Hong Kong daily and one of the first stories I was part of investigating was the use of conversion therapy to ‘help make homosexuals normal’ – it involved the use of varying degrees of shocks, depending on response to images. I was horrified. As a British colony, Hong Kong's criminal laws against homosexual acts were initially the same as British law, with a maximum sentence of life imprisonment but then, in 1991 the Legislative Council agreed to decriminalise homosexual relations. I wish Brian and Colin had been around to see that. No-one should have to hide their love or be scared to be their true selves.

Here in the UK homosexuality wasn’t penalised or judged until Christianity arrived in 597 AD and later, the Buggery Act of 1533 got even more brutal and made it illegal and punishable by death. It wasn’t till 1967 homosexuality was finally decriminalised. Every battle for homosexual rights was a dangerous one and every campaigner risked so much.  It’s a massive credit to the gay rights movement that the hard-won campaigns on age-of-consent and same-sex marriage successfully changed laws to recognise these rights to be the same for all people. Research in 2019 showed that 86% of the UK agreed that homosexuality should be accepted by society. We’ve come a long way but there’s more to do here too.

When Martin and I decided to stand in this election, we spent a lot of time discussing policies and party issues to find out if we shared views and thankfully, we have yet to find one we don’t agree with each other on. Treating all people with decency and respect and ensuring diversity is welcomed and embraced, is at the core of who we are … and ensuring the Green Party of England and Wales is protected and propelled into power is why we’re here.

This particular hustings has weighed heavily for a multitude of reasons. Our unity and our party’s reputation are of paramount importance to the UK and indeed the planet – without the Greens fighting to get climate and ecological breakdown on the agenda and in the news, we wouldn’t stand a chance. NO other party genuinely cares – they pay lip-service for votes. WE tell the truth and the truth is needed now more than ever. But our unity and reputation are under threat because of disagreement between those fighting for trans rights and those fighting to protect womens rights.

Tonight I feel out of my depth and at risk of error at risk of adding to the dis-unity – as many members I know feel similarly… unsure of how to phrase things correctly, how to ensure others know you mean no ill-will and how to express concerns without causing further division. As we move through these hustings, the conversation will come round to the very serious matter of trans rights and womens rights and where our policies impact these. It’s serious because whether you are involved or not, this matter has become a focal point for our Party both internally and externally in the media, online and at meetings.  We’ve lost members, seen our disputes and disciplinary processes stretched beyond their resources and we know, that members are feeling anger and hurt.

It’s serious because for nearly five decades, members have worn-down shoe rubber and bruised knuckles getting our Party to where we are today… and our 450 plus councillors, one MP, thousands of activists and tens of thousands of members – need us to stop this from damaging our reputation beyond repair.

We must face the discussions that are needed to resolve it. We cannot say ‘we’ll educate the dissent away’ or suggest that if members aren’t happy with policies that they should leave the party. When Sian suggested this, I was shocked. Surely resolution is what we all want? The policy that 'Trans Women are Women, Trans Men are Men and non-binary identities are valid'… has caused members to question how this policy impacts the rights of women to single sex spaces and the right to request examination by someone of the female sex. And progress can’t come because even saying these words and questioning the policy has been damning to members of all views and none.

There’s no easy answers but it’s essential that we work till we find them and in doing so - ‘be the change we wish to see’ – treating others with dignity and without prejudice.  As with any subject or campaign, not all members will be aware of all that has gone on or even have knowledge of the issues and implications being referred to. We need to be sure that members aren’t in the dark and can access clear information and ask questions, in a safe and respectful way.

Martin and I want to work for resolution and I hope tonight goes some way to finding a less troubled path.

Green Party Leadership Hustings 2021

Love, Inclusion & Environmental Activism 29 Aug 2020