Is there a gender challenge we want to tackle in this Loomio group?

Thanks, Luke - I appreciate you flagging this. I am actually just a little at full capacity right now with reading docs so getting involved in Loomio threads at the moment, on top of Mattermost is just too much. I haven't even been able to join in on your new MM channel and I'd like to! I'll join in when I can.

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I'd like to comment that I tire of hearing the word Patriarchal misapplied all over the place.
It's a lazy and inaccurate substitute for "predominantly male" or "mostly men".

Patriarchy is a social system in which men hold ALL primary power and predominate in roles of political leadership, moral authority, social privilege and control of property.

I can see what you're saying, Tony. Makes sense. And yet, on re-reading Luke's numbers, that is pretty thought provoking to me, actually.

Clare Hedin, MA

Music, Healing, & Consciousness

https://clarehedin.com ( http://www.clarehedin.com/ )

https://dynamicemergence.net ( http://www.dynamicemergence.net/ )

https://soundcloud.com/clarehedin

#RightsOfNatureinUSConstitution ( https://calconcon.wixsite.com/calconcon )
UK mobile/What'sApp: +44 07563 409 626

USA Cell/What'sApp: +1 720 382 8414

Live Music for Yoga @ Grace Cathedral w/Bodhi Setchko

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Heal society’s understanding of creativity, ecology, community, business & governance.

https://youtu.be/u5IePQfIT1Q

Brief intro to Dynamic Emergence

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRA_9DNAaeA ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRA_9DNAaeA )

Meet Clare & Hear Her Music

https://youtu.be/FqQH_ouz6Ro ( https://youtu.be/FqQH_ouz6Ro )

Horfield School's Song Of The Sea

https://youtu.be/Lq2BVI7ZSto ( https://youtu.be/Lq2BVI7ZSto )

This not to say that I am unaware of multiple power imbalances inside XR, but unless we all mitigate power the imbalances will remain, terms that are confrontational will tend to polarise, and, as I never tire of saying, the best decisions are made when all stakeholders are equally involved in making them.

Hi LukeGreat thread. I have been considering for myself (she) why I am reticent about participating. It may sound a stereotype but I know that I am very conditioned socially to letting men speak first and that if I sound too confident I may be labelled pushy/ bossy/ aggressive etc. It is hard to step outside of a strong social norm particularly in what feels quite a public space full of people I dont know.
I think it only through having "met" Edwin in a breakout room of the empathy circle and experienceing the humility and generosity that I have started to contribute a very little.
This is a reality for many women, no matter how high powered the role they perform the social insecurity may still exist.

that is a benefit of the empathy circle, - that it gives everyone a voice and a chance to feel fully heard to their satisfaction. It does help create a sense of equality and fairness in giving a voice to everyone. It gives the quieter people an equal chance to be included. so if you want a wider inclusion of people.. hold more dialogues using empathy circles.
(it also helps bridge the political left and right divide as well.)

@Nikki Kennelly I love your sharing and feel humbled and invited by your honesty. Thank you so much.

This is something I'm starting to work on and have recognised that we have an issue with where I live (on the Isle of Wight). We have only 15% women on our council chamber, and when women councillors or prospective women politicians are in local media, they are slated. It's a hostile environment for a woman to enter, potentially frightening if you feel you want to serve your community.

A few years ago a facebook group was set up called 'inspiring women of the Isle of Wight' where women were nominating each other for various reasons. A group was formed and a few social gatherings happened. there have been hic-cups in the group structure and the ladies who set up the group have had to leave because of disagreements. I went to meet the lady who set it up and she has given me lots of names of contacts to talk to.

My initial idea was to get a group of women together and to provide them with training with the skills it takes to become a good councillor; listening skills, facilitation skills, scrutiny skills, confidence in being able to ask potentially difficult questions. I'm at the beginning of the journey really, because I'm not a councillor but I am considering it. Our elections come up in May 2021.

I then realised it's not just women, it's all minorities who are not represented in the council chamber at all. So the thought then went into opening this right up. So, to have a bunch of people from all backgrounds to start working together from the outset, building trust together and cooperating together. Then I did the flatpack democracy zoom meeting last week and thought 'Oh wow, this kind of thing is already happening, I can learn from this' I'm really inspired by what Portishead Independents did.

Our mp and council is conservative. People vote for party colours and not the person. When our council declared a climate emergency I was there. There was filibustering going on, and the council leader voted against it. The vote went through, but I felt that these should be the 'elders of the community', the trusted ones. I felt then that if the colours were removed from politics, and decent people were put forward who were proved to have the skills needed and were already trained with excellent skills, then we stand a chance.

I totally agree that the empathy circles are great for giving women confidence to speak up. I'd like to see a step further in that and have more women , LGBTQIA, ethnicities, represented. I feel social media is like a permanent rage against politicians: I can't do facebook because it gives me mental health issues. There is strength in numbers, and I feel imbalances need to be addressed in the people that represent us, to permeate into society.

This probably doesn't answer the thread question, but I'm new to Loomio and the Future Democracies group. This is stuff I've been working on and thinking about for about 4 months,

Hi Julie - thanks for your post. I'm actually going to be in Isle of White for <4 weeks, starting April 15-May 10. I'd love to talk with you, even prior to that. If you want to chat can you email me your number? [email protected]