Waiting for permission

Do you ever wait to see what other people are doing before taking the lead? Do you hold yourself back, second guess yourself?

It's definitely something I have been guilty of but as I get older, less so. Maybe it's because I'm running out of time? I certainly find myself hesitating less and pushing forward more.

I've been very impressed with the Women's Institute's swift and firm response to recent pressure to exclude trans women. Exclusion would mean overturning existing, long-standing policy and practice. Melissa Green, the WI's Chief Executive, said

Being part of the WI is about the experience of being a woman, and that is a combination of both biology and lived experience,” she said in an interview with the Guardian. “For us, transgender women are women and we want to share and celebrate their experience with them. I know from speaking to so many of our members that they feel that we are enriched by that, that we learn something about being a woman through the eyes of transgender women.

As we approach the local government elections which are taking place across a large swathe of England on May 4, 2023. The Fawcett Society has published research showing that 95% of councils are dominated by men. Only 18 of 382 councils have achieved gender parity.

There are also local elections in Northern Ireland on May 18, 2023. Given the inertia in Northern Ireland politics, it'll be interesting to see the results of this one.

Interesting and useful links 🖇️

There is a tonne of useful resources about Equality on the TUC web site.

This is a handy blog on dos and don'ts on designing for diversity.

The consulting firm, McKinsey, has been publishing reports on diversity and inclusion for many years. Here's their latest on which initiatives are working better than others.

Day of the Week 📆

During April this year, we have seen the major festivals of many faiths coinciding which doesn't happen very often. Here is a useful resource from the UK Inter faith network. I wish everyone, of any faith and none, a happy and blessed time.

What am I reading? 📚

I’ve been reading Antonia Fraser's book about the Gunpowder Plot recently. There was a lot I didn't know.

What am I watching? 👀

Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows.

Rocky Balboa

What am I listening to? 👂

I've been listening to Noel Gallagher's new single, Council Skies. Bit outside my usual territory but it's been on repeat in my ears this week. Have a listen. I love it.

The name comes from the artist Pete McKee's work.

Joy-giving things 😍

Here's a dandelion for #WildflowerHour

Every Sunday between 8-9pm, people share photos of the flowers they have found growing wild in Britain and Ireland during the previous week on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or Mastodon using the hashtag #WildflowerHour.

I apologise in advance if the newsletter gets a little less frequent. There are new exciting things afoot - more soon.

Have a great weekend

Lucy

I write this newsletter because I believe in sharing progressive ideas that help us work towards a truly equal world.

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Thank you!

ChangeOut is created by Lucy Caldicott. You can find more about my work at ChangeOut.org. If you’re looking to have a chat about culture, leadership, purpose, equity, or a facilitated team discussion about any of those things, get in touch. You can also find me on Bluesky, Instagram, and, LinkedIn.

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