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Mumsnet webchats

Mariella Frostrup: live webchat about gender equality (and other stuff), TODAY, Wednesday 7 November, 12.30pm to 1.30pm

70 replies

HelenMumsnet · 05/11/2012 15:47

We're very pleased to announce that Mariella Frostrup will be joining us on Wednesday 7 November got a live webchat.

Mariella, who is promoting the GREAT Initiative, is a journalist and broadcaster who writes a weekly column for The Observer, a book column for Psychologies and is the film critic for Harper's Bazaar. She also presents The Book Show for Sky Arts and Open Book for BBC Radio 4.

The GREAT (Gender Rights and Equality Action Trust) Initiative is a charity that works to redress gender imbalance. It provides financial and organisational support to women in Africa - particularly Liberia - working at grassroots level to increase gender equality.

In order to help fundraise, the London jeweller Boodles has teamed up with GREAT to launch the GREAT Boodles Bangle, a bracelet designed to celebrate female friendship. All profits from the sale of GREAT Boodles Bangles will go straight to grassroots gender equality projects led by individual women with the know-how to make real changes in their community.

Mariella is keen to hear your thoughts on gender inequality and feminism, and to also to answer your questions on anything and everything. Do read Mariella's guest blog before you post to get a sense of why she set up GREAT.

We hope you can join us on Wednesday. But, as ever, if you can't make it, you are most welcome to post your questions here in advance.

OP posts:
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mignonette · 05/11/2012 18:58

Good.....Mariella has been giving great interview lately...

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chipmunch · 05/11/2012 23:19

Excellent, Mariella is a good egg and it will be interesting to hear what she has to say.

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LineRunner · 06/11/2012 00:43

Brilliant. Will be there.

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UltraBOF · 06/11/2012 00:50

I love Mariella. I'm only sorry we won't get to hear her beautiful voice, which, as a squeaky scouser, I have always envied Grin.

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kickassangel · 06/11/2012 02:23

Love Mariella. She would be one of my fantasy dinner party invites. Would it be too shallow to ask if she would drink red wine or white?

Must try to think of some serious questions, then mark this on my calendar

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gazzalw · 06/11/2012 11:48

Mariella

You seem to epitomise a babyboomer who does indeed "have it all"? Did you purposefully concentrate on career first and foremost and wait to have children until your career was well-established, as so many other women of your generation have done? Or is that just the way your life has panned out?

You would be one of my ultimate dinner party guests. Who would your top six be and why?

Thanks Grin

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BoffinMum · 06/11/2012 15:28


Grin
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BoffinMum · 06/11/2012 15:30

Mariella, are you a member of the Fawcett Society? Do you think women have as much of a voice in UK democratic processes as men?

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dinkystinky · 06/11/2012 15:42

Mariella - it depresses me to see such huge financial inequality between women and men, not just in third world countries (where NGOs are doing some great work) but here in the UK where I often read on this forum and others about women who sacrifice their much lower earnings to buy things for their children and go without themselves while their male partners live it up without a care in the world. As a mother of boys, I am determined to ensure my sons recognise and appreciate all types of contribution to family life and have a sense of gender fairness and justice. How do you think society could address this issue in the UK.

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MaureenLove · 06/11/2012 15:43

hey mariella
take a look at the new asda xmas advert - how BAD is it?!

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AbigailAdams · 06/11/2012 15:44

Hi Mariella, great to have you on here. I just wondered what you think of the campaign to try and rid the Sun of Page 3?

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dinkystinky · 06/11/2012 16:07

MaureenLove - what's the new ASDA ad about? Havent seen it - wouldnt use them anyway as their customer service is rubbish. Doesnt surprise me they've come up with rubbish ad too...

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LineRunner · 06/11/2012 19:14

The Asda ad is very wifey-martyr, a la 1950s. With a bit of subliminal wifey-nag thrown in for good measure.

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dinkystinky · 06/11/2012 20:43

Hmm, glad I've missed it so far....

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kickassangel · 07/11/2012 00:53

Mariella, what's your favorite book? Which author have you most enjoyed interviewing?

Also, I have a huge girl crush on you. Would you come round my house and drink wine and talk about books until the early hours of the morning? I live in the US so you may need to stay the night.

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LineRunner · 07/11/2012 03:07

Mariella, as you can see I'm posting this at 03.36am, hoping for good news on Obama!

What do you think of the US Election Results?

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GreatGooglyMoogly · 07/11/2012 08:19

Mariella, what do you think of the Children in Need Bearfaced campaign, where women are sponsored to not wear makeup?

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mignonette · 07/11/2012 08:25

Mariella.....Susannah Reid - female (BBC Breakfast) is sent to cover the Oscars. Bill Turnbull - male- is sent to cover the US Elections.

Discuss............

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mignonette · 07/11/2012 08:27

Another sneaky question- I am reading Barbara Kingsolver's new book 'Flight Behaviour' as I love her and love all her writing. Who is your favourite American author and will a woman ever be 'allowed' to write the Great American Novel?

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Merrylegs · 07/11/2012 09:04

Oh, I won't be around for the webchat, but just wanted to say I met Mariella last year at the top of the BT tower (!) and she was indeed fab and ace. Very on-message and very professional. Clever woman. (we did a radio interview together. Am sure she won't remember, but anyway!)

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Jamilaa · 07/11/2012 09:26

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by Mumsnet for breaking our Talk Guidelines. Replies may also be deleted.

funnypeculiar · 07/11/2012 09:45

First off, I love Open Book, so thank you for that, Mariella. Not hugely convinced by the blingy bangle idea, but I can see there's something interesting in the idea.

Anyway, my question would be: Orange Prize vs Booker...? I know (think?) you've sat on panels for both - how do you feel the two prizes compare and where the panels approaches different?

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MoChan · 07/11/2012 10:38

A friend and I were talking about the differences between boys and girls yesterday, and how boys seem to somehow receive the cultural message that they can be confident, and believe in themselves, whilst girls get the message that they are to question themselves and apologise for themselves.

It's a sweeping generalisation, of course; but throughout my life I've met talented, brilliant women who seemed to have no self esteem, while their male counterparts have had no problem viewing themselves as fantastic, never question their own authority, never put themselves down (and verge on obnoxiously over-confident at times).

What do you think we can do to help girls and women grow in confidence, and do you have any thoughts on how can we break down the automatic arrogance and sense of entitlement that we seem to be instilling in our boys (without, of course, damaging their confidence)?

I think this is a very broad question, with a potentially long, intricate and multi-layered answer. I am not expecting a long, intricate and multi-layered answer. Grin

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whiskeytangofoxtrot · 07/11/2012 11:00

Hello Mariella
Think you're fab.

Let's get it over with - Favourite biscuit?

Also, MNHQ if I'm allowed a proper question - what has been the biggest challenge in your career?

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TheBlackShiksa · 07/11/2012 11:03

Hi Mariella- love you- what do you think about campaigns like PETA and the FISHLOVE campaign that use womens (naked) bodies to sell their cause. I'm in no way prudish but I find such campaigns really hard to deal with. As a feminist they turn me right off because its like saying its ok to objectify women if it means people don't eat meat blah blah blah. Really interested to hear your thoughts on this.

Also how did you land the agony aunt gig- it is my life's aim to be an agony aunt one day- your column is the best by miles- i love that you don't suffer fools, are feisty but are warm and unbelievably wise. Do you ever take your own advise?

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