Amid the never-ending political farce in British politics that is Brexit, you will be forgiven for missing a quiet but significant departure that took place within the UK women’s sector last month. The incident is indicative of the threats facing activists who work with survivors of male violence.
The recruitment and muted departure of Katie Ghose from her position as CEO of Women’s Aid England, arguably the country’s leading charity working to end domestic abuse, implies that the UK women’s movement is in danger of being taken over by careerists who lack the necessary feminist ‘fire in their bellies’.
Ghose and Women’s Aid parted ways, by mutual agreement with the charity’s board, on 6 February, after Black and Asian feminist activists revealed videos on the internet of Ghose (in her former role as CEO of the Electoral Reform Society) speaking at the UKIP party conference in 2015.
