by Cllr Catherine Stuart
Today (8th March 2026) is International Women’s Day. In 2022, when I become a councillor, joining Cllr Charles-Jones and Cllr McCann, it was the first time since the ward formed in 1929 that our ward was represented by three women. We were and are incredibly proud of this achievement.
A small group of very online people in Heald Green less so. After I was elected the level of trolling to our Facebook page ratcheted up many gears. I was learning the hard way that women in leadership face an uphill battle even before they begin; a UN study found that 90% of people (ie most men and women) are negatively disposed towards women.
This behaviour is characterised as ‘Tall Poppy Syndrome ’. It occurs when people are attacked, resented, disliked, criticised or cut down because of their achievements and/or success. It is particularly used against women.
This was one of the images a Heald Green Facebook group shared to welcome me to the role! The thread accompanying it gleefully lambasted us as a “Coven of councillors.” That one of people posting there was a woman working in Equality, Diversion and Inclusion tells you the scale of the problem.
These people have never talked to me nor have any idea of who I am and why I became a councillor, they refuse to answer the door when we call. My interests are rooted in my experience as a volunteer and local government officer. My colleagues and I are here because we care about the area we live in and the people in it. These attacks are not about issues. It is bullying and harassment, as is an increasing amount of social media content. This was shared to thousands of people to intimidate and undermine us because we are women.
Interestingly, if you look into the history of the witch craze during the early modern period, when people were hung or burnt at the stake for being witches. It rose up during a time when women were becoming more powerful, following the reigns of Mary Queen of Scots, Mary I and Elizabeth I. It was the patriarchy trying to take back control! The older women and the wise women of the village were often those targeted and tried as witches. Why? Because the men were jealous of their power and influence. Calling a woman a witch is one of the oldest sexist tropes in the book. Something I’ve picked up from a fascinating history podcast.
When one of our prominent critics posted a Christmas message on Facebook asking for “Three wise men to save the village” we got the subtext. Another person compared me to Marie Antoinette saying ‘Let them eat cake,’ for something not in my control. The thing about Marie Antoinette, though, is that she didn’t say “Let them eat cake.” She was the victim of a vicious misinformation campaign, because she was a woman and an easy target, and was executed because of it. When she bought 300 dresses in one year she was criticised, despite having to live up to the role of Queen. When she dressed down and wore a simple dress, guess what, she was criticised too! Something I can relate to! Her story is another fascinating listen.
That small group of people seem to spend an awful lot of time on line thinking about us and criticising us, judging by the volume of their posts. Every word, every action. When we send our electronic newsletter out they are the first to open it. It is very strange. We are really not that important. How the likes of Taylor Swift cope, I’ve no idea. There’s famously a special place in hell for women who don’t help other women. But if your life revolves around criticising people on Facebook, it sounds like you’re in Arrivals. All this does make me think about these posts (below) from Kamil Galeev and his quirky take. Trolling behaviour, apparently stems from the dark triad of behaviours – narcissism, Machiavellianism and psychopathy, it can be fuelled by jealousy.
However, International Women’s Day is about positivity. It emphasises the power of reciprocity and support. When people, organisations, and communities give generously, opportunities and support for women increase. Giving is not a subtraction, it’s intentional multiplication. When women thrive, we all rise. I am also inspired by Caitlin Moran’s column in The Times yesterday, where she talks about the need to celebrate the good men – the majority of men we know. Not those engaging in toxic masculinity, but their opposites – the “gentlemen”. And this made me think I want to celebrate all the supporters who help us. Those who leave encouraging comments – like that below – or constructive suggestions we thank you and value your engagement.
I particularly want to mention to Cllr Graham Greenhalgh – who despite being from another political group has stepped up to correct misinformation about us on Facebook on a number of occasions – Cllr Greenhalgh, you are the best of us! I should mention that I couldn’t do this role without the support of my husband and sons – who I am constantly dashing out and leaving for another meeting.
A last thought on the misogyny I see – is one of the reasons the Witch Craze flourished is that it coincided with the Little Ice Age. A time of instability, when harvests failed. The plague was a regular occurrence and the world was an uncertain place – there was a need for someone to blame. And from Eve onwards it seems to be easiest to blame the woman. Perhaps the very uncertain times that we are living through now are triggering the rise of misogyny. The experience as a councillor has been next level.
If you’ve got this far – then my blog has cast its spell on you. My next spell is to say VOTE for ANNA CHARLES-JONES this May to “Keep the coven going” for another year! But mainly because without a shadow of doubt, she’s the best and most experienced candidate. And I’ll sign off with the immortal words of Taylor Swift… “Haters gonna hate, hate, hate…. but I’m just gonna shake, shake, shake… shake it off!”