AIBU to think women should collectively down tools to demand change?

What table?

Do you have examples of what you mean?

This thread has so many themes and it’s meant to be provoking
😂

Lol at not having sex.

How very transactional.

Also because I do think the vast majority of men are despicable and would happily exploit women if they could. I think it’s so engrained in society most men don’t even realise they’re doing it
Go and say that to your surgeon next time you or someone you love need emergency surgery... because the vast majority of surgeons are male despite a 50/50 ratio admission to medical school. I'm sure hell be happy to let your surgery be done by a female surgeon... If there is one in the hospital who can do it...

"despite being the reason for the human race existing"

Interesting debate really.

I can produce generally one child a year. Sometimes 2 - 6 but unusually so and over a relatively limited time. At 44 my time is definitely coming to and end.

My husband on the other hand could go out and copulate with numerous women every day and thousands of babies a year across virtually his entire lifespan.

We only need a few men therefore to populate the world. One individual man is arguably a more powerful procreator than an individual woman.
Yes women could refuse sex and bring population growth to a standstill, but so could men. Until very recently (and the science is still very new) you need an egg AND a sperm. Neither sex gets to claim responsibility for populating the world. The over population is a joint responsibility not just women's fault.

But even short term, how will that work? Who is going to take care of and feed my DC? Who is going to look after the DC when their school shuts as most of the teachers are female? And god forbid you need healthcare, the NHS employs more women than men.

Bonkers on one level?

Your problem is that apportioning responsiblity for something like starting wars along line of sex is arbitary. It would sound absurd to say anyone of east asian ethnicity should go on strike, or anyone living in Lancashire. You can't opt out of society while benefitting from the bits you do like. You can of course protest you can't place the blame according to divisions you unilaterally decide apply.

I agree. I’m sure the women of Afghanistan don’t feel like now is the best time to be a woman

So who is going to pay my mortgage, and clothe and feed my dc? Shall we go and leave in the street? Your post is based on sexist ideas that a woman doesn’t need to earn money and doesn’t have her own bills to pay.

Anf of course ‘now’ is most definitely not the best time to be a woman in many parts of the world.

In many places it is probably male rejection of help for women in pregnancy and birth and simply male war that is driving down birth rates.

So should I just leave my son and take my daughter? Is there an age limit on children we just abandon to prove a point?
Most women end up doing it all because there isn't really another option. It isn't realistic to think men will suddenly step up and provide adequate child care because the mother isn't around anymore. Look at all the 'weekend dad' threads where men leave their children dirty and feed them shite for days on end because they just can't be bothered. Yeah, course that man will have an epiphany if women go on strike 🙄

Since when? Or where? How much do you know of human history? Prior to 1066 women enjoyed much more equality in north Europe. Prior to Rome women had much more equality in many places around the Near East and North Africa. Women were at the root of the founding of ‘modern’ Japan, prior to that same time span. We are just coming out of another period when women were pushed back and written out, that’s all, and too much is always thought of the ‘modern’ times, whenever that ‘modern’ happens to be.

By downing tools I mean not working, not having sex, not looking after children (or perhaps we take the children with us), not producing, not buying anything.

Didn't realise your fella controlled the world; by withholding sex a few times you could enact world peace....

Or your kids had a highline connecting them to the world power; and by them not having their nightly tuck in routine it would trigger systemic change.

What an absolute ridiculous post. Making a difference isnt about withholding anything; its about being present at the table - not serving it.

Yes really.

I literally said I’m not saying misogyny and patriarchy don’t exist.

But objectively, women’s education, political and workforce participation is the highest it’s ever been. Maternal mortality is the lowest it’s ever been. It has never been better than it is now.

So there are threads about bills on maternity leave, women didn’t used to have maternity leave!

If you think there was a better time in human history to be a woman when was it?

We can fight misogyny but it should be on the basis of we can do better, not the most privileged women to ever exist complaining that it’s the worst ever.

How am I going to pay my bills and mortgage if I stop working?

No, actually I would quite like to work and have sex. I am also fond of producing things and, on occasion, buying things. With my own money.
I totally gave up birthing children and doing any unpaid domestic labour in order to be able to do the above. So that's a viable option.

Iceland have this every every so many years or so . Very effective.

YANBU OP. I often think this sort of thing myself. Bloody men.

I heard that some women in the US tried this from a work perspective and the response from the men ended up being "it was great, no one caused any issues and we got stuff done".

Both men and women are exploited, in a variety of ways, and for all of human history we have had to work together to survive. Women in the West currently have it the best we've ever had - yet you'd think we were enslaved if you read even half the codswallop online. If you want to go scream into the void, no one is stopping you, but don't try and drag me into it.

Whoever said up thread that there’s never been a better time to be a woman, really?

Misogyny is different but still very much present in today’s society, and what’s worse is how subtle it is that people don’t even realise it’s happening. This week there was a poster asking if she should continue to pay half the bills on maternity leave, so not only wouldn’t she be earning, she’d have to eat into her saving because she had the audacity to have a baby with her partner. A female tax!

How many threads a week are there about women working full time while bearing the mental load, or doing all the night feeds and childcare while their husband plays hours of sports.

OP we might not be able to down tools but we can certainly change things. We can refuse to have multiple children, refuse to give up our careers and, more powerfully, choose where we spend our money. Look up Buy Women Built and spend your money on these products. Money is power, and women wield a lot more money than we used to.

Give it a go.