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MNHQ

International Women's Day: how can we make the world more equal?

238 replies

RowanMumsnet · 07/03/2011 12:14

Hello campers,

As lots of you will already know, Tuesday March 8 is International Women's Day. MNHQ has been working with the EQUALS coalition this year, and they've asked us to ask you to suggest small ways in which you think we could all work to make men and women more equal, whether locally, nationally or globally.

Examples would be: go and support your local woman's football team; write to a television station to ask why women presenters are 20 years younger than their male counterparts; or make a donation to an organisation that supports women in developing countries. (If you're feeling extrovert, you could also consider organising an EQUALS soul train in your area this coming Friday.)

Your contributions might end up on the EQUALS blog.

Thanks,

MNHQ x

OP posts:
StreetWiseHotMum · 10/03/2011 19:26

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StewieGriffinsMom · 10/03/2011 19:22

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jugglingjo · 10/03/2011 19:22

Personally I think it's very empowering to see such a list of the justice needed in this world.

And that articulating these things to other women here and the wider listening world can begin to make a difference.

But yes, there is a long way to go ...

StreetWiseHotMum · 10/03/2011 19:19

Yes SGM, and a goose that lays golden eggs.

shakes head in despair

So, you going to change them all at once or one at a time ?

AyeRobot · 10/03/2011 19:13

Plenty of chat about exactly that on the rest of this board, SWHM.

StewieGriffinsMom · 10/03/2011 19:13

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StreetWiseHotMum · 10/03/2011 19:12

Well then HerBex, be prepared to spend the rest of your life with the system as it now is.

Surely the intelligent response would have been to answer the question, then, depending on the answer you can move on and ask the next question....perhaps "Why do so few rape allegations come to court?"

HerBeX · 10/03/2011 19:03

Seeing as how most reported rapes don't come to court and most rapes aren't reported at all, I'm not all that interested in teh conviction rate once it gets to court SWHM.

I'm interested in the majority of rapes, not the handful of cases where the state has to pretend that there's some legal protection against rape.

jugglingjo · 10/03/2011 19:03

But surely we can see the point that the adversarial legal system is poorly suited to the challenge of making judgments in cases of rape ?

StreetWiseHotMum · 10/03/2011 18:58

To start with how about being honest.

Look beyond your anger.

Ok. lets do it step by step.

Rape doesn't have a 5% conviction rate.

What is the conviction rate of cases that come to court ?

jjkm · 10/03/2011 18:17

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jjkm · 10/03/2011 18:00

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jjkm · 10/03/2011 17:58

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jjkm · 10/03/2011 17:55

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HerBeX · 10/03/2011 17:52

Men don't have any problem at all with accepting jobs that they are offered because they are male.

In fact, they have no idea that that's why they were offered them. They assume it's purely because of their abilities. And everyone else assumes the same thing.

jjkm · 10/03/2011 17:43

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mathanxiety · 10/03/2011 17:20

Jjkm, all the flaws in the legal system you mention are based on ideas about gender. The reason the system is the way it is and why it will not be fixed easily is because of a gross imbalance in power along gender lines.

HerBeX · 10/03/2011 16:48

Oh don't be stupid, of course rape is about gender.

What other crime has a conviction rate of 5% and what other crime has so many mysogynist victim blaming myths around it?

Lawyers aren't that good - burglary or fraud doesn't have a 94% non-conviction rate.

HerBeX · 10/03/2011 16:46

I don't know if there is any point saying this to Xenia because she's had it said to her so many times, but most women don't want to go back to work 2 weeks after giving birth. Furthermore, many would simply not be physically able to - about 25% of women now have caesarean sections which like any major surgery, requires at least 6 weeks recovery. It took me about 3 months to establish breast feeding and most mothers want to enjoy that lovely cocooned time with their baby.

We'll have equality when that time is seen as worthwhile and as worth paying for, as working in the cash economy.

jjkm · 10/03/2011 16:46

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LeninGrad · 10/03/2011 16:17

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mathanxiety · 10/03/2011 15:38

I think my point art rape was how do you measure progress for women? Which is related to the question can we assume we're equal when we are more likely to be raped than men are, and when rape is a crime that is highly likely to be swept under the rug.

I think rape is the instance when women come face to face with the realities of our society, and those realities have little to do with income or socio economic status or educational attainment.

Rape demonstrates that the personal is highly political.

EngelbertFustianMcSlinkydog · 10/03/2011 15:29

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StreetWiseHotMum · 10/03/2011 15:28

If you don't know what devaluing something is then further discourse is pointless.

I don't have the time now (kids/school)

EngelbertFustianMcSlinkydog · 10/03/2011 15:18

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