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

....when Serena Williams beats Rafael Nadal in the Wimbledon Final!

ie Never!! Men and women are different and each has their own particular strengths and weaknesses.

ooh I didn't realise this was for EQUALS. Annie Lennox was talking about them at the South Bank rally earlier, sounds amazing.

BromptonBugle, I so hope your post ends up on the EQUALS blog!

When Men sleep in the wet patch....

When the term "working parents" is used more than the term "working mothers".

We will know we have equality when
employers expect to provide work on a flexible basis that allows women and men to balance work and caring (and disabled and elderly people to balance work and health management) instead of juggling them, rather than employers saying 'How would that work?' in tones of horror when asked if a job advertised can be applied for as a job-share (true story).

when a woman can get her late husbands private pension without the company halving it,they still have the money after all.

• when gender specific derogatory terms like 'slapper', 'slag', 'slut', 'bimbo', 'harridan', 'shrew'and 'virago' are NOT acceptable in normal conversation.

• when a SAHD doesn't feel like a freak at toddler groups.

• when a SAHD/SAHM isn't ignored at parties because no-one thinks they have anything interesting to say.

• when a women whose partner is a SAHD is't seen as keeping him 'under the thumb'

• basically, when the job of raising kids is seen as a respected, valued and valid choice for both sexes.

everything that has already been said, and the conditions of womens lives in the middle east, africa, south america just as a few vastly improve

When women can find an easier way of harvesting their eggs and banking them until they think that the time is right to become pregnant. The ticking clock is one of the biggest obstacles to women gaining independence.

When tabloid newspapers, or in fact, any newspaper, stop printing the age of a woman. A double digit number will always be found within the first two paragraphs.

When women born to poor socio-economic backgrounds realise that they don't have to put up with disrectful behaviour from lazy men who claim benefits, smoke, drink, gamble and watch porn to excess when they could easily contribute to society and lessen the burden of others.

I also agree with elephantsandmiasma about University Challenge, there doesn't seem to be an equal distribution of the sexes.

When you can walk into a children's clothes/toy shop without one side being 95% pink and the other 95% blue.

When I can stay at home and look after my children without feeling like I'm letting the side down if I don't work.

When my DH can work flexibly so we can both enjoy the benefits of career and parenthood.

When I am not judged for not wearing make up, high heels or skirts/dresses, ever.

When DH reminds me to send cards to my family.

When women stop bitching about each other and trying to drag each other down.

When the child support system accurately works.

When men are brought up to be more thoughtful, kind, and considerate of others' feelings.

And so on...

I agree with the skirts! Kilts and sarongs on chaps rock if you ask me, more of them should consider wearing them. Plus, nice and cool around the nether regions...

When women all around the world aren't regarded as the property of men.

When rape is not used as tool of war and repression.

when the old men on my allotment realise that women can grow food successrully despite the lack of penis-ness!!

when looking after children and looking after the house is considered just as important or even more important than 'a job'

When we have enough power to stop the war-mongering

...when boys wearing skirts at school is as common and acceptable as girls in trousers.

...when nothing is labelled as 'girls' or 'boys' in terms of toys and clothes.

...when there are no such things as mens' jobs and womens' jobs with the rare exception of the other gender doing them, eg refuse collector / nursing / construction / childcare.

...when men being SAHDs is as common and acceptable as WOHMs are now.

When either

Men habitually wear clothes and shoes which inhibt their range of movement, make them feel uncomfortable and cause them long term injury in order to be consdiered sexually attractive and / or professionally groomed

or

b) women decide it's perfectly ridiculous to do so and and stop doing it habitually

I prefer scenario b

...when there are as many men as women waiting to pick up their children at the school gates

...when there are no girls' or boys' toys - just toys

...when businesses employ the right person for the job and don't even take into account if that person is 'a woman of childbearing age' Yes Alan Sugar, I mean you and your ilk

When men are asked on business trips: "who is looking after your children?"

When schools call the fathers of the children who are ill first 50% of the time, not just the mothers.

When women who say what they mean aren't described as shrill or aggressive.

When Charlie Sheen's behaviour as a father is seen to be as remiss as that of Britney Spears is as a mother.

When looking after children is seen as important and valuable and worthy of state and societal investment and when the people who do it are not economically disadvantaged as a result of doing it.

When everyone can work for a living AND be parents and do both well and not have to choose to do one or the other.

When the automatic question when hearing that a man has beaten up his wife or girlfriend isn't "why does she put up with it?" but "why does he do that". And when there is an automatic assumption by society the law and the police, that such a man should be removed from the house where he is a danger to the other occupants.

That's all for now. I'm sure there are many many more.

I agree tethersend

• when men aspire to traditionally female roles rather than the other way round

So in answer to the first question, teaching my children the value and necessity of all types of work.

I'm being a pedantic pain in the arse, but I think that the general misuse of the word 'equal' suggests that perhaps we are aiming too low in our expectations.

I want equality.