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Feminism: chat

Is it still the 21st century, or have Wales Online and I both fallen through a wormhole into the Victorian era?

8 replies

JesusInTheCabbageVan · 18/10/2021 13:36

This is such awful reporting it's almost funny.

The article is titled 'The brutal and chilling crimes of Wales’ most dangerous women'.

It goes on:

"From a baby killer to a drug dealer who stashed cocaine in her bra and other offenders, there are women who commit crimes as terrible as any committed by men."

"These women have all been locked up for their depraved offences."

"...we take a look back at the high-profile cases involving 24 of Wales' most monstrous women."

Followed by mug shots of 24 women, some from court cases dating back years. And yes, some of them have done terrible things, but others are pretty unremarkable (drug dealing, blackmail, theft, fraud - hardly CHILLING! and DEPRAVED!) Quite a few were implicated in offences which were actually committed by men. Some looked like they could have been vulnerable women who were exploited by criminal gangs.

It just seems like a weird, old-fashioned and puritanical article!

Article here:

www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/dangerous-women-wales-crimes-jailed-21852033

Am I just being sensitive here?

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334bu · 18/10/2021 14:07

Doubt you are being over sensitive. There is a serious push out there to equate female criminality with male criminality, despite the huge statistical gap. It is very apparent when discussing single sex spaces, when you get the argument that ," What are you worrying about, you're in just as much danger from women", when people are pushing for male inclusion into these spaces. Pushing articles like this is all part of this. It is a cynical exercise to make the public more open to allowing men into female spaces.

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Gncq · 18/10/2021 14:30

The very first words in the article say far more than the details of what crimes were committed, really.

While the overwhelming majority of criminals in the UK are male there are women who commit crimes as terrible as any committed by men.
Even so women make up just 5% of the prison population across the country.

They've probably published it because there's loads of discussion on sex and gender at the moment. I don't see it as trying to equate women as being as dangerous as men. If that's what they're trying to do it's a pretty desperate attempt!

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JesusInTheCabbageVan · 18/10/2021 14:33

I think I may have posted this in the wrong topic, sorry... is this board reserved for threads about trans issues? That wasn't how I interpreted the article. Apologies, will ask for it to be moved to the general feminism board!

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Fariha31 · 18/10/2021 14:44

What a weird article.

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AssassinatedBeauty · 18/10/2021 14:58

It is a particularly ridiculous example of that kind of reporting. But it does reflect the idea that when women commit crimes it can be perceived by society as especially heinous, based on stereotypes of women as caring, subservient, kind, motherly etc etc.

You just have to look at the discussion around female serial killers like Joanna Dennehy or female paedophiles like Vanessa George. Their crimes are undoubtedly horrific, but they are not more heinous than the many many similar crimes committed by men.

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JesusInTheCabbageVan · 18/10/2021 19:43

@AssassinatedBeauty that's it in a nutshell, I think.

I like how they seem particularly incensed by the woman who kept drugs in her bra. "Bosoms are for bedrooms and breastfeeding, not CRIME! You harlot, you.'

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thevassal · 19/10/2021 20:36

YABU to expect anything like quality journalism from WOL Grin. The level of journalism (not to mention spelling and grammar) there is shocking. I don't think they've employed an editor for the last decade...

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NiceGerbil · 21/10/2021 03:45

It's all over the telly as well. Women who kill! Women who were horrible!

Loads of it.

I'm never sure why.

The papers do it as well. Women and girls who commit crimes that are predominantly done by men tend to get lots more coverage. (Also when rape trials fall through/ woman made false accusation, rapes aren't unless v serious.)

Generally this practice gives a skewed view of what's going on.

It is a bizarre article. I note that many of the women acted with men. Some were not instigator. Drug bra theft driving offences woman hardly sounds like something to qualify for an article like that!

Also note that when a man and woman act together and do terrible things, it's generally the woman who is more vilified.

Maybe people just like reading women do it too?

Also at the start. People don't think women do bad stuff. Eh? Of course everyone knows they do! That comes up a lot as well on here. You think women can do no wrong. Erm no. Just it's feminism board and were talking about the massively bigger number of men who do it...

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