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

[RowanMumsnet]

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

[sethstarkaddersmackerel]

buy a doll for a boy and a toy fire engine for a girl

[RowanMumsnet]

Thanks ladies comrades

Another question for you: please complete the following sentence - 'We'll know we have equality when...'

MNHQ x

[bronze]

We'll know we have equality when...'
there is no need for a feminism section on mumsnet

[AbsDuCroissant]

'We'll know we have equality when...'

• thinking of introducing quotas to get women onto the boards of companies is laughed at as being pointless (interesting article in the City AM today - here that if there is a substantial number of women on the board, the share price is higher)
  
• childcare isn't considered to be "mother's work" but "parent's work".

[HandDivedScallopsrgreat]

• when we can walk down the street without being verbally harrassed

[msrisotto]

• When the ratio of male and female members of parliament is 50:50.

[sethstarkaddersmackerel]

-when an institution that is staffed by women but headed by a man is seen as an oddity rather than not noticed
-when there are equal numbers of girl characters and boy characters on CBeebies and the girl is not usually the sidekick
-when boys wear pink

[RowanMumsnet]

Thank you, thank you

You might (or might not) be interested in viewing this clip (scroll down a bit)

[InmaculadaConcepcion]

A small thing you can do...

Post this link on your FB profile.


We'll know we have equality when the registrar doesn't only ask for your father's profession when drawing up a marriage licence.

(the points about rape/sexual harassment have been brilliantly made above)

[Crumblemum]

When I stop relying on my OH to put my own bins out

[SallyBrownEyes]

When women don't lose out due to apparent equal rights...think about it!

[stretch]

When women in the limelight are judged by what they do, not
what they wear/how much weight they have put on/which is the 'hottest' every week. (Cheryl Cole and Danni)

[ElephantsAndMiasmas]

what everyone else has said, plus:

• when you can have an all-female panel on Question Time /University Challenge etc (get me with my cool TV taste) without it being for an all-female "special", it's just the luck of the draw.
  

• when people hear e.g. "a police officer" and don't automatically assume it's a man unless someone tags on the word "female".

[tigerchilli]

When women are not expected to perform to a higher standard of behavior whist in the next breath being deemed as 'inferior' and not quite human.