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

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...

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.

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 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.

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

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

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

When Men sleep in the wet patch....

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

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

....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.

When a man that does the same amount of housework/childcare as his working partner is viewed as unusual.

When domestic violence is eradiacated

when women can recognise that pornography is not an accepted norm.

when my sons don't have to look at breasts/some derogratory headline when we buy a pint of milk.

when girls are brought up with the same high expectations the same as boys

when the number of girls equal the number of boys at private schools

when the number of men and women as main characters (in fact characters at all) in films and tv are the same (it must be about 90% men 10% women at the moment).

When rapist get decent sentences and the newspapers stop report every single false rape case and ignore the much higher actual rape cases. Sick media bastards.

Mrs Fizzywig-do you mean like Paula Radcliffe being the fastest British marathon runner? Cos tennis is different as it relies far more on short bursts of power rather than long term endurance. Ooh, I just realised: a metaphor for life and gender difference....
jjkm: rofl! Is this from your hilarious series "Women! Know Your Place"?

when women stop taking on the majority of the house work
housework is a major

when women are not accused of asking to be raped, due to what they are wearing

when everyone sees being sahp as equal to a job

Equality is not something worth pursuing jjkm? Just look how far we've come in the last 50 years! And I want my daughters to have even more choice and opportunity than I did/have.

Have you read the rest of this thread - there are so many things that we can all work towards as a society to make life better for everyone - all of which can be part and parcel of raising the next generation to be kind, respectful and all of the things you've listed.

when we need an international men's day.

Equality is worth pursuing jjkm. How would we feel if our daughters would not/could not have children and we had stopped seeking equality. How would we feel if our sons were forced to take jobs they hated to earn more money to have to support their female partners who could have earned the same so they could both work flexibly. We do this for our children male and female and theirs. Things have already improved since I started work 20 years ago.

So proud - my 17yr old dd got her teacher to show the video clip to her English set today - she saw it on a newspaper website. She was, however, shocked at attitude about some of her fellow students, who seem to think that women just need to marry a rich man. We may have equality when we all educate our daughters to consider themselves equal!

We'll know we have equality when...no-one need think of making statements like this one anymore.

-- When practically all movies, television shows, and other sources of media can pass the Bechdel test (It has two women it, who talk to each other, about something other than a man). Even better for equality if it can be two women from minority backgrounds/have disabilities/other minority status.

-- Agree with ziptoes - When a father can be the main carer for his children, and nobody thinks twice about it - it's not seen as odd or that his wife must have him under her thumb.

-- When a married couple is forced onto the dole, both parties are seen as equal, it isn't automatically the man who is asked to sign on, and when talking to married couples with children, it won't automatically be assumed the wife is the carer and that the husband is the one who needs work (I had this a while ago - when asked about childcare, I said my husband is their main carer and had been while I was working, I was told "oh, he's got a little experience watching them then" before getting a lovely ten minute speech on how great it would be to be them in nursery so I could relax and go to work. I was then told there was plenty of help for my husband, but I could avail myself of them if I wanted - even though it was I who was made redundant, has the more up-to-date and higher levels of qualifications, etc. It still makes my blood boil a little). Of course it was helpful as it pushed my husband and I to start our own business so I would never have to see them again...

-- When female video games characters are equal to the male characters and have actual, sensible constumes rather than just fan service mini-skirts.

When a non-married and a married women are not differently identified as men aren't; men are Mr whatever whereas women are Miss, Ms, or Mrs (unless you've a title of course!).

Also, when women get an equal role in religion - this doesn't have to be the same role as men, just one that is respected as much. Despite all the talk about women being closer to G-d/Allah/God etc because they can create, they are typically excluded from the public domain - the domain where the laws are!

Most of all when they refuse to accept sexism at home.
When like i did they ensure men are as likely as women to arrange childcare.

Perhaps most of all when women marry men who earn less than they do and don't marry older and slightly better off and better educated men as that is the biggest single reason that if one person gives up work it's the women. So when women don't marry good providers whether consciously or otherwise and are themselves the provider they will cease to end up in discriminatory situations.

If we can give fathers greater rights and use it or lose it paternity rights which women don't have and reduce women's rights to maternity irhgts too then we will favour women long term and ensure they are happier and have better balanced lives.