What acts of sexism have you encountered today?

[BertieBotts]

I thought it would be interesting to have a thread where we can come on and post any day-to-day sexism/effects of sexism, thinking mainly low-level things, but big things are alright to post too of course. I thought it might be eye-opening (if depressing) to collate how much crap there is to deal with on a daily basis.

I'll start - while listening to music on spotify, having to listen to an unskippable ad for a rap artist playing a clip of his song which includes the lyrics We bring the women and the cars and the cards out

The other one I can think of (which fair enough was during a seminar about feminism) was a guy in my class who kept saying things like "Well yes women are paid less than men/women are vastly underrepresented in parliament/rape conviction rates are ridiculously low. [etc] But that's just the way it is. It's the same in all societies that I know of. I don't know what you can do about it."

Anyone else?

Bra broke mid day and walked home in a T shirt with no bra. Every man I walked past without fail stared at my breasts shamelessly and I felt so uncomfortable walking down a long road full of traffic that I actually began to cry. (30 year old, extremely confident women. Own money, 2 children, senior job, good education etc etc) confidence completely broken for the whole 30 minute walk home.

None, but then I avoid men as much as possible.

Why are there never any women on QI? Is it because it's a programme for clever people and silly little women wouldn't understand?

And why have I never noticed this before? I like QI.

There have been quite a few women on QI, it's just that they rarely get a word in edgeways (that doesn't look right written down) on that kind of show. Look at what happens on Mock The Week. Comedy panel shows seem to be all the rage at the moment. Roni Ancona is always great value, Sue Perkins gives them all a run for their money and Emma Thompson was immense when she was on.

Drizzela, I am sorry that happened to you. I wish we could have all been there walking with you. If you are ever in that kind of situation again, just imagine that we are. Hope you are feeling better.

Delia
Just read this thread and you have posted a few things about your DH which suggest you are not happy with the way he is treating you. Please talk here if you need support or validation.

I haven't encountered sexism today which is unusual but wanted to say DH made a comment today about me being a feminist. Do you know what -I was so proud of myself and that I am really connecting with it now. I don't post on this section a lot but I do lurk.

That's great Sharon :o

Drizzela - i'm so sorry, I can just imagine how you must have felt running the gauntlet. I second to imagine we are all standing beside you glowering at the arseholes on your behalf.

The other day at work I was praised for something I'd done, only to have the boss assure all who were listening that I was good at that thing because I am a woman. This is not only cobblers, obviously, but manages to underplay my skills (because presumably my uterus does this part of the job for me while I lay back and relax) whilst also insulting my colleague who is a man and is at least as good at it as I am.

Yes I think I have seen a few women on it, but it's always a 25/75 split if there are, and it's rare.

Drizella thats horrible , hugs

yeah things are coming to light a bit that never even occured to me before.
hes a dp not a dh just to clear it up.

Thanks, I hope it doesnt happen again but if it does I shall use that tactic!!!

elephants Iused to get that in my old company - pat on back followed by "good job we did take some women on, they're great at ... chuckle chuckle"

I think they genuinely think it's a compliment.

Just to show the stereotyping starts young - was helping my friend choose her wedding dress today and took DS who is two. He was behaving really well, but a little bored understandably and the shop assistant said " well, really not a boy thing is it".

Actually two hours plus of sitting still and quietly is probably not a two year old thing - boy or girl!

I mentioned to my mum that my dh could put in a request to alter his shift patterns (he works very chaotic irregular hours) or apply to have a fixed "rotored day off" to help me if I returned to work and my mum said but that would mean you would be handing YOUR childcare responsibilities on to dh and that wouldnt be right or fair!

Gordon bennet, itry, does she think it was an immaculate conception?

Itry- thats pretty bad especially for a mum to say,

My DP called Mn's 'those baby people' not in a nasty
way , brushing DSteeth is a struggle and he goes 'why not ask those baby people!'

Well I haven't left the house yet but thinking about yesterday..... I can't recall anything.

I was working with two males and a female and a load of kids. All staff made everyone brews without asking each other. It was just done without assuming that the women would do it.
All the paperwork got done between us to save time at the end of the day. Maybe once upon a time the women would have been expected to do it. The men cooked and the kids washed up after our meal. I fixed the broken bikes and didn't expect the blokes to sort it.

Nothing. Just a nice normal day at work.

Got home Dh had done the big shop, kids homework done, unifroms ironed, DH had been to work for a couple of hours with DS1, hoovering done.

All of us went to a match and then to tea.

Don't feel like anyone has been sexist to me all weekend (or week)

I don't mind anyone saying 'awright love' to me, normal and not offensive from my neck of the woods. The fellas get 'awright cock! how y'do in?'

I am rofling at BelleCurve's one.

probably a 2yo girl would have a nicer time in a wedding dress shop because the assistants would be involving her more, giving her hairpieces to try on and telling her she looks pretty etc.

We were in Ambleside yesterday getting ds1 his first pair of walking boots. These are actually not gendered but he refused point blank to try on a pair that had purple in the linings and we were relieved that the pair that fitted best were all blue as he had already decided these were his favourite.

Meanwhile, dd was amusing herself by sitting in different kids' camping chairs - she informed me she liked the camouflage one best but that she thought if she had it people would say she couldn't sit in it because it was a boys' chair.

One of the men I live with told me over the weekend he was taking his van for an MOT at a local garage today. I told him that that garage are not very good IMO, they tried to overcharge me, and they failed my car on things that a different mechanic couldn't actually find wrong

He said he was sure it'd be fine in a 'whatever' voice.

Then today, he mentioned that he wasn't taking it there after all because 'his mate John' had said that the garage was not very good and overcharged people.

Clearly the opinion of a woman doesn't count in the same way

And this is a man who would consider himself very right-on and non-sexist, a man who lives in an intentional community where there are twice as any women as men...

ooh Queen this drives me nuts. When i was younger, it happened all the flipping time at meetings - I say something, it is ignored. A man says the same thing 2 minutes later and everybody goes "Wow what a great idea!"

Now I'm old and bitchy and would just loudly point out that it was my idea, of course.

Last week staying at my parents my mother asked me what I was going to put on DH sandwiches for him to take to work for lunch the next day. I informed her that DH would put whatever he could find in the fridge when HE made HIS sandwiches, but then my (usually lovely) mother is also puzzled why my DH hasn't divorced me for not doing his ironing.

The stupid thing is if I get up and have any spare time I often make DH sandwiches to take with him as I think it's a nice thing to do for him, it's the ASSUMPTION that I SHOULD make his sandwiches which is annoying.

I unfollowed someone because of an unpleasant joke that they RTed on Twitter. That's all for today.

My DH and I joint own a business. I work part time. I phoned several companies to see whether they needed anything. One man I spoke to said he would check with the owner, lots of laughing etc. He came back and said "owner is offering x price for x amount of products, why don't you ask the powers that be whether it's a deal or not?". As I am half of the "powers that be" I said that the price was too low and that I couldn't give him the products for that price. I took it as sexism because men never mention "powers that be" to my DH.

Ullinga and QFE that's an old cartoon isn't it? 'That's's a great suggestion Miss Jones, perhaps one of the men would like to make it?'

:o unruly no hadn't seen this one. Googled for it and have just sent it to some of my female colleagues, I'm sure they will appreciate.

Talking of cartoons, DS likes watching stuff on youtube. He likes the animated Mr. Bean series, seems harmless enough, but I was completely and utterly horrified by , and won't let him watch it now.