I'm angry - what should I be doing?

[unclefluffy]

Just that, really. I'm pretty pissed off with the status quo - with the gender pay gap, with the under-representation of women in public life, with inequality at home and in the workplace... What can I do? I'm not even a member of the Fawcett Society makes mental note but I fancy something more active.

What should I do? Any ideas, wise women?

My personal rebellion.

I have some shares, not many but it means that every year I get to vote in the shareholders meeting.

I always vote for the women on the board and against the men.

ooh sexism

Hey unclefluffy,

Check out The Hunger Project UK. An organization helping communities around the world establish stable, gender-equal, healthy societies: www.thehungerproject.co.uk/whatwedo/millenniumdevelopmentgoals/

If you're interested in promoting this cause (and near the Thames River area), I'm trying to form a team for The Hunger Project Thames Path Challenge. Let me know!

If there is a gender pay gap, you Gould take it up with your employer. They should be aware that I they are discriminating on the basis of your sex then they are breaking the law.

It's a small thing to start with but you could sign the NoMorePage3 petition:

www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/david-dinsmore-take-the-bare-boobs-out-of-the-sun-nomorepage3

The campaign against page 3 has also spawned lots of local groups of very nice people who are also angry and want change - lots have just formed in the last few weeks so should be full of energy and inspiration! It might be worth investigating your nearest one.

nomorepage3.org/regional-nmp3-groups/

Hungerstrike?

Sorry for reviving a zombie but it felt like a good conversation to revive

If there is a gender pay gap, you Gould take it up with your employer. They should be aware that I they are discriminating on the basis of your sex then they are breaking the law.

but as salaries are all top secret and people won't discuss them it is actually impossible to know if your company has a pay gap, unless you can tell me how to find out. My company is currently an international not public company (not listed on any stock exchange)

the under-representation of women in public life

Listen to women. Read books by women. Only watch movies in cinema if they at the very least pass the Bechdel test. In short, make sure that women are equally represented in your personal life, at least.

If, in a public debate, a man exceeds his speaking time, or just speaks out of order, put your fingers in your ears and hum a song. (If you are worried this might look too silly, devise a different method - putting in earplugs and hearing music would be an alternative.)

If you go to meetings of the sort where a woman can say something and be ignored, while a man can repeat her words and get all the praise for it, point out that the woman said that first and he is just repeating it. Do so every time. (And, of course, speak up when a woman says something clever, praise her for it, draw attention. This will make it harder for a man to steal the spotlight.)

Put your fingers in your ears if a man exceeds his speaking time in a public debate?.

Put your fingers in your ears if a man exceeds his speaking time in a public debate?

What part did you not understand?

See, I recently went to a thing where they wanted to debate a potential change in law among experts and stuff. People from the audience were encouraged to talk. Taking turns at the microphone which was given to everyone when it was their turn to talk.

There was one guy who didn't wait for the microphone and just yelled. I did not listen to him, not respond to what he said, completely ignored him.

If everyone did that, then at least the talking time men get by just taking it would fall away. They would still talk more on average within their allocated talking times, likely, but one problem would be removed.

I understood it perfectly well, I just didn't think adults putting their fingers in their ears like children ignoring someone would be an effective way of shutting someone down.

If I was at an debate and saw someone doing that, I'd think they might have SEN and were experiencing sensory overload. If they then made it clear it was an objection to the speaker, I'd feel embarrassed for them.