UN rep criticises UK sexist culture

[grimbletart]

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-27034117

So it's not just us deranged feminists who think the UK is sexist then .

Wonder what countries she has in mind that our less sexist? Scandinavian countries perhaps?

"are" not "our"

Yes, good to see international influence in this area reaching national news.

We have a long way to go in this country to achieve equality and fairness for women. Girls need better role models - not pop stars and models but women scientists, doctors, lawyers, business leaders etc

The comments nearly gave me a turn.

Most of them are from men saying there is no problem with sexism (against women) in the UK.

Are they just mind-bogglingly arrogant, or really stupid, or both? On what basis do these men think they have the ability to make definitive statements about what it is or isn't like for a group of people which is not them?

I don't go onto articles about problems faced by young black men growing up in inner city london, or the challenges faced by children growing up gay in the UK, or conversations about anti-semitism in some areas, and say THERE IS NO PROBLEM HERE SHUT IT. Because unlike them I understand that my experience is not the same as the experience of everyone else, and most certainly I cannot speak for the experience of people with different characteristics, backgrounds and experiences to me.

I err on the side of them being mind-bogglingly arrogant AND really stupid, I think. And probably really quite nasty.

Cripes...just read a few comments and had to give up.

There was a man (obvs) who wrote that the commentator neglected to mention that violence happens to men too (textbook). He also said that objectification does too and to prove it he said he could think of 5 adverts where a man in objectified/made to look daft.

A whole 5 adverts

Pick an adjective...arrogant, stupid, naive, self-absorbed...

The comment on the piece mentioned above prove how long we still have to go to obtain equality for women in the UK.

The comments in the Guardian (Tanya Gold's article) are even more dispiriting.

Why is it so hard to accept the UK is sexist to its core? "At least we aren't as bad as Saudi..." This was one of the comments! I despair.

I read the story in the Indy, and again many of the comments are disgusting or stupid, or both.

But I saw one comment that made me think - the poster criticised the way the story has been sensationalised in the reporting and linked to the original report, which I (skim) read.

She points out that the report itself, for example, does not make comparisons with other countries. And it makes other much more interesting points about gender based violence, access to justice, immigration and detention, the impact of austerity measures and participation in politics and the economy.

At least, more interesting to people who want to engage in the issues; not more interesting to those wanting to sell newspapers.

Here's the report - not as long as I feared and an interesting read. www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=14514&LangID=E