I just want to share

[sashh]

I was teaching a new class yesterday, we were looking at equality of opportunity and different laws (DDA, Equal Pay Act, Equality Act etc).

I asked one student (struggling to think of an example of discrimination): has anyone said you can't do anything because you are a woman?

The answer from a 17 year old: Never! If they did I'd punch them.

I had to smile. Some times it feels that nothing has been achieved, this made me appreciate that some things have been achieved.

Brilliant, we've got some great teaching and parenting going on right now ands it's paying dividends in our children.

Yes, I thought that at 17... I hope she can keep her opinion unchanged for many years.

Punch them
Not sure how proud feminists should be of that.

So, violence. Why are you proud of that?

I did, of course, address the subject of punching, what I'm proud of is, that to this 17 year old, being told she can't do something because she has a vagina is so alien to her that she cannot see it happening.

No, violence is never acceptable, no matter how right your argument is, except in self defence. What if she punched a child or vulnerable adult? One punch can kill someone.

There are better ways to handle such sexism. You have the right idea but wrong execution.

Yes and sashh said that she addressed that zippey. Your point?

That's right. It's OK to tell a girl she can't do something because she hasn't got a willy. But it's not OK for her to simply say she would punch them. Is it because it's unladylike?