Female only maths/chess competitions WTF?

[Annie11111]

I recently saw a thread on another forum on how there are female only chess competitions and even female only maths olympiads. There are also women only chess titles (international master, grandmaster etc) which require a much lower score or ranking than the default ones that any gender can earn. To me as a feminist this is a fucking insult and just goes in line with the rest of the usual ''like a girl'' bs.

It also said that boys/men make up about 99% of top chess players and maths olympiad winners in the ''proper'', mixed competitions. I didn't know if the poster was trolling but after checking it looks like he was right. It's bad enough that we have to hear about how much better men are at sports and how the best female football teams in the world lose by huge margins to half-decent teenage boys, but this isn't even sports, it's ''brainy'' stuff. I think any ''girl titles'' or competitions of this sort should be banned. How else will we ever stop thinking about girls as second best when they need to have ''special'' competitions in order to win anything? ''Sorry, hun, you can't compete with the boys in the ''proper'' leagues but here's one just for you, let's see if you're good enough for a girl!'' Unfuckingreal.

End rant, sorry!

what an interesting article and book lordc - will have to add that to my reading list

Petula I'm a mathematician by profession and also realise that skills and creativity are not confined to one area or the other.

Maybe I'll knit coasters? Is that easy?

I really like these cross stitch kits.

Crochet is really easy, and perfect for making coasters. Or lovely blankets very quickly.

I like to learn things from a book. Will go to the library tomorrow to get a knitting book. Any introductory ones would do, won't they?

Capt There are children in this house.

May do that for my office.

sorry yes i knew that - was preaching to the converted!

crochet probably easier for coasters, it's easier to do flat circles. but not impossible with knitting either

"knitty gritty" is one i have seen recommended for knitting, but yes any beginner one should do

i have a relative with "piss off i'm busy" in cross stitch on her study door

Thanks Petula!

oybbk are you on ravelry? i would search for christmas decorations patterns on there and see if any appeal

I'm not, that's a good idea! I also found this collection

NC'd before you go snuffling around my history!!

So have any of "the usuals" managed to come up with a coherent reply to your OP then? Or are they too busy slapping each other on the back voer their witty replies & looking for MRA's under the bed?

I too think its fucking shameful that "brain" sports are still gendered. And having lower scores & rankings just carries on the "I do like Fluffy Kittens" image that most men get when they think of women doing anything aside from "their housely duties".

While men do have a physical advantage, I'd like to see equal participation in the thinking & strategic sports.

there have been lots of considered responses to the OP

how do you propose to promote equal participation in the thinking and strategic sports? it's definitely something most feminists would like to see

Let's start at the bottom, then. MrsK, how would you ensure a primary school lunch time chess club had equal numbers of male and female pupils? Maybe make sure that a female teacher leads the club, giving her chess lessons if needed? Don't know, that's off the cuff.

As a reference, we don't have a chess club at my infant school yet; we do have a sewing club. All parents are informed of it and it is free to join. 2 boys and c8-10 girls go.

...so it's looking good for women and the dexterity sport of quilting going forwards.

Mrs. K, you do know Polgar beat your husband, right? Some women can do it. The same way Lisa Sauermann is the second most successful maths olympiads participant in history. If the male/female ratio is 99 to 1 , so what? That's the same ratio for black to white under 10s 100m runners. People should be judged by their individual achievements, not by gender or race. Is anyone saying black men should have their own 100m final just because they are always 100% of the finalists? Of course not.

Yep, a whole thread where people proposed just that. That sport should be racially segregated.

Petula, I'm jealous of all your crafty endeavours. I've barely managed to finish one project this year.

I don't think the separate brainiac comps for girls are a bad thing if they're regarded as a way to engage girls and give them confidence, rather than a way of saying girls are inferior.

With reference to the talk of pool playing. When I was young I used to beg DF to take me out to play pool with DBro but I was always told to stay in and make jam tarts. I started playing when I went to uni and became pretty good but no way could I make up for the years I lost compared to man same age.

Another issue that people forget is the discomfort of bending down to take a shot with lots of guys standing behind you. It's very off putting. It's stuff like that that people forget. Little stuff that puts girls off.

I still don't like jam tarts to this day.

i don't have children thesameboat - it makes for more time to complete this stuff