International Woman's Day- School Assembly

[Littleturkish]

My DH saw the no more page three Sun experiment video today (take six months of the paper, compare images of women versus images of men) and wants to use it in an assembly for his year group (11) and I suggested using IWD as a background for it.

Currently, this is his idea for how it would run:

1. Tennis star Eugenie Bouchard and the twirl
2. Women's achievements not getting the same coverage in the media as men- historic problem, women in history have their successes overshadowed by their male counterparts
3. How are women presented in newspapers today? Show video.
4. Question things- don't accept things for how they are. Bechdel test, TV presenters, calling women 'girls', words like 'bossy', toys aimed at genders
5. Why does it matter? Sexism hurts both sexes- we're a partnership, a team, no man is an island. Women's wages, violence against women, women in politics...be the change you want to see.

Any suggestions of what could be added or good examples of what is mentioned above?

All feedback welcome!

Thanks

2 women a week are killed by their partners, and 1 in 3 women will suffer some form of sexual assault during their lifetime. It is an utter lie to say that "western women have it very good".

I think the assembly does clearly need to make the link between viewing women as objects and the high levels of violence against women, both in the UK and world wide. I think you need to explicitly explain "why this is bad" because otherwise a lot of them won't get it.

In my experience, teenage boys especially almost expect women to be displayed for their titillation- many hold the view that she is being paid for it, so what's the problem. They won't get why it is harmful, unless things are spelled out to them. And they will often silence the teenage girls who do care.

I was recently telling my dad about the gender balance of crowd scenes in movies. In general, he is socially conscious, and I think he would like to think that he isn't sexist, even if he wouldn't self define as a feminist, but he couldn't really see the problem.

The link needs to be spelled out in the most basic, obvious terms, otherwise a lot of people in the audience just won't get why it matters. And it shouldn't be explained in terms of it being bad for men, either. On international women's day at least, can it not just be about women for once?

I'm not so sure about Page 3 making boys objectify girls. You don't think boys/men are intelligent enough to distinguish between Page 3 girls doing a job and regular women? Their friends, mothers, sisters etc? I'm not so sure. And if that were the case, are women who show a lot of flesh/cleavage on a night out also encouraging objectification?

Where is Buck McGowan when you need him?

Man in charge of feminism

Their friends, mothers, sisters etc?

Oh sure, the women they own, control and patrol are different to the ones who do page 3. Women didn't invent the Madonna/whore axis.

CaptainHolt, LGBT people are still discriminated against on a large scale, especially transgender people. Western women have it VERY good these days

I am an LGBT person, and I am well aware that LGBT people are discriminated against.
I am also a woman and I know that women are discriminated against.
I am also a WOC, if you'd like to open that can of worms.

The point is, nobody has ever tried to misdirect my LGBT activism or my racial activism towards white or straight people. I am never asked how I think fighting for equal rights with white and straight people will make them feel or told that I should be more concerned about the feelings of the oppressor class. This is not the case at all with feminism.

You can tell me I have it good when the gender pay gap is closed, when we aren't being raped and sexually assaulted on a massive scale and when my sisters aren't having their genitals mutilated or being trafficked as slaves.

If the OP ever dares to read this thread again:

Perhaps DP should focus on ONE aspect of inequality, e.g. wage gap, sexual objectification, violence etc.

OP

I think your dh should select some student to be each poster on this thread and just read the posts out.

Sashh, like an Internet poem in the style of Dave Gorman

I am reading, clicking and chuckling at the comments.

Thank you for all the useful posts, and thank you for the ridiculous posts- reminds me why it is so important to talk about this stuff.

Captain Holt, I think I may love you a little bit after that post!

Yes, great post, Captain Holt.

Captainholt you never been raped. Stop lying

Oh, Ok then. You know best, obviously, you weirdo.

Was actually talking about the global sisterhood, who you probably think are lying too, you, know, because they are women and merely a mirror for manly reality, not humans with a reality of their own.

ApocalypseThen

Are you married to Tim Minchin?

captainholt i love your name