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Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

Feminism: chat

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Original poster

Women are a lifestyle issue

25 replies

reni1 · 21/05/2015 22:22

I am probably the 1.000.000th woman to realize this, but the Guardian sections are: UK, wold, politics, sport, football, opinion, culture, business, lifestyle, fashion, environment, tech and travel.

Women's section is found under "lifestyle", along with food, health & fitness, love & sex, home & garden and family. Truly amazing. Would the men's section belong here or is that just the rest of the webpage?

OP posts:

FloraFox · 21/05/2015 22:49

Everything is the men's section except the women's section. It wouldn't be so bad if it was under "Politics".

ApocalypseThen · 22/05/2015 06:19

Wherever it is, the MRA Club will find it and turn it into what it currently is anyway.

WhirlpoolGalaxyM51 · 22/05/2015 11:24

When you write it out like that reni it's pretty striking.

I only look on BBC and MN so wouldn't have noticed that myself!

I think the BBC is more careful with this stuff. And they have been putting out a lot more stories about things that disproportionately effect women / focusing on women victims in war zones / female scientists and things in the last year or so and putting them as a normal part of the front page rather than as a hidden "minority" concern.

The MRAs are spitting, obv.

Original poster

reni1 · 22/05/2015 11:47

I think I might have to click through several news webpages just to see where women belong. In the hierarchy of the Guardian clearly below fashion and football, which of course are burning issues affecting lots more people, oh wait...

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WhirlpoolGalaxyM51 · 22/05/2015 12:00

This is where something like the BBC comes in as they have a huge amount of people accessing their content, and as a public service / public sector thing they have to adhere to certain rules, and after the sexism / ageism stuff they have a written aim to improve diversity which they seem to be acting on. And that of course goes into the general public's homes a LOT and then people think it's normal to read a story about a woman on a headline, where before they didn't.

Like I say, the MRAs are spitting

A bit concerning the govt seem to want to make major changes (pulling back on this stuff would I imagine be on the cards).

ChunkyPickle · 22/05/2015 12:21

It's just like everything else - all the real people are men, then there's the token woman, and the token 'other'

Guess Who, newspapers, kids cartoons, TV shows, books, Quiz show teams etc.

I've taken to yelling 'token!' across the room at TV programs.

Quotas are a good idea I've realised, but only when they're actually engaged with, if they're just used as 1 woman - tick and no further thought put into it they're much slower to have a effect (that of letting women know that there are jobs for female comedians etc.) than if it's embraced whole-heartedly and people really are selected on merit (although I suppose quotas wouldn't be needed at all if everyone would do that)

CoteDAzur · 22/05/2015 12:44

Well, why shouldn't women be a lifestyle issue if anyone who "feels like a woman" is now considered a woman?

WhirlpoolGalaxyM51 · 22/05/2015 12:53

Oooh good point cote.

I would have lolled but then didn't actually feel like it.

CoteDAzur · 22/05/2015 12:57

Yes, it would be funny if it were not so tragic.

GatoradeMeBitch · 22/05/2015 13:26

'Women's section' just means 'frothy superficial crap section'. What, men aren't interested in skincare and shoes? You could have fooled me. Actually, when I could stomach the DM site I used to notice more male commenters on 'Femail' articles than female!

GirlSailor · 22/05/2015 13:42

I often see articles about women's health in the lifestyle section - particularly anything to do with pregnancy and babies, even if it's about a public health issue or a change in guidance. I have never understood why they're not tagged 'health' like everything that isn't just about women's bodies.

Original poster

reni1 · 22/05/2015 14:41

Gatorade, quite a lot of the women's section in Guardian is not vacuous and superficial though, there is an article about sexual torture in Egypt, women in politics in the UK and about miscarriage misconceptions, none of which qualifies as "lifestyle" surely.

OP posts:

partialderivative · 22/05/2015 22:31

Why do newspapers have 'Womens Sections'?

The worst, most racsit and disgusting rag in the UK also happens to be the one that is most read by women.

(I don't have a link to support that claim about most women, but I don't think it is any secret)

LassUnparalleled · 22/05/2015 23:09

Why should they not have women's sections? By that argument why have this forum. There are issues that only affect women.

I expect you will reply because that's because the patriarchy makes it that but really issues such as menstruation, breast feeding,the miracle that is endometrial ablation are women's issues.

Having said that the Guardian women's section is frequently very irritating. So far as the Mail, don't know, I don't read it.

HapShawl · 23/05/2015 08:33

Do you think the women's section should be under "lifestyle" though?

00100001 · 23/05/2015 09:02

As for it being under lifestyle - I suppose it depends on the content.

I wouldn't have thought that by having a women's section under lifestyle would automatically mean that everything else if for men. I would assume that it was lifestyle issues/comments that concern only women.

00100001 · 23/05/2015 09:03

or mostly women.

Marshy · 23/05/2015 09:07

Why is there a women's section at all? Isn't all the other stuff for women as well given that woman are, y'know, people?

DadWasHere · 23/05/2015 09:27

Everything is the men's section except the women's section.

I do not believe your opinion belongs in this age as it does not reflect present reality.

HapShawl · 23/05/2015 09:32

What part of the content currently listed under lifestyle --> women do you think are lifestyle issues/comments that concern only/mostly women? (I'm not disputing the women part, though men should be concerned, just the lifestyle part)

www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/women

How to reclaim your body after sexual assault

A piece about whether the Egyptian state is using sexual torture

Want your daughter to earn more? Be a working mother

A piece about women designers at Chelsea

Only two of those from the main selection could conceivably be about lifestyle.

HapShawl · 23/05/2015 09:35

Ah there's another piece about paracetamol and pregnancy. Which might be lifestyle of you consider pregnancy or pain relief to be lifestyle issues

WhirlpoolGalaxyM51 · 23/05/2015 10:56

I would say the first 2 items at least are not just issues for women are they? They are issues for everyone. And they certainly aren't "Lifestyle".

Do newspapers have a "men's" section with articles about prostate cancer and cars? (I don't read newspapers so genuinely don't know!)

WhirlpoolGalaxyM51 · 23/05/2015 10:57

Would men not be interested to read a piece about whether their daughters could earn more if they have mothers who work?

Original poster

reni1 · 23/05/2015 11:29

I'm ambivalent about even having a women's section. It's a bit like the kid's pages, bit of colouring in and a puzzle to keep them busy while dad reads the paper.

Maybe have a women's rights section under politics and the rest can go into the health section. Lifestyle can be where cookery and fashion goes.

OP posts:

zipzap · 23/05/2015 13:22

Somewhat unexpectedly the Daily Telegraph has in it's Life section both a Women's section and a Men's section.

Which is great as it means the rest of the paper is for both men and women. Or none of it's for men or women, the rest of it is for children. Or aliens. Or purple lesser spotted cross eyed tree frogs...

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