Its all one big conspiracy

[yazz21]

Its only after all the transgender threads on here recently, that I've thought about feminism, and started looking into things. The more I read, the more I learn, the more shocked I am.

Its just like one massive conspiracy that I never saw. Now my eyes have been opened to it, I can't stop seeing it. (Not that I'd want to.) I see everything around me so differently. Just little things that all add up to keeping women subordinate.I never realised how much my behaviour, thoughts and actions is not innate, but things I've learned through socialisation.

I really wish I'd seen it all earlier, but for some reason I had this notion that feminism was just men hating women who were probably hairy and/or lesbians I wonder who benefitted from me thinking that.

I'm not sure what my point is really, but I feel really angry on behalf of women and really want to do something about it. However there are no feminist groups/meetings in my area, and I'm not well read enough to start one. Any other angry womenn here? Also if anyone could reccomend some books, so I can further my understanding. I would be really grateful.

Bit late, but thanks for this thread - I'm getting lots out of it! My feminist epiphany came in the form of the Caroline Criado Perez woman-on-a-banknote horribleness. Since then I can't stop seeing all the inequality EVERYWHERE. I actually wish I could switch it off from time to time as it's just so fucking stressful and upsetting...but I can't. In the meantime, this board and threads like this help me a lot, so thanks

I think this one has been posted before: www.theonion.com/article/woman-takes-short-half-hour-break-from-being-femin-35026!

Bahahahaha that's great!

Yes, Puntastic, the whole CCP/Stella Creasey thing really threw how much women are truly hated into sharp relief, didn't it?

It just knocked me sideways. Some of the tweets they got. It still makes me angry.

Have to say, Buffy, it seems a bit crazy that anyone would deny the role of conflict in human affairs.

Yet another example, unpacking a lab coat at work yesterday: labelled "men's lab coat"...like that's the default my colleague and I were not amused, why couldn't it just be you know, a lab coat? (Sorry if this is the wrong place for this!)

The Criado Perez stuff was awful. Unfortunately, the internet gives a voice to those we can otherwise shut out of our daily lives. Is it realistic to want all such views to be erased from human thought? Can we educate such views out of our population?

Totally not the wrong place, Degus, how idiotic and unnecessary!

Unfortunately, the internet gives a voice to those we can otherwise shut out of our daily lives.

I think it's useful to see just how many pond scum people really do hate women that much. It was largely hidden before they got such a willing range of platforms.

Did you see Anita Sarkeesian’s TED talk? One of several about woman-hating gamers.

I have just learned to my disgust that fairtrade has historically been gender biased www.fairtrade.org.uk/en/media-centre/news/march-2015/gender-equality-good-for-women-business-and-development Apparently despite women providing 50% of the agricultural workforce, they only provided 22% of fairtrade workforce. I still stick by the principle of fairtrade, but fgs it just goes to show women are always bottom of the pile. Thank goodness they're addressing it now.

Dunno what I expected really... if anything the 22% figure seems high (and the 50% a bit low actually). All the nice pictures I've seen saying 'look how fairtrade has helped' emphasise families, but with a man at the head. I just hadn't thought of it before. My own little epiphany to add to the op.

Degus - that's going to be because it'll be a straight up and down one, not the tailored type (like mens and women's t-shirts - one is straight up and down, one is tighter and nipped in at the waist) - cos even when working in a lab, women want to show off their curves. (actually.... I don't mind that so much - we had belted lab wrap house coat things at school which were excellent because they kept any excess fabric out of the way)

I thought it was because the men's coats would have nice big practical pockets for storing proper equipment and general man stuff such as screwdrivers, whereas the women's coats would have only cursory pockets suitable for storing lots of tissues for all that crying women scientists do?

Oh no we need big pockets for lots of tissues, for all the crying we do... Clearly I should be trying to source pink waisted lab coats, but then I guess we'd be far too distracting to all the poor male scientists

Slight derail, but I seriously do think pockets is a gender issue. Pockets in women's clothes are shit - tiny, or non existent. Men get proper pockets. Clothing designers are trying to tip us over the edge, so they are.

Or trying to tip us over on one side, with our huge & heavy handbags!

The amazing thing to me was a jacket with no pockets at all, the theory being, I was told, that pockets would spoil the cut. That, I can understand. But it had fake pockets, you know, that looked like pockets on the outside but were sewn firmly shut.

Are you sure they weren't real pockets? They do sew them shut to keep the line of the garment. That said, some things do have pocket details but no pouch inside.

Nope, no pouch. Nuffink.

That's just mental cruelty. Giving the pocket with one hand and taking it away with the other.

I'm a bit lost without pockets to stick my hands in I might have to stand up straight & not fidget or anything!

I was rather indignant when I found that my 6 month old had pockets in his cheap asda joggers and I didn't.

The pockets of patriarchy is a total thing. Apparently women don't need pockets. Who knew.

"The pockets of patriarchy" :) :) :)

FUCK THE POCKET PATRIARCHY!