Odd chat with DH

[MegCleary]

He was watching question Time and was annoyed by the Womans Equality Party felt it should be the Equality party. His opinion. Then we started discussing how women and men are not equal, he was saying men can never carry children so therefore the sexes can never be equal.

Has anyone else had this discussion take that turn, is it a common opinion?

Lorelei, do you think a white, straight, able bodied male looks around his white, straight, able bodied work place and wonders if positive discrimination played any part in his job offer?

I doubt it. Yet the rest of us are supposed to fret about positive discrimination, which is sexist/racist etc in itself, assuming we are adequately qualified and experienced, which no doubt we are, businesses being wise to such baseline requirements.

I had a row discussion today about positive discrimination. In this case women being promoted in a profession from which they were previously barred. My argument was that the employer is promoting women now they are allowed in, in recognition of the fact that they should have been allowed in a lot earlier and would have been promoted etc over time. In other words, belatedly fast-tracking things that should have happened naturally anyway.

Obviously no two people are "equal" (in terms of skills, upbringing, gender race and so on)

Surely it's all about equal opportunity?

My understanding is that employment law makes up for the disadvantages women face in the workplace when they go and have the babies: ie. maternity leave/pay, right to return to your job, illegal to sack someone for being pregnant etc. That is what striving for equality is about - anti-discrimination laws redressing the balance where there is disadvantage - be it sex, race, sexual orientation or whatever.

In theory of course. Sadly lacking in practice.

Positive discrimination is illegal (except in the case that is described in SeraOfeliaFalfurrias's post at 17:27:51).

Positive action is a different thing.