Why does it feel like things are getting worse for women? (Beyond the gender ideology stuff)

[nestoftables]

I know this is a particularly sad day related to violence against women. So maybe my senses are heightened to women's rights and treatment. But I've been offended by multiple instances of casual sexism today at work (from youngish and middle aged men), seemingly by men oblivious to the consequences of what they are saying.

Of course I recognise that the attempts to redefine sex and gender and woman are having a big effect on how sexism is recognised. But I also feel there is somehow a sort of increasing lack of awareness of everyday sexism, of structural barriers, of subtly (or not subtly) inappropriate language. As if some people think that isn't an issue anymore.

I think it's exactly that - that people don't think it's an issue now. That feminism is all about standing on a stage in hot pants shouting "yay women!", and that recognising actual women's issues is somehow anti-feminist, disempowering and also sexist against men. I get that vibe from both men and women.

I feel that way too. Its very depressing.

I honestly think it’s a backlash against the great strides forward feminism has taken since the 60s and 70s, be encouraged, it’s a sign of progress! The same thing happened in the 50s after women took up men’s jobs in WW2 and had to be encouraged to step back out of the workplace again and distracted with the Beauty Myth. That’s how I see it as someone who grew up in the 80s and 90s anyway.

I had this exact same conversation with my sister today.

We decided that a lot of it is because minority agendas are noisily dominating the airwaves and right across the board it is women who are being forced to 'budge up' to allow for minority inclusion.

Poverty. After some improvements, austerity has disproportionately affected women and when it intersects with other forms of oppression then the erosion of women's resources is amplified.

Measures have been put in place to try to address the disadvantages women face, so people think everything is ok, until they realise it's not - often when women become mothers or find they are treated differently in the workplace or by HCPs.

But society hasn't really changed. The attitudes that were there are still there - so engrained that it just looks like normal to most people. So engrained that the SNP don't think a misogyny related crime even counts.