What a mish-mash of propaganda, regurgitated misinformation and ideological claptrap, with a good splash of whinge thrown in for seasoning. Sadly, it's all too typical of the barely-literate rubbish that is churned out of gender-studies and Sociology departments across the world these days, as so-called "academics" do their best to stay on the funding bandwagon.

This has lead to such perversions of academic rigour as Michael Flood (one of the organisers of the so-called "White Ribbon Day") announcing that he is "pro-feminist" on every available document, just in case anyone missed his ticket for the bandwagon and the funding it carries.

Personally, my view is that women are treated more than fairly by our society, certainly with much greater regard than men, and it's about time they stopped whining. Campbell Newman, the Lord Mayor of Brisbane, summed it up in his press conference announcing a plan to provide "men's sheds" in this city. He said:"It is about . . . allowing us to take care of a group that has been neglected, actually, and that is men."

First, I would like to fully commend Danielle’s balanced and wonderful post.

Second, and sadly, to those who claim that women already have equal rights in the workplace or in the hearts of our leaders read the following excerpt:

“Channel Nine's head of news John Westacott has been accused of making offensive and sexist remarks to female journalists in new documents lodged with the Federal Court today.
Westacott is alleged to have told a group of female journalists at a book launch last year that they were hired only for their sex appeal.
"To make it in this industry, you gotta have f---ability. To make it in this game, women have to be f---able," Westacott is alleged to have said.

……Westacott is also alleged to have said that women reporters should do the "soft news" stories and leave the big-hitting reports to their male counterparts.
"Sheilas do health and consumer stories, the second break stuff [after the second advertisement break on commercial television]. You want your blokes, your main guns, doing the real news stories," he is alleged to have said.”

The full article is here http://littlurl.com/rnvgq

- what year is it again, oh yes 2008 not 1808 – but who would guess with attitudes like Westacott’s still prevailing.

Finally, as today is International Women’s Day, I thought this link to the history of universal suffrage of women would be of interest:

In 1911, the first march took place in Austria.

In Australia …”The first Australian IWD rally took place in the Sydney Domain on March 25, 1928. It was organised by the Militant Women's Movement and called for equal pay for equal work; an 8 hour day for shop girls; no piece work; the basic wage for the unemployed and annual holidays on full pay.”

How much has really changed?.... read full text at

http://littlurl.com/qz6ye

BTW the colours for IWD are purple, green and white - I am busy checking my wardrobe to wear clothing to honour my sisters.

Thank you

HRS

"Browyn,
I understand that quite a few feminist won't acknowledge International Men's Day (being believers in equality and non-haters of men and all that), so I'm wondering what you did to celebrate International Men's Day last year?"

I wasn't talking necessarily about celebrating special days, I was talking more about the need for women to exemplify and speak up for feminist ideals in their day-to-day lives. I'm not talking rabid flag-waving stuff just sensible proactive awareness and speaking out when needed.

One of the reasons that many younger women today don't see the need for this ongoing vigilance is that a lot of them don't realise how far women have come and the long and difficult struggle that has been waged by their sisters before them to get to this point. It's the same reason that unionism has been on the wane for some time now. Many people take modern workplace benefits for granted and are only just starting to realize that you have to maintain the fight if you are to protect them.

It's the same with women's issues. It's the same with men's issues. It's not necessarily an either/or struggle but it is an ongoing one.

Romany,

1. "Waddya think of the "Woman-as-robot" analogy?"
It bamboozled and fascinated me. The analogy has gone over my head, I'm still not sure if the author just hates our guts, but I couldn't help but be impressed by the eccentric, poetic beauty of "And the smells of our sewers as they poisoned the oceans and changed the climate would be oh so redolent of perfume and lipstick and sanitary pads."

2. Re Danielle, isn't she amazing? You actually remind me of my mum, Danielle (though you're younger). She has the same attitude to "victim" feminism as you do - it's not that she rejects it so much as she just doesn't get it, because she, herself, is nobody's victim.

However, Fractelle has a good point. The whole Westacott thing was incredibly alarming and totally boring really, I adore the Spitfighter for fighting back, and the only good news is that the whole world seems to be in agreement that he's a boorish old dinosaur. Nevertheless, dinosaurs still apparently roam the hallways of our media outlets, and the sooner we fossilise them, the better. (And the sooner I stop torturing this metaphor, the better.) I know a lot of journos, and the idea that the female ones might be kept off screen because they're weren't f@!kable enough would devastate me in its callous waste of talent. I know one male TV journalist who is certainly no oil painting but has won a Walkley for his excellent reportage.

In my view, the war is won in the Western world, but we haven't quite finished with some of the skirmishes on the side. (When you ask what's changed, Fractelle, I'd say a great deal - we do get holiday pay, we do have an eight-hour day. Or if we don't, it relates to gender-neutral IR issues.) We need to help men with a few of their battles and all.

HRS, what are you doing today to celebrate International Woman's Day?

if you want to understand human society, spend some time in the primate pavilion at the zoo. then marvel when you see any evidence we are more 'humane' than baboons and chimps.

women should keep in mind that they are the human race. they can get along just fine without men, bar an occasional spoonful of semen. even this necessity will soon be removed with effective cloning. just be patient, sisters, and you will see the male half of the population reduced to genetic dinosaurs.

then you can just have girl babies until the 'problem' is gone. it'll probably be a better world, best of luck in running it better than we did.

Danielle: "I read statistics, albeit some time ago, that more women are self-employed than men"

Actually the statistics say that less than a third of owner-run businesses are run by women. That said its roughly the same gender breakdown as the full time work force, so there doesn't appear to be any gender difference when you consider owner to full-time worker ratio.

I agree with most of the rest of your post but this got me thinking:
"I would suggest that women, as a whole, have more diverse ideas about career paths than men. Having said this, I do agree that committed career-women in industry, should have the same opportunities and financial rewards as men."

If feminists are seeking equality, should they be pushing to have women to become as career focused as men, or should they be pushing to have men become more life focused?