If you read many of my articles, you’ll know I’m something of a Feminist.
I strongly believe that women are still disadvantaged in many ways in our society, and this occurs by much more subtle means than it did 100 years ago. But subtlety does not mean that inequality is less dangerous, or that it causes fewer problems for women than the blatant injustices that we have faced in the past.
In the UK today, women are paid, on average, 18.6% less than men. Only 17% of the FTSE 100 board directors are female. Only 25% of MPs are female. UK media features men as ‘experts’ 4 times as much as they do females. 30,000 women per year lose their job because they are pregnant, with a further 440,000 missing out on a promotion or pay rise for the same reason.
And the problem is not just at home. Across the world, there are 10 million more girls than boys who can’t go to school. In Yemen, marital rape is legal. In Saudi Arabia, women are still not allowed to drive, and must have a man’s permission to enter education, work or to travel. In Iran, a woman’s word in court is worth half that of a man.
Western Feminists are not naïve. We know that we are lucky to live in a part of the world where women are generally treated fairly and supposed to have exactly the same rights as men. People in Britain are aware that gender inequality is wrong, and as a result work hard to ensure any disparities between men and women are eradicated. But ‘generally’ is not enough. ‘Supposed to’ does not cut it. The mere intention to do right is not the same as action; an attitude of “we’re pretty much there so let’s not worry too much” is what makes gender inequality in our country so potent and dangerous.
There are still misconceptions about Feminism. I’ve lost count of how many conversations I’ve had with people about these. It’s unbelievably difficult to convince people that if they A) believe women are human beings and B) believe all humans are equal, that they are a Feminist.
There are also a lot of people who still see Feminists as ‘men haters’. No. Feminism is the belief that women are equal to men, not better than them, and any person who claims otherwise is not a Feminist. Feminists are equally as outraged when men are made to pay entry to a nightclub where it is free for women.
International Women’s Day gives me mixed emotions. It’s a wonderful way of raising awareness of gender inequality and helping to dispel some of the myths of the Feminist movement. It’s a great opportunity to appreciate some of the amazing women in the world, making up for the years where this appreciation was lacking. But I eagerly wait for the time when there is no International Women’s Day, because we no longer need it.
“The story of women’s struggle for equality belongs to no single feminist nor to any one organization but to the collective efforts of all who care about human rights” Gloria Steinem
Click here for more.
Sources
http://fawcettsociety.org.uk/equal-pay/
http://ukfeminista.org.uk/take-action/facts-and-statistics-on-gender-inequality/
http://www.womankind.org.uk/about/why-women/statistics/
http://www.unicef.org/gender/files/Yemen-Gender-Eqaulity-Profile-2011.pdf
http://worldsavvy.org/monitor/index.php?option=com_content&id=476&Itemid=894