Originally Posted by
FatherKnowsBest
WITH MY SINCERE APOLOGIES TO EVERYONE. I said I would respond in my usual style, so here it is...
So, lets start with the premise that although the issues of equality are couched in terms of 'Equality of Women', it should really be 'equality for everyone'. Everyone should have the equal opportunity to use their skills and talents to succeed, regardless of gender.
The problem with feminism is that many seek not equality but to disadvantage men in a way (and beyond) that women were for a long time disadvantaged. Feminism has become a political cause where every sign of perceived male advantage, and the way has to be tackled and overcome, often by social media campaigns. Trial by Twitter is just plain wrong. You can't politicise equality into a wedge issue, we all have an equal right to exist.
A lot is being made of the cultural stereotyping of women, yet men and women ARE different. Women have different chromosomes, and have a different way of thinking and behaving. Its not cultural, its biological, yet suggest that in certain places and it can get you fired, or hounded out of public office, simply because of saying what you think. It hasn't been like this since the Catholic Church would burn you alive for suggesting the Earth traveled around the Sun.
Feminisation. Lets start with education. Over the last thirty years, there has been a big effort to address equality in school results. But gradually that effort to make learning more appropriate to girls, has meant a corresponding disadvantage to boys. What is really striking is that the make-up of teaching staff has slewed towards the female so strongly, its genuinely shocking. In 2016,
73.9% of teachers are women
84.6% of primary school teachers
91.4% of teaching assistants are women
Overall, 80.2% of all full time teaching staff, are women. Really...! (Thats from ONS documents..)
Should this make a difference? Well, it clearly does as the widening gap between boys and girls at GCSE shows. Girls outperform boys by 7.5%, which if it were any group other than boys would not be tolerated. It is a fact that boys learn more effectively from male teachers than females. Its a fact. We can point to the lack of role models for boys. In society as a whole the role of males, especially as fathers, providers, protectors, has become marginalised. We can point to more single parent families, but in their formative time, boys do not get enough time with men. Indeed if any man wants to be a primary school teacher, or work with scouts or other community groups, he is viewed with suspicion.
The message that men are in essence evil b'stards who will jump on the nearest female, or child, and do harm to them the first time your back is turned, has really taken hold (#metoo, or look at front page of the BBC website on any day. Always at least one 'feminist' story. You can also argue that the media was responsible for the demonising of the young black in the US, by their constant portrayal in TV series of 'the thief' or 'the thug' as a young black male ).
Media output for girls is all about all about empowerment and strength and achievement. Boys are not given this message. (Even charities...There are TV adverts where you can sponsor a girl in some god-forsaken African country, but you can't sponsor a boy. Race for Life? Men die of cancer too. Can I take part? No. Men are banned because its feared they would be "too competitive". Would that be allowed if the roles were reversed? But I digress...)
Anyway, so, the removal of individual competitiveness, the 'Everyone gets a prize' mentality is not what boys need. Boys thrive on competition. Marry that with the lack of male role models in schools and often at home, and in their communities, and guess what? Underachievement, behavioral problems (slap a tag on it, and give em some pills...), and ultimately boys who are disadvantaged and stigmatised purely because of their gender.
Equal jobs and equal pay. Couldn't agree more, but the truth is that in education, in the NHS and in government, women are being appointed to higher and higher roles, and with the disparity in education, that can only continue. I go into some of these bodies, and women middle-managers, with all women teams are becoming increasingly obvious. They still have a male security guard or janitor... Now its in the name of 'equality' but soon it will be because boys cannot match the educational standards of girls. A growing underclass of economically disadvantaged.
Yet we are still being told about the gender pay gap and how women need more and more equality. But when does equality become inequality. When do the rights for males to be a man, to have an equal education, to get a job that hasn't been given to a similarly qualified and experienced woman just because of her gender, to contribute to education or to community without being viewed with suspicion, to provide for and protect my family without being negatively stereotyped or marginalised, when is that recognised?