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My ardent dislike of International Women’s Day began in Moscow, befitting an event with roots in the socialism of the first decade of the last century. Frankly, it should have stayed there, along with Clara Zetkin and the Spartacists.
On March 8 every year, our office would empty of the mainly male Russian staff. A wilting red rose would be left on my desk to console me as I ploughed through reports and tried to fix the boiler. This combination of threadbare uselessness and mawkish sentimentalism makes March 8 a day to ignore.
Yet now it is making corporate inroads. A friend was last year asked to do a presentation on the day advising women in her firm. “Don’t try to work part-time if you want to reach the top,” she advised. An anguished note from human resources followed, asking her to be less frank in future.
More companies are now subjecting female employees to symbolic Women’s Day events, while digging in rigorously against the latest EU idea of female quotas on boards. I find quotas anathema, but the argument about them should make us look critically at the limited progress made since the Davis report on women in senior roles.
For all the fanfare about targets, only a third of top firms are committed to anything at all and only 10 per cent to tougher, quicker targets. If you think the City is bad, other big employers in the public sector and its private supply companies are a female desert. I just met a man from an outsourcing company with a female CEO who referred to the top-tier women as “girls”. Way to go, sir.
Through this minefield blunder the nation’s institutions. Women’s representation on air will feature in the race to run the BBC, where two of the three main internal candidates, Helen Boaden and Caroline Thomson, are female. They (and other contenders) have to explain why the Beeb has managed to end up with so few major female voices, despite an impressive set of women managers.
We have just enjoyed Andrew Marr, Melvyn Bragg and Jeremy Paxman doing the big showy numbers on the Queen, class and Empire. All with due merit, though some variation on baby-boomer men telling us how the world works might be an option. I know at first hand that the Beeb has many senior staff who are conscientious, tenacious supporters of women and seek out female talent. But until it stops mistaking a defensive posture for a more enthusiastic push, nothing much will change.
Political parties are similarly signed up to women of the theoretical variety. It would be miraculous if either Ed Miliband or David Cameron appointed a woman as chief of staff or strategist, as opposed to that mysterious role of “gatekeeper” — which is always a female because we are apparently so good at telling people to go away, nicely.
Today, a lot of corporate lip service will be paid to the advancement of women. Rather like the old Marxists, too few of those saying so mean it, as little as they believe the diversity pledges that adorn their year-end reports. We can aim higher. Don’t fall for it: even for two dozen red roses.
Dman137 wrote:
goobs is all you guys will ever be
By 1-irt: Still as long as Hissy keeps showing up this is one of the most entertaining threads ever.
I like the fact FHM started their 'Top 100 sexiest women in the world' contest today...
Damn good timing...
My teacher gave a fairly impassioned talk about women's rights and why we should feel grateful we (They considering i'm a guyy) have them...
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Albatross wrote:Women's Day? I prefer Ladies Night.
What a night.
Alby has the way of it.
-"Wait a minute.....who is that Frazz is talking to in the gallery? Hmmm something is going on here.....Oh.... it seems there is some dispute over video taping of some sort......Frazz is really upset now..........wait a minute......whats he go there.......is it? Can it be?....Frazz has just unleashed his hidden weiner dog from his mini bag, while quoting shakespeares "Let slip the dogs the war!!" GG
-"Don't mind Frazzled. He's just Dakka's crazy old dude locked in the attic. He's harmless. Mostly."
-TBone the Magnificent 1999-2014, Long Live the King!
Don't see why we have 'womens day' when we don't have a 'mens' day. What about 'transgender' day or 'hemaphrodite' day? Is every other non-womans day mans day by default?
Phototoxin wrote:Don't see why we have 'womens day' when we don't have a 'mens' day.
We do have "men's day" (November 19th), but noone knows about it because every day is effectively men's day anyway so it's not really specifically practiced.
Phototoxin wrote: What about 'transgender' day
There is a Transgender Day of Remembrance-- November 20th.
Phototoxin wrote: or 'hemaphrodite' day?
"Intersexed", you mean. "Hermaphrodite" isn't applied to people these days. It's October 26.
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2012/03/11 01:53:37
The people in the past who convinced themselves to do unspeakable things were no less human than you or I. They made their decisions; the only thing that prevents history from repeating itself is making different ones.
-- Adam Serwer
My blog
Phototoxin wrote:Don't see why we have 'womens day' when we don't have a 'mens' day. What about 'transgender' day or 'hemaphrodite' day? Is every other non-womans day mans day by default?
Frankly it's sexist.
I'm pretty sure there is a mens day.
I'm too hungover to do any research to find out what day it is though.
Director at Fool's Errand Films a San Diego Video Production and Live Streaming company.
Albatross wrote:Women's Day? I prefer Ladies Night.
What a night.
Or lesbian night?
Besides that title destroying the nice corporate synergy tie in with a marketable song, last I checked lesbians were still ladies too, assuming porn hasn't lied to me of course. They are just ladies who like ladies.
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2012/03/11 15:38:09
Amidst the mists and coldest frosts he thrusts his fists against the posts and still insists he sees the ghosts.
Melissia wrote:We do have "men's day" (November 19th), but noone knows about it because every day is effectively men's day anyway so it's not really specifically
Please do stop that. Its not funny. It comes accross as man hateing.
Nither are all the sexist jokes in this thread.
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2012/03/11 15:44:49
Phototoxin wrote:Don't see why we have 'womens day' when we don't have a 'mens' day. What about 'transgender' day or 'hemaphrodite' day? Is every other non-womans day mans day by default?
Melissa wrote:There is a Transgender Day of Remembrance-- November 20th... ..."Intersexed", you mean. "Hermaphrodite" isn't applied to people these days. It's October 26.
Clearly you're overstating the figure. I count the possibility for almost 12,000 exceptions.
The people in the past who convinced themselves to do unspeakable things were no less human than you or I. They made their decisions; the only thing that prevents history from repeating itself is making different ones.
-- Adam Serwer
My blog
You know, I think sexism is on its last legs now. Maybe I'm just an optimist, but things seem to be getting better. Besides, statistically women get better grades in school and are more likely to be hired than men, which is big step forward from say, 20 years ago. The few remaining sexists seem to be freaking out now and are getting louder and crazier (like Rush Limbaugh).
I was at the peelers the other night, first time in a long time. The crowd was about 60/40 men/women. When I first went ~ 15 years ago, the only ladies were serving drinks and removing underwear.
So there's progress?
We were once so close to heaven, St. Peter came out and gave us medals; declaring us "The nicest of the damned".
“Anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that 'my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.'”
LoneLictor wrote:You know, I think sexism is on its last legs now.
Yeah, but a wounded animal is quite dangerous.
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2012/03/11 17:45:27
The people in the past who convinced themselves to do unspeakable things were no less human than you or I. They made their decisions; the only thing that prevents history from repeating itself is making different ones.
-- Adam Serwer
My blog
feeder wrote:I was at the peelers the other night, first time in a long time. The crowd was about 60/40 men/women. When I first went ~ 15 years ago, the only ladies were serving drinks and removing underwear.
So there's progress?
Your shining example of sex equality is that women now also go to strip clubs?
" -KingCracker
