Recent Comments
- Andy Bowden on Class politics or anti-semitic conspiracies? Why David Icke, Ron Paul and Alex Jones are dangerous to the Occupy Movement.
- Andy Mc on Class politics or anti-semitic conspiracies? Why David Icke, Ron Paul and Alex Jones are dangerous to the Occupy Movement.
- declan on For a Radical Independence Movement.
- Andy Bowden on For a Radical Independence Movement.
- arm 'n' hammer on For a Radical Independence Movement.
Tags
afghanistan austerity britain BNP climate change Con Dem coalition demonstration drugs economy edinburgh education elections environment events evil megacorps fascism feminism fighting cuts glasgow greece health internet knobheads Labour Lib Dems moral panic music news police protest racism science SDL sexism sexuality SNP strikes tabloids Tories tv unemployment unions USA war women's rights workers' rightsArchives
- June 2012
- May 2012
- March 2012
- January 2012
- December 2011
- November 2011
- October 2011
- September 2011
- August 2011
- July 2011
- June 2011
- May 2011
- April 2011
- March 2011
- February 2011
- January 2011
- December 2010
- November 2010
- October 2010
- September 2010
- August 2010
- July 2010
- June 2010
- May 2010
- April 2010
- March 2010
- February 2010
- January 2010
- December 2009
- November 2009
- October 2009
- September 2009
- August 2009
-
Authors
- admin
- And
- Andy Bowden
- Brogan
- CelticEwan
- David
- David Ward
- Erofeeva
- Euan Benzie
- Frenchie
- ImSpartacus
- Jack
- James McIntyre
- James N
- Kirsty Kane
- Liam M
- Liam T
- lovebug
- LydiaTeapot
- Meghan
- Muzza
- Neil B
- neldo
- Sarah
- Scottish Socialist Youth
- Snowball
- Socialist Pharmacist
- Sophie
- Squeak
- Stuart
- syebot
- TheWorstWitch
- Wavejumper
Q. Why do we still need feminism?
A. Because women in Scotland are still paid less than men.
A new study marking the 40th anniversary of the Equal Pay Act has found that women earn an average 12% less than their male colleagues.
Full-time female workers earned, on average, £113 a week less than men.
The gap for part-time workers was even greater, with women receiving on average 32% less than men.
The study by the Equality and Human Rights Commission found some women earning up to 55% less than male workers in equivalent jobs.
And let’s just repeat that first part again: this is 40 years since the Equal Pay Act was passed.
I was having a discussion with two of my friends about this last night – we were raging at the complacency and feminist denial displayed by so many of our peers. Some women seem to see feminism as a thing of the past, to them it’s unnecessary; they find it embarrassing and so distance themselves from it.
Quite clearly they’re wrong. Sigh.
I think the biggest problem is how feminism is perceived by most people – I know that before I got involved in politics my view of feminism was just negative stereotypes.
Yeah, you’re right – the man-hating, not-shaving, vegan “bull-dyke” charicature feminist stereotype is so damaging. My friends and I were discussing specific comments made by some people we know, and the girls we were talking about were bringing up that stereotype, making jokes about not shaving (HOW HORRIFIC!) and being lesbians (because, you know, that’s a BAD thing). The frustrating thing is that they’d studied feminism at uni and had just done an exam on it… It really beggars belief. They can’t have been paying attention in class if they think that’s what feminism is.
A big problem is that, for white, middle-class women, oppression is far subtler than it previously was. We’ve a lot to thank the 2nd wave for, they tackled some big issues, but for only a specific section of female society. There’s still a lot more to be done, particularly when it comes to female body image and the notion of the “superwoman” (we can have a family and a career, but only if we somehow manage to juggle everything without relying on our partner to pull an equal share of the weight at home. Fuck the second shift!) but as long as we’re complacent and content, nothing will happen. A combination of weak legislation which placates most of female society, coupled with a duplicitous media that assures us we’re really and truly “free” and “equal” means that a lot of women just don’t see the point of feminism any more.
Feminism is my freedom.
Feminism is about righting the wrongs done to women. Non-equal pay, as pointed out by TheWorstWitch.
Feminism is about choice. The right to choose how i look, what happens with my body and who gets near it.
Feminism is about standing up for abused, humiliated and used women.
The simple fact of the matter is that people who think feminism is about being hairy and angry need to be educated. I’m hairy and VERY angry, but that is never the point – the point is my reasons why.