Screws and Nuts

Hi 

Well, it has been a while since I have had anything to talk to you about. I have had some experiences over the past few days that have given pause for thought and I thought I might share them with you.  First of all I got a new bicycle yesterday.  As I am no longer in the flush of youth I found that my current bike was no longer suitable for the style of riding I wish to do.  Have you ever noticed that today's bikes for women are made so that we have to hoick our leg toes pointed up to the sky to get on the damn thing.  Well, I was OVER it.  I had had my previous bike for over 10 years and it has been well used.  When my children were younger it was my transport.  I had a covered trailer that attached to the back and I carried around both my children until they were well into their first years of school.  It was a sturdy mountain bike and it did well.  I was limber and slender for the most part.  However, now I am less fit and a bit wider.  I no longer feel the desire to demonstrate my flexibility by throwing my leg in the air to mount my bike.  I want to step onto a bike with an ample seat for my ample seat.  I wish to ride upright and see the world.  In other words rather than pelt, I wish to glide.  The new bicycle provides that for me.

This is my dream bike. It is an example of addressing the needs of the individual instead of generic design for all.  Equity is about getting what you need. It is not about getting the same thing as everyone else.  Even if we divide into gender there are specific needs of men and women that require consideration.    

The attainment of my bike has led me to another observation.  I decided to take the carrier from the back of my old bike and install it on the dream machine.  As I was speaking to a friend on the phone while sitting on the ground with bike parts, fasteners and tools spread all around me it occurred to us that the fasteners were named after male genitalia and sex.  Nuts & Screws. I wonder if this is coincidence or on purpose?  I would be most interested to find out from you in the blogosphere your ideas of gendered tools, instruments etc.  Leave your comments below.

Thanks for Reading

Bo.

Finally - Action

How many times have you suggested to a non-feminist that pay inequity exists between the sexes.  I have, but have been summarily dismissed and been told that this is a fallicy.  Well, here is some evidence to support your argument, my feminist friends.  Check out the link:http://www.perthnow.com.au/business/bosses-could-be-forced-to-act-on-womens-pay/story-e6frg2qc-1225850773515

Could someone please explain why, after 50 years of fighting for equity in pay, this is still an issue. 

Yours Disillusioned.

B...

The F Word.

Some food for thought

I love my partner and my children with passion. This neither defines nor detracts from my femininity or my femininism.  My femininity and feminism are a result and refelction of my thoughts and actions. 

 I feel the need to put this out there in the blogger-sphere.  I am getting really sick and tired of the expectation that as a feminist I will have a butch persona, hate men and withdraw from the care, love and support of my family.  I am sure that some feminists are butch whether this is a result of their feminism or their personal style.  The idea that ones personal style is intrinsically linked to ones feminism irritates me to the core.  Feminists are people who have to deal with normal everyday situations.  As a feminist I continue to learn about the suppression of women's rights and the political backfoot that women are placed in and need to address.  While feminism is the lens I envoke to view most issues with, I am not conciously a feminist most of the time.  I have absorbed the ideology and continue to quesiton much of it.  Feminism should not be dogma or stereotypical.  It should be dynamic and evolutionary. It should be questioned and refined.  Feminism is not static.  

The quote I placed above is a reminder to those out there who believe that their encounter with a feminist will follow some script or that the feminist they encounter will be stereotypical.  BEWARE:  we may be mothers, lovers, artisits, professionals. We may wear make-up and designer clothes or we may wear op-shop or bargain basket attire. We may be black, white, asian.  We are wealthy, poor, middleclass.  We may be beautiful or plain. We come from many cultural and religious backgrounds.  We are income earning or supported.  We can even be male or female.  The one thing we will be is vocal about equality. I am woman who loves her partner and children.  This does not define my femininity or my feminism.  My defininition of myself is a totality of my thoughts and actions.

Hollywood glass ceiling is shattered, but women are still losing out in film and TV - The F-Word

Hollywood glass ceiling is shattered, but women are still losing out in film and TV - The F-Word

I have cross posted this from The F-Word Blog in the UK. This blog is not affiliated with the UK site however our subject matter is synonymous.

International Women's Day

Tomorrow is International Women's Day.  According to the Office for Women's Policy, an Australian Government department, this day celebrates the achievements and gains made by women and draws attention to the gender equity gap that still exists.  This past week was also a celebration of my university cohort who celebrated their university graduation. For many of the women in my cohort it was also a celebration of success over adversity and marks new opportunities for women.  I guess you should be aware that for many of us we are over 25 and under 50.  For the older of us, myself included, it was especially celebratory because when we left school we thought our opportunity to study at university was all but lost. 

For my part I took the decision with my partner that our children should have a stay at home parent until they were ready for some independence.  That task fell to me because, as is the case with many women, my earning capacity was limited by my education.  My partner earned and was likely to earn more money.  Having him take on the role of earner and me carer was sensible.  I addressed my responsibilities with pride and was an active mother in preparing my children to be responsible citizens of the world.  It was clear that after 10 years of fulltime parenting and with children installed in school that it was time to focus on how I could make up ground in contributing financially and substantially to our family unit.  I decided, with the support and encouragement  of my partner, to pursue a long time goal of obtaining a university degree.  This entailed me pulling back on my domestic duties and my partner adding some of these duties to his load.  Mostly domesticity fell between the cracks of our ambition but the basics were done and we both made sure our children were encouraged to grow socially and psychologically.  It wasn't always easy but we got there in the end. 

Graduation this week was a feminist statement.  I received my degree in regalia designed for men from an instituion that recognised the rights of women and encouraged their enrolment and I am proud of my acheivement but recognise that if not for those who supported my endeavour my success would have been limited. The simple fact is that without my education, and continuing education in a Masters course, my ability to provide for myself and my family financially would not be possible given that I took the choice to be a full time carer for my children.  I take it to be my responsibility to pursue a career in a profession that will provide myself with satisfaction in work and provide the financial requisites for my ongoing financial independence.

My graduate cohort also included a woman of similar age to me and a commenter on this site.  Tracey is a woman who has worked, married, raised a child, divorced and excelled.  Tracey has attracted academic accolades and is a model for what is possible by women in the middle age.  Tracey was Valedictorian of our graduation group and also received a University Medal for her outstanding efforts in the academy.  Tracey accomplished her academic feat while she financially supported herself through the four year degree.  Such dedication to study takes a toll on social relationships and many of my cohort have found that, as mature age students, we come out of our degree with a different social network than the one we started our university experience with.  

It is through women like Tracey and others that provide me with inspiration and hope for women in Australia.  It is my fervant hope that on this International Women's Day, women are inspired to pursue their dream and that the inspiration leads to a successful accomplishment of that dream. 

Happy International Women's Day!

"Women claim Qantas sex bias"

"Qantas has been accused of sex discrimination after sacking 14 female aircraft cleaners and replacing the with male baggage handlers in a restructure that saw no women offered retraining in jobs traditionally done by men." (Sydney Morning Herald in The Weste Australian, Feb 13, 2010).

So it goes on.  Wow, haven't we come a long way in securing equality for women in Australia.  The TWU has loged a complaint with Fair Work Australia on this matter.  This action was made possible by new legislation that has been put in place to support gender equity and address sexual discrimination after an enquiry by a committee invoked by Deputy Prime Minister, Julia Gillard in her role as Workplace Relations Minister.   The status of women in Australia has also been highlighted by  a World Ecomonic Forum report that placed Australia 20th in the world in terms of pay equity (AFR, 10 Nov, 2009).  This same news report stated that there is a gender pay gap of about 17 per cent favouring men for professions at graduate level. An example of the inequity that highlights the gap is in graduate architects.  It was stated that the pay difference in annual salary between men and women at graduate level is $3000. 

The need for such arbitration monitors raises serious issues about the way jobs are linked to tradtional gender roles and the way in which employment for the sexes has been managed.  It has been argued that if a job that is traditionally seen as a woman's domain and men begin to make headway into the profession the status and remuniration of that field will be improved.  However, the reverse occurs when women enter a tradtionally male held field.  In this case salaries and wages are said to decrease along with the status of the profession or job and conditions comensurate with that position (Greer, 1999).

In the case of the Qantas cleaners who lost their jobs, Qantas had reported that the loss of a cleaning contract had required that they let temporary staff go in order to protect the jobs of those permenant employees.  It seems women cop it all over.   Women, more often than men,  occupy more casual, contract and part-time positions. If temporary, contract and casual positions are being axed in favour of permenant employees, it is still a matter of discrimination given that it is more likely for a male to hold a permanent position than a female.  Enforcing and encouraging gender equity would protect the jobs and income of women in similar situations.

Seeking Contributors

I am looking for contributors to this blog.  It is a forum where you can put forward your arguments for gender equality or just comment on a situation you have observed or maybe a book that you have read that has offered an interesting perspective on the gender equality discussion.   The "F" Word is a forum for intelligent, respectful discussion of the issues surrounding gender equality from a non-partisan perspective.  That is, I advocate for the rights of women to particpate fully in society.  I also advocate for the rights of men to fully particpate in society.   I strongly argue that by following traditional gender roles, both men and women are missing out on experiences vital to understanding between the sexes and are denied experiences that can provide a more satisfying and insightful existence.

So, if you would like to contribute contact me at TheFWord@iinet.net.au for conditions of publication on this site. 

I look forward to your contributions.

Just stay in the kitchen, ladies - job aid for women was better in the fifties | Perth Now

Just stay in the kitchen, ladies - job aid for women was better in the fifties Perth Now

A more indepth article in relation to my previous post on women and the workforce

Job-hunting women 'better off 50 years ago'

Job-hunting women 'better off 50 years ago'

There are regular news items being posted regarding the status of women in terms of the barriers to paid employment.

The message that comes from stories like these is that there are actually prohibitive constraints on women participating fully in our society. Anyone who says that we have come a long way in providing conditions for women's full societal participation may be being blind sided. A recent article in the financial review suggests that by not providing conditions inclusive to women's entry into the workforce, corporate Australia is being hampered in receiving the positive benefits of having a workforce with equal gender representation (Australian Financial Review, 19th Jan. 2010) . The interviewee's in this article also suggested that implementing programmes to retain their female employees after absences such as maternity leave, would guard against a knowledge and skill drain which is currently being experienced. Further, one interviewee suggested reintroduction of a quota system may go some way to address the gender imbalance. The reasoning provided was that gender quotas would replace an existing quota system, namely, the boys club. Given these statements, it is in the best interest of corporate Australia to encourage and provide a corporate culture that ensures the inclusion and retention of women in paid employment at high levels. This might be achieved by providing flexible work environments for men and women allowing for sharing of family responsibilities and promoting a culture that supports access to such programmes. Some options that might prove productive are; job-sharing, flexible time tables and work from home options. Addressing the paid employment question needs to be considered in conjunction with the domestic side of things. There is not much point providing conditions for women to participate in paid employment if they are just adding to their burden.

There also needs to be a shift in gender role ideology. To provide full participation in society by men and women the idea of the woman as the home-maker needs to be addressed. Men are just as capable as women in participating equally in domestic affairs. Would you really want to be with a partner who can't take care of themselves. Take for example the ridiculous statements by Mr Tony Abbott earlier this week in his 'housewives do the ironing' statements. Mr Abbot, in a lame attempt to win back some ground after his gaff, suggested that his wife ironed his clothes because, if left to him he would probably not do it. These statements reinforce traditional gender stereotypes that undermine progress in gender equity. He has also insulted men, suggesting that without a domestic supporter (wife) they are incapable of managing themselves. The one thing that has been positive about the remarks Abbott made is that it has created an environment to discuss gender equity attitudes. Do we really consider this man a viable alternative leader of our government?

Gender equity requires disucssion by both men and women in an environment conducive to change. Discussion will help tease out the complexities of issues and provide the ground on which to build positive policies that can benefit both the private and public sphere and both men and woman. The issues surrounding gender equity in our society are complex and require careful consideration and implementation. When a change occurs in one sphere it impacts on another. These considerations need to be taken into account by all parties.

Tony Abbott tells outraged women to cool it on ironing remark | News.com.au

Tony Abbott tells outraged women to cool it on ironing remark News.com.au

For anyone who has not been exposed to the Abbot/Houswives saga, click on the link above.

So I was talking with a man at the pub.......

The man was my partner who sways between pro "gender equity" and anti "feminism". The parentheses around the scare words will become evident as I relay this conversation. I wish that my memory was audio eidetic so i could give you quotes. Suffice it to say my memory is not and so what will follow is a loose portrayal of the conversation I have had with my partner on a number of occasions. The conversation is the one we have most often about feminism and I am pretty sick of it. I will explain why I am sick of it after or through the act of conveying to you the conversation we had. To be fair, I will be asking my partner to have a look over it so I can't be accused of privileging my point of view.



I probably need to lay down some background to this conversation. I am passionate about any type of equality but particularly passionate about gender equality. I often have to define what equality is to people because my idea of it is not shared by many. My feminist views often are received with the same kind of mixed feelings as my ideas about equality. Equality occurs when differences are taken into account in order to provide an even playing field. For example women, being the only sex capable of producing children, need to be provided with certain tools to enable them to participate in society to the same extent as men. That is, women require a different set of conditions to men in order to maintain their political and economic power. Having just read the last few sentences I guess they encapsulate my view of feminism and equality. Equality is the product of social arrangements whereby both sexes are equally represented in conditions that provide their political and economic participation in society. I will elaborate on this argument in later editions of this blog. Given that I have just given a potted definition of equality and feminism I should probably explain the use of "sex" and "gender" in these blogs. Sex is the physiological and biological difference you are born with. Your gender assignment is a social construct that one can either accept or reject. This statement is contentious and probably deserves a complete book devoted to the arguments surrounding it. Again, perhaps a future blog edition will be devoted to it. Back to the conversation I had with my partner.

HE: Look, the problem is that there is so much negative baggage wrapped up in the word feminism. I just think it needs to be changed or nobody is going to listen to you. (This is his main opposition to feminism)

SHE: (I want to say "I see what you're saying" but can't muster it). I have a real problem with what you are saying. Feminism is recognised as a word that encapsulates the view that women and men are treated differently in our society. It brings attention to the plight (hate that word) of women and the issues they face in acquiring economic and political power and equality that is their right.

HE: But what is the point of trying to argue under that banner if the first thing people think of when you say "feminism" is negative?

SHE: If there is that kind of emotion when the "F" word is used there is some kind of recognition that the word means something. Besides, if someone gets their hackles up because the word is used I see it as an opportunity to talk about how I am a feminist and what it means to me. Hopefully this set of circumstances will provide my dialogue partner with some new information and something to think about.

HE: wouldn't it be better to change the name and have a more positive approach.

SHE: I don't think so, the word "feminism" is a way to pay homage to those who came before me to recognise their contribution to the rights I can exercise due to their efforts. I don't see changing the name is a positive move even if another name for what I am arguing for provides a softer more pliable audience. (I want to say "Viva la revolution" but think that might be going a bit far at this point).

The conversation moves around with me saying that I don't think that the banner should be changed and he saying I am fighting a losing battle by using the "F" word as I am alienating my audience before I advance my argument. In that respect, my partner has a valid point. It is difficult to be received neutrally when discussing feminist issues. But I don't think it is because of the banner. I would argue that it is because of the content of the argument. Men I speak to cannot or will not concede that women have drawn the short end of the societal straw simply by virtue of the fact that they are born women. There is no concession for the fact that we have less superannuation, if any, at the end of our working life. Or that the care of children and domestic duties would quite easily be shared under a system where flexible working environments were the norm and provided and expected to be accessed equally by men and women.



The problem with the conversation at the pub is that these kinds of conversations draw you in. As a feminist I want to stand up for feminism. However, I find myself defending it and explaining over and over again that as a political movement, feminism is dynamic. It changes over time. I also have to explain that my agenda is possibly different to the agenda of feminists who have different ideas about what equality is and what their feminism is. This in itself produces strawman arguments that draw one in about feminism being an ununified and therefore unreasonable, emotional and incredible movement (I can see another blog being produced on this subject). Furthermore, I believe fervently that gender equality provides benefits for men. All this explaining is tedious and it detracts from the issues I really want to engage in. Issues like, child care arrangements, education for women, job security, career building, fertility and family planning and a raft of other issues that need to be addressed. So I have made a decision. I will not be drawn into a protracted discussion about the "F" word. I will state my case and endeavour to move the conversation on to more important issues. Perhaps I could direct those who fall into strawman arguments to Dux and Simic (2008) to sort out the detractor arguments from the worthwhile ones. These authors have produced a book that elucidates on other arguments that detract from the real issues. The Great Feminist Denial is a book I recommend to beginner as well as experienced feminists - for a review of this book go to http://www.theage.com.au/news/entertainment/books/book-reviews/the-great-feminist-denial/2008/10/13/1223749917519.html.



More next week or maybe sooner! Become a follower of this blog and share it with you friends.
Thanks for reading.

Mothering is a Feminist Issue

Ok, I can see that this blogging thing is going to start with a possible spurt of enthusiasm. You know how it is, you get a pink and purple spotted car and all of a sudden you see pink and purple spotted cars everywhere you look even though you had never spotted a pink and purple spotted car before you got yours. This is what is happening to me with fem spots!. That is, I see things and think that would go great on my blog. This is just one of them. I hope you enjoy this. I did. Just click on the link below.

Mom 2.0: Defining A Movement

Welcome

The purpose of this blog is to provide commentary on feminist issues in the context of gender equity. That is to say, my feminism is squarely founded on the idea that in a society where gender determines the roles of individuals and groups, people are denied certain privileges and rights. I want to make it clear from the outset that the privilege in society is cast toward men in some cases but also in favour of women in other cases. Through the use of this blog I will endeavour to treat both genders equally. As this is an initial posting I will leave the in depth discussion of gender equity to play out over the time I maintain this blog. My intention will be to post weekly and comment on media reports that highlight gender inequity. However, it is not unreasonable to assume that I will go off on side issues and report or comment on movies, books, music, politics as the mood takes me. However, rest assured, each blog will focus on gender equity.

What expertise do I have in the area of gender equity commentary? Not much. I am a woman which gives me a unique perspective of the issues that have an effect on myself and other women I have contact with. I am a psychology graduate so I have an insight from a social psychological perspective on the effects and affects of stereotyping. My studies also focused on the effect of perception of gender equity and feminist identity within intimate long-term relaitonships. I have also had exposure to "feminist" arguments while engaging in a major in philosophy while undertaking my psychology degree. I am engaged in a long-term intimate relationship and I am a mother. My education has been undertaken recently. This gives me a unique insight into the demands placed on men and women who tackle multiple roles. I am also a student of feminist literature and observer of individuals and of society.

So there it is. I have no formal qualification to comment on these issues but I qualify that statement by stating that these issues impact on me and by extension on my partner and my family. If the issues at hand effect me I guess they effect others. I look forward to my next posting.