Caroline says/While biting her lip/Life is meant to be more than this
I know I’ve been on quite the women’s issues jag lately, but frankly it’s been another crap week for women around the world.
In Saudi Arabia, the victim of a gang rape has been sentenced to 200 lashes and six months in jail for “being in a car with an unrelated male” at the time of her attack by six men. The Australian reports that , originally, she was sentenced to just 90 lashes, but the judges decided to make an example of her after she attempted to use the media to influence the judiciary, “aggravating” the case.
In Iraq, the growing crisis in refugee populations has led to a resurgence of “survival sex”, a form of prostitution which sees young women “married” to men for the course of a weekend, in return for short term support for their families.
In Australia, the latest wage figures are out, and I’m sure it’s no surprise to anyone to learn that they’re bad news for women. The pay gap for the average wage has increased to almost $10,000 a year, with women earning just 83 per cent of what men earn for the same hours worked.
This means that women have to work 427 days a year to earn the same as a bloke*. Or, put another way, they would have to work an EXTRA EIGHT YEARS to earn the same amount over the course of a lifetime to equal men’s earnings. None of this takes into account the fact that women are still usually the ones to take time out of the workforce to raise children (leaving them with even bigger deficit to make up).
Meanwhile, Tony Abbott, who once said that a bad boss was better than no boss**, is now encouraging workers who don’t like their workplace to quit. Onya Tony.
In Brisbane, queueing Qantas passengers have booed staff who went to the aid of an 80 year old woman who collapsed while waiting. The woman later died. According to some passengers, it probably served her right***.
And back to the USA, where men participating in a speed dating experiment undertaken by Columbia University have admitted that they don’t mind if women are smart, but they won’t date (any) women who think they are smarter than (some) men.
I have no witty rejoinder. I am just cross. In fact, if you can imagine whatever stereotype that the likes of Mr Bolt have in their mind when they imagine feminists, you've pretty much got the being that I have morphed into, Incredible Hulk style.
* Dudes, I'm well aware there aren’t 427 days in a year. I’m making a point, ‘kay?
** And in the same analogy also claimed that an abusive father was better than no father. What a champion.
*** Okay, I might have made that up.
In Saudi Arabia, the victim of a gang rape has been sentenced to 200 lashes and six months in jail for “being in a car with an unrelated male” at the time of her attack by six men. The Australian reports that , originally, she was sentenced to just 90 lashes, but the judges decided to make an example of her after she attempted to use the media to influence the judiciary, “aggravating” the case.
In Iraq, the growing crisis in refugee populations has led to a resurgence of “survival sex”, a form of prostitution which sees young women “married” to men for the course of a weekend, in return for short term support for their families.
In Australia, the latest wage figures are out, and I’m sure it’s no surprise to anyone to learn that they’re bad news for women. The pay gap for the average wage has increased to almost $10,000 a year, with women earning just 83 per cent of what men earn for the same hours worked.
This means that women have to work 427 days a year to earn the same as a bloke*. Or, put another way, they would have to work an EXTRA EIGHT YEARS to earn the same amount over the course of a lifetime to equal men’s earnings. None of this takes into account the fact that women are still usually the ones to take time out of the workforce to raise children (leaving them with even bigger deficit to make up).
Meanwhile, Tony Abbott, who once said that a bad boss was better than no boss**, is now encouraging workers who don’t like their workplace to quit. Onya Tony.
In Brisbane, queueing Qantas passengers have booed staff who went to the aid of an 80 year old woman who collapsed while waiting. The woman later died. According to some passengers, it probably served her right***.
And back to the USA, where men participating in a speed dating experiment undertaken by Columbia University have admitted that they don’t mind if women are smart, but they won’t date (any) women who think they are smarter than (some) men.
I have no witty rejoinder. I am just cross. In fact, if you can imagine whatever stereotype that the likes of Mr Bolt have in their mind when they imagine feminists, you've pretty much got the being that I have morphed into, Incredible Hulk style.
* Dudes, I'm well aware there aren’t 427 days in a year. I’m making a point, ‘kay?
** And in the same analogy also claimed that an abusive father was better than no father. What a champion.
*** Okay, I might have made that up.
posted by gigglewick at
11:32 am
10 Comments:
In good news, though, feminists are stupendous shaggers!
See: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/story/0,,2211202,00.html
So we are, botheration, so we are.
I guess the only thing we can do is bring our sons up to respect women as equals. If we have them, that is. And if we don't, we teach our girls to never accept a man who treats her as less than his equal.
And if any prospective SiL gets all Sydney Anglican on my daughter, I will slap him down, oh yes I will... As will her father.
Acton
I'm working on it. So far, my sons are treating the women in their life just fine.
Giggles
Tony Abbott may be the worlds greatest clown*, but surely we have to be grateful to him for his tireless campaigning against the Howard government.
Dear Gigglewick,
I just found your blog and I really like it.
I am quite excited about reading the rest of your posts, and then hitting the 'sub with bloglines' button at the top of my browser thing.
Thanking you in advance,
Your New Reader.
AB,
Yes. Yes indeed.
INC,
No one yells "I'm not your friend" in your house? Goodness, what a strange place that must be ; )
YNR,
Thank you and welcome. I still dont' have the hang of bloglines which I'm sure is to my detriment and keeping me behind in the blog reading.
Note to self: fix this, and soon.
Props for the Lou Reed reference, missy. Horrific subject matter, but I've always thought that was an excellent song.
So, isn't it a wonderful thing for us girlies that we all have Men To Take Care Of Us and it Doesn't Really Matter Whether We Work Or Not since it's really Just A Little Hobby To Keep Us Busy? Le sigh.
"In Brisbane, queueing Qantas passengers have booed staff who went to the aid of an 80 year old woman who collapsed while waiting. The woman later died."
From what i hear she had been waiting so long to get to the front of the line that when she got to the airport she was only 24.
Of course i might have made that up!
I am just loving watching Tony Abbott stuff it all up.
Who are these horrible dinosaurs who treat us chicks so mean? Where do they come from? I blame John Howard.
Luckily for us women we live longer than men *on average* so we've got the extra years to make up the wage deficit. I know what I want to be doing when I'm 75.
Regarding that poor girl in Saudi Arabia - if you haven't read 'The Caged Virgin' by Ayaan Hirsi Ali, then do (you probably have). If not, it's elucidating and intelligent and it will make you as mad as hell.
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