While running out the door, I cannot resist (or ignore) the media attention on a new documentary regarding the killing of women in Guatemala.
Known as Femicide, these murders are all too common-place in a country whose culture does not value the life and contributions of women.
This is not uncommon. While the finger points at Guatemala, there are many, many, too many other countries worldwide that share this philosophy regarding the used an disposal of the 'softer' sex.
However, from what I gather this documentary is a fantastic glimpse into this patriarchal mindset -- which is why I wanted to make mention of the film.
For more information go to:
http://www.thestar.com/artsentertainment/article/189490
Showing posts with label sexism. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sexism. Show all posts
Friday, March 09, 2007
Thursday, March 08, 2007
Women are People, Too
As Aretha said: Sisters are Doing it for Themselves!
Go up to your mother, aunt, grandmother, sister, neigbhour, teacher or office worker and ask her: Are you a person?
The activity may seem absurd, but only 75 years ago, women were not considered persons in Canada, at least not under the law.
Although most Canadian women were given the right to vote by 1920, they were not considered “persons in matters of rights and privileges” under the British North American Act and could not be appointed to the Senate.
In 1927, Emily Murphy, one of Canada’s first female judges, got the support of four of her colleagues in an attempt to gain the right of “person” for women. Murphy and her supporters had been lobbying for almost ten years and their fight led Murphy, to take the issue to the top – first, to the Supreme Court of Canada, and then to the Privy Council in London, England.
This resulted in a ruling by the Privy Council – that overruled Canada’s Supreme Court – on October 18, 1929, that stated: “and to those who ask why the word ‘persons’ should include females, the answer is, why should it not?”
The case, known as the Persons Case, was a huge victory for women in Canada and paved the way towards equality in all aspects of our society. Emily Murphy, Nellie McClung, Louise McKinney, Henrietta Muir Edwards and Irene Parlby became known as “the Famous Five” and became part of Canadian women’s history.
For more Canadian women history go to: www.4corners.ca
Go up to your mother, aunt, grandmother, sister, neigbhour, teacher or office worker and ask her: Are you a person?
The activity may seem absurd, but only 75 years ago, women were not considered persons in Canada, at least not under the law.
Although most Canadian women were given the right to vote by 1920, they were not considered “persons in matters of rights and privileges” under the British North American Act and could not be appointed to the Senate.
In 1927, Emily Murphy, one of Canada’s first female judges, got the support of four of her colleagues in an attempt to gain the right of “person” for women. Murphy and her supporters had been lobbying for almost ten years and their fight led Murphy, to take the issue to the top – first, to the Supreme Court of Canada, and then to the Privy Council in London, England.
This resulted in a ruling by the Privy Council – that overruled Canada’s Supreme Court – on October 18, 1929, that stated: “and to those who ask why the word ‘persons’ should include females, the answer is, why should it not?”
The case, known as the Persons Case, was a huge victory for women in Canada and paved the way towards equality in all aspects of our society. Emily Murphy, Nellie McClung, Louise McKinney, Henrietta Muir Edwards and Irene Parlby became known as “the Famous Five” and became part of Canadian women’s history.
For more Canadian women history go to: www.4corners.ca
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Tired of burning my bra - I want REAL equality
The first women to vote in Canada cast their ballots 89 years ago. It was a federal election and the right was extended only to women of British descent.
It would take another 42 years – the year 1960 – before all women, including Aboriginal women, would be granted the right to vote in provincial and federal elections.
Now, 90 years after the first concession of equal status in our democracy, women are still under-represented and, often, unrepresented in Canadian politics.
According to the World Economic Forum, a Geneva based independent international organization committed to improving the state of the world, women still earn 64% less than their male counterparts and only make up 21% of the federal legislature.
Many parents want the best for their children and that includes the right and ability to be treated equitably and fairly in our democratic nation. Yet the reality is that women are not afforded the same opportunities as men – and even when they are, women are not treated as equals (as wage disparity with attest). As such, we must examine this disparity and ask ourselves: what message are we sending our children?
The fact is the gender gap -- unequal access to resources between women and men – does exist. Worse, it continues to divide our country in almost every way.
A study released in 2006 by the World Economic Forum examined 115 countries in terms of the level of equality between men and women. This study ranked Canada 14th, however it also criticized Canada’s inconsistent performance in political empowerment and the health and survival of our nation’s women.
Sadly, this report also found that no country has yet managed to eliminate the gender gap. Those that have succeeded best in narrowing the gap are the Nordic countries – Sweden at the top of the list with only 20% disparity between wage, education, political participation, and health and welfare between men and women.
While political equality appears to be attainable – any women can run for public office or choose to pursue a chosen career path – the reality is limitations continue to exist because of the gender gap.
And most of us know why the political gender gap started. Women were once considered the property of men. Women were denied the right to vote, the right to run for office, and the right to own property of their own. In addition minority women and aboriginal women were denied basic personhood. A testament to that is that well into the 1970s many women still required a husband’s signature in order to obtain a credit card and many women were denied the right to wear slacks to the office well into 1990s.
So, the question we must ask, is why does the gender gap persist today?
THE REASONS:
1. Gender roles.
Gender roles teach boys and girls, men and women ways that women and men differ. These subtle and overt lessons provide us myths about what each gender is capable and/or allowed to do – limitations devised solely on the concept of perceptions about gender. Over time our culture (women and men) internalize these messages, such as: “people like me are not good in positions of power.” A sad example of this internalized set of cultural myths that dominates are society and creates narrow gender definitions is North America’s inability and unwillingness to elect a women as the leader of a nation. In a CBS poll, people were asked if the USA was ready for a female president. From the responses, men, not women, were more likely to say yes!
2. Cultural norms.
Cultural norms are the established roles and routines we all abide by – they include what is appropriate or inappropriate for each gender and these standards are held in place by persistent and consistent behaviour patterns. For example, in a household where both partners work, the women is still responsible for the majority of household tasks, including cleaning, cooking and child-rearing. This inability to create a more equitable cultural norm – and its subsequent restraint on a woman’s time, energy and resources, helps explain why men far surpass women in the best-paid, high-level jobs. Add to this the fact that women now surpass the number of men enrolled in post-secondary schooling and the power and destruction of cultural norms takes become prevalent.
3. Sexist policies.
Many of our policies and laws hinder or hurt the poorest segment of our population. Consider first that minimum wage does not equate to a Living Wage. Then, consider that women make up two-thirds of the minimum wage earners in Canada. Now, taken these two facts, consider that a single mother of two working full-time in Canada and earning minimum wage must work at least 80 hours per week, every single week, just to reach the poverty line (according to the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, a Winnipeg-based social-policy think-tank) and we begin to see that sexist policies persist within our nation.
4. Media representation.
This mechanism is particularly prevalent given our adherence to cultural norms and stereotypes (aka: gender roles). Why then does inequality continue to persist? For example, men three times more likely than women to play the lead in a television show. Women are more likely to be portrayed as victims, and women's lead characters are almost always younger and more stereotypically "beautiful" than male leads. In addition, the press treatment of real women continues the sexist pattern: Press stories about female politicians and business leaders are far more likely to include mention of hairstyles, shoes and shopping, while press coverage of male leaders is more likely to focus solely on substantive issues.
To assume that we are not impacted by the gender gap is to deny the history that precedes our current society. The reality is we continue to exist in a nation that actively allows gender inequality. As such, it is our duty to begin to examine our own thoughts and beliefs and to begin to teach ourselves, our families and our communities that there is another, better way. In the end, we are participate in a democratic society and we are only as strong as our weakest link – that means that by increasing capacity and opportunity and allowing us all to grasp the roles and responsibilities of an informed citizenry enables us to build a stronger, better, more vibrant society.
ACTIVITIES YOU CAN DO:
1) Examine the roles you believe men and women should follow. For example, list a variety of professions and then honestly answer which gender is “supposed” to pursue that occupation.
2) Examine what messages you hold (hear, see, etc.) that describe what is “feminine” and what is “masculine.” Now find examples that go against your beliefs – find women that have been elected as leaders of nations, or men that have taken on domestic roles successfully (hint: go to the Food Network or the Home and Garden station from your local cable provider).
3) Take a favourite magazine, newspaper or online publication and examine whether or not women help to shape the news. Determine who is telling the story and whether or not they are relying on preconceived notions of gender.
4) To further this media examination go to the Center for Media Literacy and conduct a gender survey on your local newspaper, magazine or online publication (Click HERE for link to the Gender Survey)
5) Discuss the impact of language on your gender beliefs. Examine what professions use gender in their classification or description. Then examine how you perceive the profession and its ability to offer both genders equal opportunity.
6) Now look critically at how women and men present themselves in the political and corporate arenas. Are there marked differences? What are those differences? Are they based on preconceived perceptions, or not? Then answer these three questions:
• How is women’s leadership different from men’s leadership? Do you think men and women focus on similar issues?
• What is the "glass ceiling"? How does it keep women from achieving personal and professional goals?
• Is it likely that the U.S. will have a female president in the near future? In your lifetime? Why?
(This article first appeared on www.4corners.ca)
It would take another 42 years – the year 1960 – before all women, including Aboriginal women, would be granted the right to vote in provincial and federal elections.
Now, 90 years after the first concession of equal status in our democracy, women are still under-represented and, often, unrepresented in Canadian politics.
According to the World Economic Forum, a Geneva based independent international organization committed to improving the state of the world, women still earn 64% less than their male counterparts and only make up 21% of the federal legislature.
Many parents want the best for their children and that includes the right and ability to be treated equitably and fairly in our democratic nation. Yet the reality is that women are not afforded the same opportunities as men – and even when they are, women are not treated as equals (as wage disparity with attest). As such, we must examine this disparity and ask ourselves: what message are we sending our children?
The fact is the gender gap -- unequal access to resources between women and men – does exist. Worse, it continues to divide our country in almost every way.
A study released in 2006 by the World Economic Forum examined 115 countries in terms of the level of equality between men and women. This study ranked Canada 14th, however it also criticized Canada’s inconsistent performance in political empowerment and the health and survival of our nation’s women.
Sadly, this report also found that no country has yet managed to eliminate the gender gap. Those that have succeeded best in narrowing the gap are the Nordic countries – Sweden at the top of the list with only 20% disparity between wage, education, political participation, and health and welfare between men and women.
While political equality appears to be attainable – any women can run for public office or choose to pursue a chosen career path – the reality is limitations continue to exist because of the gender gap.
And most of us know why the political gender gap started. Women were once considered the property of men. Women were denied the right to vote, the right to run for office, and the right to own property of their own. In addition minority women and aboriginal women were denied basic personhood. A testament to that is that well into the 1970s many women still required a husband’s signature in order to obtain a credit card and many women were denied the right to wear slacks to the office well into 1990s.
So, the question we must ask, is why does the gender gap persist today?
THE REASONS:
1. Gender roles.
Gender roles teach boys and girls, men and women ways that women and men differ. These subtle and overt lessons provide us myths about what each gender is capable and/or allowed to do – limitations devised solely on the concept of perceptions about gender. Over time our culture (women and men) internalize these messages, such as: “people like me are not good in positions of power.” A sad example of this internalized set of cultural myths that dominates are society and creates narrow gender definitions is North America’s inability and unwillingness to elect a women as the leader of a nation. In a CBS poll, people were asked if the USA was ready for a female president. From the responses, men, not women, were more likely to say yes!
2. Cultural norms.
Cultural norms are the established roles and routines we all abide by – they include what is appropriate or inappropriate for each gender and these standards are held in place by persistent and consistent behaviour patterns. For example, in a household where both partners work, the women is still responsible for the majority of household tasks, including cleaning, cooking and child-rearing. This inability to create a more equitable cultural norm – and its subsequent restraint on a woman’s time, energy and resources, helps explain why men far surpass women in the best-paid, high-level jobs. Add to this the fact that women now surpass the number of men enrolled in post-secondary schooling and the power and destruction of cultural norms takes become prevalent.
3. Sexist policies.
Many of our policies and laws hinder or hurt the poorest segment of our population. Consider first that minimum wage does not equate to a Living Wage. Then, consider that women make up two-thirds of the minimum wage earners in Canada. Now, taken these two facts, consider that a single mother of two working full-time in Canada and earning minimum wage must work at least 80 hours per week, every single week, just to reach the poverty line (according to the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, a Winnipeg-based social-policy think-tank) and we begin to see that sexist policies persist within our nation.
4. Media representation.
This mechanism is particularly prevalent given our adherence to cultural norms and stereotypes (aka: gender roles). Why then does inequality continue to persist? For example, men three times more likely than women to play the lead in a television show. Women are more likely to be portrayed as victims, and women's lead characters are almost always younger and more stereotypically "beautiful" than male leads. In addition, the press treatment of real women continues the sexist pattern: Press stories about female politicians and business leaders are far more likely to include mention of hairstyles, shoes and shopping, while press coverage of male leaders is more likely to focus solely on substantive issues.
To assume that we are not impacted by the gender gap is to deny the history that precedes our current society. The reality is we continue to exist in a nation that actively allows gender inequality. As such, it is our duty to begin to examine our own thoughts and beliefs and to begin to teach ourselves, our families and our communities that there is another, better way. In the end, we are participate in a democratic society and we are only as strong as our weakest link – that means that by increasing capacity and opportunity and allowing us all to grasp the roles and responsibilities of an informed citizenry enables us to build a stronger, better, more vibrant society.
ACTIVITIES YOU CAN DO:
1) Examine the roles you believe men and women should follow. For example, list a variety of professions and then honestly answer which gender is “supposed” to pursue that occupation.
2) Examine what messages you hold (hear, see, etc.) that describe what is “feminine” and what is “masculine.” Now find examples that go against your beliefs – find women that have been elected as leaders of nations, or men that have taken on domestic roles successfully (hint: go to the Food Network or the Home and Garden station from your local cable provider).
3) Take a favourite magazine, newspaper or online publication and examine whether or not women help to shape the news. Determine who is telling the story and whether or not they are relying on preconceived notions of gender.
4) To further this media examination go to the Center for Media Literacy and conduct a gender survey on your local newspaper, magazine or online publication (Click HERE for link to the Gender Survey)
5) Discuss the impact of language on your gender beliefs. Examine what professions use gender in their classification or description. Then examine how you perceive the profession and its ability to offer both genders equal opportunity.
6) Now look critically at how women and men present themselves in the political and corporate arenas. Are there marked differences? What are those differences? Are they based on preconceived perceptions, or not? Then answer these three questions:
• How is women’s leadership different from men’s leadership? Do you think men and women focus on similar issues?
• What is the "glass ceiling"? How does it keep women from achieving personal and professional goals?
• Is it likely that the U.S. will have a female president in the near future? In your lifetime? Why?
(This article first appeared on www.4corners.ca)
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