Yes, I am in that mood again! This time I am not in the mood to feel sorry for the plight of working women in the UK. We all have free will, and we make our choices based on our own experiences, and on what we feel is acceptable or practical in our own lives. My question is this: Will it ever be equal between men and women?
I recently decided to watch a classic movie from 1988 that has been a favourite of mine since I was a teenager. The movie is Working Girl. It features strong female leads played by actresses I admire, and of course, there is the eye candy that is Harrison Ford. I know he is old enough to be my granddad, but I don’t care! He will always be Indiana Jones to me!
Anyway, while I was indulging in the movie the other night, my mind wandered to an experience earlier that day. I had attended a football match with my organisation Girls Out Loud. There were half a dozen women, and a group of teenage girls from the high school where we work. We are the girls’ ‘big sisters,’ offering mentoring and support in helping them transition from school to either further education, or into their careers.
Well, there were a lot of curious stares from fellow football fans at the stadium. It probably added to the confusion when we were allowed to stand on the pitch and take some photos, and we were able to meet the club manager, who just happened to be the brother of one of the women from the school who is involved with our group. I overheard a few muttered comments from people sitting behind us, and one that stuck in my mind came from a middle-aged man. I heard him say to his companion, “Must be a school trip or something; maybe a girls’ football team.”
Nobody came over to speak with us; nobody dared ask us outright what we were doing there. But for some reason, we did not fit in with their League 1 football club. It’s not that it is a largely male environment, although I find that football in the UK is still very much male dominated. It is simply this idea of ‘fitting in’ with society.
Later that afternoon, when we were in the lounge area waiting to meet the footballers after the game, we received another comment from a male supporter. The man was older, probably retired, and he came over and said to my friend, “It’s nice to see some dolly birds in here for a change.” I had to laugh! Fortunately he didn’t offend any of us, because we are not that way inclined, but the comment stuck in my mind when I was watching Working Girl.
How has human society improved since the Suffragette movement and the rise in feminism and women’s rights? I am not sure. I still find myself faced with prejudice, and it doesn’t all come from the men. We are simply wired differently. Some women are very unsympathetic towards their own kind, particularly when it comes to business. What bothers me is that even now, in the 21st century, women are being forced out of the business arena simply because we are the ones who produce and nurture our children. How do we change this? I don’t know. I will continue to think about it…
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SpookyMrsGreen 
It’s a timeless question this one. I think it depends on generation and culture. The retired gentleman probably thought he’d get chatting by dropping a joke but would he be so jovial if that happened every week? Would the joke suddenly become ‘oh more bloody women here’. Where as a younger man might just have shrugged it off as a regular thing almost like being down the pub on a Friday night. This is simply a generation difference an attitude I see all the time. But it’s cultural too. Britsh women have enjoyed their form of freedom for many years but in many other countries the ideas of how women should behave are incredibly different. I only need to look at my upbringing to see that that statement is more than true. Equality is a balance people should try to achieve but few try too. Especially between men and women it all starts with respect for each other!
Exactly! How can we ever improve things when we all have differing ideals? Thanks for commenting.
I’m not sure that you can, can you? I mean one persons idea of what is right or fair can be so different from the next persons that you can just keep going round and round. I think you just have to respect the fact that there are differance and be thankful for that! Acceptance with respect for each other. Men shouldn’t be so blinded that they don’t thank there wives for all they do for them and the same for women. I do think it can be one sided and men ‘forget’ how the cleaning and general running of the house and family keeps ticking over espcially if they work also. But Women can forget how hard it can be to be a modern man in this world. Although I do think women (as natures dictates) are more forgiving generally when a man dosen’t do something than the other way round.
I think the nature of human beings is such that there will always be those who say foolish or insensitive things that will “press the button” of someone else. We have to work at being so secure within ourselves, that we simply do not react to such things. In regard to the male/female equality issue, I think we have to choose our battles, just as we do in bringing up children. Sometimes it just is not worth it. There are so many complex factors, as the commenter above mentioned – culture, age-group, environment, upbringing, that affect the things people think and imagine and say. Having said all this, I do believe that the empowerment of women would be a major part of the solution to much of the turmoil we witness throughout the world.
That’s a good point. I am always fascinated by the different meanings people will attach to careless words and actions. I listen to a daily phone-in on BBC radio 5 Live simply to learn more about the diversity of people in the UK, and beyond in some cases depending on who is listening and what the topic of conversation is. Thanks for commenting.
Look – this is a lioness’s mouth into which I hesitate to insert my testosterone damaged head. Anglican male only bishops or pagan priestess?……There is just no choice. I love women and you should see the trouble I’ve been in. I do not respect women as equals. I look up to them.
You make a valid point Oscar, thanks for daring to enter the den! I will admit there is a small part of my ego that sees me as a woman elevated above men. I can’t help it. My superiority complex feels like it is a part of my nature, and something I couldn’t dislodge if I tried. Then again, I suppose there are men who feel the same way towards women, and that is why we see such perceived injustices and inequality in the world…