Survey for a project I'm working on.

[ferusgratia]

What do you folks think is the three biggest ways women get gypped in our society? What do you think is the danger of this is?

Also that stat of women making 70% of what men make in the same position has been floating around for a while. Does anyone know what study that came from?

Comments

[strangenoises]

1. Media, Media, Media. Watch any movie. Count the number of times you see two women talking. Now count the number of times they're discussing anything other than men or babies. Likely total = zero. This ties into Joe's point about the fashion industry - we are constantly being barraged with images (and stories) that paint us as pretty decorations. If you're not pretty - what are you? Men won't want you, and if you don't have a man to talk about.... well you pretty much stop being a woman, right?

2. Trade and business negotiation. Very few women are taught how to negotiate - how to spot a good deal and keep pushing for a better one. As a result their lack of experience is often taken advantage of and they end up paying higher costs for goods and services -- higher purchase prices on cars, higher service and repair costs at the shop. (Not to mention the fact that men typically ignore women in the negotiation process if she's in the company of another man. Seriously, go on a car lot with a woman... most salesmen will quickly forget she is there - even if she's the one buying the car!)

3. Religion. Let's face it, a large majority of this country subscribes to a monotheist religion under the "Christian" umbrella. The pervading theme of this theology is that the woman is subservient to the man - that she is lower and meant to be a 'helpmeet' to him. What we have are hoards of devout men and women who feel it is divine will that we continue this patriarchal pattern - who feel it's a holy mandate that women be denied rights to their own bodies. And unfortunately, this zealous, self-righteous oppression of women doesn't affect just them-- it spreads to areas of public discourse and (worse) public policy making. So we are forced on an uphill battle - against members of our own sex - for our rights. And you know what happens when you're fighting amongst yourselves- shit, it's right there in the bible "A house divided against itself will not stand". It's hard to send a clear message when you're saying two things at once. Thus we have people like Sarah Palin who force rape victims to pay for their own rape kits and treatment, religious senators (McCain) who continually push 'abstinence only' sex education - and an unheard of rise in STDs and reproductive disease in women.

Wow. I wrote a book. Uhm, yeah, sorry about that. I've given it a lot of thought. Hope that helps.