International Women's Day

Last Sunday was International Women’s Day, this brought a natural increase in media attention as to just how equal women really are in the 21st Century. It got me thinking about a number of things; my own experiences as a young woman finding her feet on her chosen career path and how active I am as a 'feminist'. My chosen career as an actress is a very uncertain one, which I fully understood before starting out, this meant I was prepared for the uphill struggle and stop gap jobs. In my different jobs I have experienced different forms of sexism against women. In an article for the Guardian last year actress, Christina Hendricks, star of Mad Men was asked if she had ever experienced sexism in the workplace,

"Oh sure, you know, it's difficult in the arts to pinpoint it but there's sexual harassment at work every single day, all day long. Certainly in the respect and position [of women], you feel like, 'Am I allowed to ask these questions or contribute in this way?'… Society has conditioned you that way. As women, we feel we can't ask for things." Christina Hendricks (2014)

I think this is a real problem. Women are still scared to speak out or we accept the way things are as normal. There is still a way to go until attitudes towards women really change, although sometimes it's easier just to celebrate the progress made so far rather than keep on fighting.

“Enlightened sexism is a response, deliberate or not, to the perceived threat of a new gender regime. It insists that women have made plenty of progress because of feminism — indeed, full equality has allegedly been achieved — so now it’s okay, even amusing, to resurrect sexist stereotypes of girls and women.” Susan J.Douglas (2010)

My experiences in the work place

Whilst working in customer service jobs I have been told how I should stand and how I should speak. I’ve even been offered money to go out with a man or worse to sleep with him. I am expected to laugh this off. I will not apologise for having more self respect than that. If this behaviour was coming from a male colleague something would soon be done about it. This attitude cannot be accepted just because you are a customer.

Don’t get me wrong not all men are guilty of this, I have met plenty of great men who were lovely to work with and a pleasure to serve. It just frustrates me that the egotistical and arrogant ones let them down. We have to change the way they think. This was addressed at the Women of the world festival at Southbank Centre in London.

Women of the world festival 2015

On Sunday at the Southbank Centre I attended a talk called 'Being a Man' about violence towards women and how men deal with their masculinity in the 21st century. The panel consisted of poet Anthony Anaxagorou, writer and broadcaster Ekow Eshun; psychotherapist John McKeown; and artistic director of The Red Room Topher Campbell. It was  chaired by Baroness Helena Kennedy QC. Anaxagorou talked about the lack of positive role models for boys and young men.


You can find more WOW highlights here.

He then went on to talk about how boys and young men he worked with in prisons were almost always, 'victims first before they were anything else' A.Anaxagorou (2015) . As someone who was the victim of assault I find that tough to hear as you feel a lot of anger towards that person that hurt you. However, we do have to understand why people do what they do in order to change attitudes and learned behaviours.

 The atmosphere at the Women of the World Festival was overwhelmingly positive and made me feel great about being a young women in the 21st century. It celebrated what we have achieved so far without denying that there is still a great deal that still needs to be changed.

There are many things I want to achieve in life, however one of the most important is to not be a closed minded person. The bitter, angry person who looks down on others for whatever reason; gender, race, religion or sexuality. Embrace life and embrace other people. You don’t know the story behind every person. So male or female, before you allow yourself to snap at others around you just take a minute to stop and think. Everyone has feelings just like you.

What are your experiences?

 

References

Anon, (2015). [online] Available at: http://www.theguardian.com/culture/2014/aug/03/christina-hendricks-joan-mad-men-gods-pocket-interview [Accessed 3 Aug. 2014].

Douglas, S. (2010). Enlightened sexism. New York: Times Books.

YouTube, (2015). WOW 2015 | Quotes: Anthony Anaxagorou on the lack of positive role models for boys. [online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZfzfm-e8hk&list=PLBAQtIf4z_Fbp6d9xoyozNqMqVeQFdyKD&index=39 [Accessed 10 Mar. 2015].