Saif
Laura Bates is a feminist writer, activist, and the founder of the succeeding project Everyday Sexism. She talked about the hindrances the feminist movement faces in the “modern age” and how it is becoming more difficult to highlight issues when our society is misconceived as pure from any kind of sexism and inequality. She said, “In this ‘liberal’, ‘modern’ age, to complain about everyday sexism or suggest that you are unhappy about how women are portrayed and perceived renders you likely to be labeled ‘uptight’, ‘prudish’, a ‘militant feminist’, or a ‘bra burner.”
Women everywhere around the world have started pouring into the conversation over how men and patriarchy have made the lives of women miserable. Reddit has a community that attracts people to “come for period comics” and “stay for the cultural awareness”. It gives women a sense of community around years of prevailing inequality and gives them hope to stay strong. This community has gained an overwhelming amount of members e.g. 817k. They discuss gender inequality, misogyny, and patriarchal issues in our society. They also make space to discuss sports and healthcare. It is nice little wholesome community women have built for themselves.
Scroll below to read some gems that were shared in the group!
1. It is not that hard to understand
2. She knows how to prove her point!
The pandemic has highlighted some grave issues that women face. This pandemic has been a wake-up call for us over how difficult the lives of women are. UN Women in its global champion for gender equality shed light on 6 urgent issues women had to tackle in the pandemic.
1. Gendered Violence: “Before the pandemic, estimates said one in three women will experience violence in their lifetime,” the organization said in a statement. “As economic and social stresses rise, and movement is restricted by lockdown and stay-at-home guidance, instances of violence are likely to increase. At home, survivors of domestic violence may be trapped with their abuser, with limited access to support services, healthcare, and justice systems. And in public, women are at heightened risks of violence navigating deserted public spaces and transportation.”
3. Sending love to that woman!
4. Sear it in your head!
5. Wow. What a comparison!
2. Income inequality. “Around the world, women are at the frontline of the COVID-19 response as they make up the majority of health and social care workers, especially as nurses, midwives, and community health workers, and account for the majority of service staff in health facilities as cleaners, launderers, and caterers. Yet, an average gender pay gap of around 28 percent exists in the health workforce,” UN Women wrote.
“Once occupation and working hours are accounted for, the gender pay gap is 11 percent. Although the health sector performs well regarding women’s participation, it still harbors discrimination against women in earnings, and full-time employment and leadership roles for women are lagging.”
6. Burn!!
7. We don’t want such boys anyway
8. Yes, please!
3. Digitial access is a privilege that not every woman has. “Many around the world, including girls from poor households cannot participate in remote learning, since they lack the required tools, skills, and technologies.”
“It was already a dire disadvantage that girls, women, and marginalized groups are least likely to have access to technology, and as the COVID-19 pandemic has moved so many aspects of daily life online, the lack of connectivity has become even more alarming, exacerbating existing gender inequalities.”
9. Have some honor!
10. Let women make choices for their bodies!
11. End this shit.
12. I would have asked her to adopt me!
4. Informal work is not stable work for women. This pandemic has opened the world’s eyes to how most women do informal work and have less secured jobs that are always at thread under unfortunate circumstances like pandemics. “Women typically earn less and hold less secure jobs than men. With economic activity at a halt during the pandemic, women working in the informal sector have seen a dramatic decline in their capacity to earn a living. Adding to the loss in income and paid work, many women are also juggling an increase in unpaid care and domestic work.”
“It’s on all of us to share the added burden of unpaid domestic and care work at home and speak up for a gender-aware response to the economic shock of COVID-19, including supporting women in the informal sector.”
13. I am going to roll my eyes at you instead.
14. A girl’s life in a nutshell.
15. Damn…
16. Every woman you know has been harassed, stalked, or been made scared by a guy.
5. Stigma around menstruation. “Even before the pandemic, women, and girls have been facing discrimination when they menstruate. In some parts of the world, they are seen as dirty, untouchable, or a disgrace. Whether it’s a lack of money to buy pads, tampons, or other products, access to toilets, or discriminatory laws and practices, women and girls, especially the world’s poorest, are deeply impacted by their periods,” UN women added.
The organization shed light on the difficulty of dealing with menstruation safely during pandemics.
“The provision of safe water, sanitation, and hygienic conditions are essential to protecting human health. Yet, today 500 million women and girls globally are estimated to lack adequate facilities for menstrual hygiene management. This puts women and their families at greater risk of infection. Periods don’t stop for the COVID-19 pandemic, and neither should our efforts to break harmful taboos about menstruation and end period poverty.”
17. The world just likes to pin everything on women!
18. Every woman you know has walked home scared.
19. Yes. It is an attack on your bullshit!
20. Imagine how traumatizing this must be on top of her already horrid experience.
6. Less representation of women in health care. “Women make up 70 percent of the health and social care workforce, and they are more likely to be front-line health workers, especially as nurses, midwives, and community health workers. This exposure raises women’s risk of infection (in fact, infections among female health care workers are up to three times higher than among their male counterparts). Yet, women remain in the background of decision making, underrepresented in health sector leadership, and missing from the center of the COVID-19 response.”
21. She said it.
22. We need more men like him!
23. Basically, being a woman is like living in hell.
24. Well, at least we can notice wrong things.
25. Everyone is allowed to make decisions about a woman’s body but herself.
26. Sometimes you just need to cut off men from your life!
27. Wow. Hell was made for men. I have no words.
28. When they care about teenage lives…
29. This would change nothing. It is never the victim’s fault!
30. Double-standards
31. They are the “norm” and everyone else is just an exception.
32. It is not for clout. This is what our lives look like.
33. Men are rewarded more than they deserve
34. Care-taker since birth
35. LOUDER FOR PEOPLE IN THE BACK!
36. Have a look in the mirror. Your misogyny is showing!
37. This is sickening!
38. Honey, no one wants to hit on you.
39. You are stupid if you think I have colored eyelids and naturally shimmery cheeks!
40. It would be safer that way.
41. Honest work Indeed
42. She knows how to do her job!
43. Abortion is healthcare!
44. There is nothing wrong with abortion. And for the gazillion time, you not a murderer for doing it!
45. Maybe he should stick to what he is good at. Being stupid.
46. He had to audacity to say it out loud!
47. If only.
48. She snapped!
49. All romantic movies from the past are full of men with abusive traits.
50. Do not settle for anything less!
I hope women always keep fighting for their rights! Women should be loud and clear. We are not going to let men step on us anymore. So many important issues have been stated in the posts above and it is concerning how we still have to fight for issues that are so obvious. It should not be that hard to understand that women deserve bodily autonomy, education, safe menstruation, safety from harassment, abuse and violence and so much more!
Men should only be grateful we are not taking revenge. Lou der for people in the back!!!