She did say the most sexist country *she'd been to*, so that probably explains Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia. As for South Africa, I guess she'd just been lucky with her experiences there. Or unlucky with them here.
I read the news today oh boy! Page 1,525
Gah such drivel.
Quote: Renegade Carpark @ 15th April 2014, 9:02 PM BSTSo what do you think ladies? Is the UK the most pervasively sexist country?
Absolutely no idea. Probably not. Why does that matter? There is not a league.
The fact that women get an even worse deal elsewhere does not negate the everyday sexism that goes on here.
What you describe as "single issue feminists" I would simply describe as people who are pissed off by the way they are treated and want to complain about it.
Sexism happens. Sexism in the workplace definitely happens. As she says, we no longer recognise it because it has become normalised within our culture.
I did a talk in a secondary school a few months ago about "sex and the law".
I asked the students if it would be OK for someone to grab another student's bum in the corridor without their consent, as long as it was in the context of just fooling around.
I asked them to put up their hands if they thought the answer was yes.
Out of a class of 30 ish, all but three students put their hands up.
A problem exists. The question really is - what are we going to do about it?
Quote: Raymond Terrific @ 15th April 2014, 9:14 PM BSTShe did say the most sexist country *she'd been to*, so that probably explains Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia.
She had been to Somalia, land of burqas, honour killings, FGM, sex specific abortions, Sharia law and a society that discourages any kind of reporting on rape.
But Somalia didn't have the 'Everyday Sexism' website or men taking pictures of women eating food on the Tube.
Just as newspapers reporting on paedophiles have made everyone think there are more child molesters then ever, so has our upfront nature about sexism created a much larger problem.
If only we told our women to keep their mouths shut like the other countries, UN advisors would think we weren't sexist.
I'd say England's problems are it's problem work needs to be done, but it's self defeating to deny the progress made in a century, more so a few decades.
If you doubt your victories, you'll never know when you're winning or losing.
To compare England negatively to 2 thirds of the world is crazy, to the point of being unhelpful.
In England, rape is a crime, marital rape is a crime, child sexual abuse is prosecutable, sexual harassment and bullying is grounds for losing your job. And outside of the den of iniquity that is the Liberal party it happens. No one suggests rape victims should be flogged or hanged.
But now the questions are changing. If you can work, have a child, return to your job and carry on as before if you're a woman. What happens if you don't want to?
Which parent stays at home and looks after the kids? If you're a better earner than your husband, is not bringing your kids up a victory?
Does this leave the not so good father and not so good earner a double failure?
These questions exist and they're real. But more and more the discussion seems to be a shrill attacking of "rape culture" and "laddism" things so startingly pointless they defy imagination. Did Robin Thicke lead to even one bum being pinched?
And we end up with some grim, old, trout from a country with near 50% levels of rape. In essence dunning our politicians over what could be read as "rape culture."
Quote: Jennie @ 15th April 2014, 9:23 PM BSTAbsolutely no idea. Probably not. Why does that matter? There is not a league.
That's a fairly disingenuous comment. When UK flood victims wanted to stop overseas aid and have the money diverted to them, did you say - 'Why does that matter? There is not a league?'. Floods is floods ain't they?
When a UN advisor declares Britain to be the most pervasively sexist country she's visited, then it does matter, it matters a great deal.
Quote: Renegade Carpark @ 15th April 2014, 9:31 PM BSTBut Somalia didn't have the 'Everyday Sexism' website or men taking pictures of women eating food on the Tube.
Every day sexism is to all often accidentally hilarious.
Partly because they're mods take way to long spotting dirty, old gits writing in lurid fantasies.
And the other half being some ladies moaning about chaps not giving up their seats for them.
It proves the fallacy of using experiential data for any serious purpose. That and by and large you could just call it every day rudeness.
Quote: Renegade Carpark @ 15th April 2014, 9:38 PM BSTWhen a UN advisor declares Britain to be the most pervasively sexist country she's visited, then it does matter, it matters a great deal.
Not least of all because it's an insult to all those women and men in Swat, Saudi and SA amongst too many other countries, who died fighting real prejudice.
Quote: sootyj @ 15th April 2014, 9:42 PM BSTAnd the other half being some ladies moaning about chaps not giving up their seats for them.
Huh? If you think that's what's on the Everyday Sexism website, I think you need to read it more carefully.
Quote: Renegade Carpark @ 15th April 2014, 9:38 PM BSTThat's a fairly disingenuous comment. When UK flood victims wanted to stop overseas aid and have the money diverted to them, did you say - 'Why does that matter? There is not a league?'. Floods is floods ain't they?
Well, we aren't talking about giving money to fight sexism in Somalia, are we?
Let's look at what she actually said.
"Have I seen this level of sexist culture in other countries? It hasn't been so in your face in other countries. I haven't seen that so pervasively in other countries. I'm sure it exists but it wasn't so much and so pervasive.
"I'm not sure what gives rise to a more visible presence of sexist portrayals of women and girls in this country in particular."
It isn't entirely clear what she means. Is she saying there is more sexism in Britain than elsewhere, or simply that the sexism in Britain is more "in your face" and "pervasive" than it is elsewhere?
Who knows. What we do know is that her impression is that sexism in Britain pervades every aspect of our culture. I agree with her on that.
So rather than getting all defensive and pointing out how much better we are than other counties, why don't we consider what caused her to form that view in the first place?
I read it, some of it's very painful, some of it's fascinating.
But it's experiential data being all too often used as fact.
Did they improve the moding? Because it was terrible when I read it, which was admittedly a few months ago.
Quote: sootyj @ 15th April 2014, 9:37 PM BST?
These questions exist and they're real.
Quote: sootyj @ 15th April 2014, 9:42 PM BSTwho died fighting real prejudice.
You confuse me Soots. Do you think sexism still exists in Britain or not?
Quote: Jennie @ 15th April 2014, 9:48 PM BSTWho knows. What we do know is that her impression is that sexism in Britain pervades every aspect of our culture. I agree with her on that.
Really?
I guess I never noticed, I must be either terribly ignorant or have some sensory deficit.
I mean in your job everyone gets to wear nice wigs.
Quote: Jennie @ 15th April 2014, 9:48 PM BSTLet's look at what she actually said.
"Have I seen this level of sexist culture in other countries? It hasn't been so in your face in other countries. I haven't seen that so pervasively in other countries. I'm sure it exists but it wasn't so much and so pervasive.
"I'm not sure what gives rise to a more visible presence of sexist portrayals of women and girls in this country in particular."
It isn't entirely clear what she means. Is she saying there is more sexism in Britain than elsewhere, or simply that the sexism in Britain is more "in your face" and "pervasive" than it is elsewhere?
Who knows.
Typical woman, blabs on for hours and says absolutely nothing. 
How can being forced to wear a burqa be less readily apparent then a single Page 3 photo in one newspaper?
Because we have all of this information at hand when compared to other countries, we could also make many sweeping generalisations. A UN advisor said today: 'British mothers are the worst mothers in the world. Look how many of them have been arrested for crimes compared to the other countries I visited.'
Quote: Jennie @ 15th April 2014, 9:49 PM BSTYou confuse me Soots. Do you think sexism still exists in Britain or not?
Yes but there is a massive difference between.
"I am a qualified GP, I want to have a child, have time to take care of them and carry on with my career."
and
"I would like to go to school at all, I'd like to have a job at all and I'd like to have my sexual experience when my age is in double figures."
Of course sexism exists, as does racism, disablism and theism.
It's about pushing towards the complex and nuanced questions, not shouting at a bogyperson that is far more shrivelled than it ever was before.
Quote: sootyj @ 15th April 2014, 9:54 PM BSTOf course sexism exists, as does racism, disablism and theism.
Not according to the laws of our sexist land, under the law we are equal. Unlike Somalia, which is less sexist, according to the UN advisor, who is nuts.