Tag Archives: Gender Equality

France Looks To Legalise Assisted Reproduction For Lesbians

A French government minister has promised lesbian couples and single women access to sperm donor services.

The move would mark a significant extension of gay rights in France, where violent protests preceded the legalization of same-sex marriage and adoption by same-sex couples in 2013.

Marlene Schiappa is the French Minister for Gender Equality said

It was a campaign promise. It will be honoured.”

She said a bill would likely pass through parliament in 2018.

Current legislation means that gay women with sufficient funds travel abroad for artificial insemination while other women without the financial means cannot.

Earlier this year, a national ethics committee said it would welcome the option for female couples and single women to use ‘medically assisted procreation.’

Emmanuel Macron, president since May, had set such a recommendation as a prerequisite to any legislative action.

Schiappa said that was unjust.

Current French law means lesbians wishing to use artificial insemination have to travel abroad.

This would be a landmark move towards equality in France.

Sadly, same-sex marriage has been legal in the country since 2013.

 

Cannes Juror Jessica Chastain Speaks Out About Women In Film

During a post-ceremony press conference, Cannes jury member Jessica Chastain said that after watching 20 films in 10 days, one of her big takeaways is the way women are represented in film, which she called “disturbing.”

This is the first time I’ve watched 20 films in 10 days and I love movies. And the one thing I really took away from this experience is how the world views women, from the female characters that I saw represented.”

What she saw didn’t please her.

It was quite disturbing to me to be honest. There are some exceptions, I will say, but for the most part I was surprised with the representation of female characters on screen in these films.”

Chastain’s words quickly went viral and won praise from many including Selma and A Wrinkle In Time director Ava DuVernay who tweeted a video of the remarks adding “Say that @jes _chastain.” The tweet has amassed over 52,000 likes as of Tuesday morning.

https://twitter.com/ava/status/869334438680829952

Gender equality issues such has pay disparity, representation on screen and behind the camera, and how women are portrayed in movies have long dogged in the film industry.

There was a record number of lead roles for women last year, according to a study by the San Diego State University’s Center for the Study of Women in Television & Film, but many in the industry still see a long march to equality.

In her remarks, Chastain noted the need for more women telling the stories of women saying

I do believe that if you have female storytelling you also have more authentic female characters.”

This year Sofia Coppola became only the second woman in Cannes 70 year history to win its director prize, taking home the honor for her film The Beguiled.

Chastain said she believes increasing the number of women behind the camera will lead to better storytelling.

I do hope that when we include more female storytellers we will have more of the women I recognize in my day to day life. Ones that are proactive, have their own agencies, don’t just react to the men around them. They have their own point of view.”

 

Why Is Gender Equality Still Not Been Fully Achieved?

America has come a long way in terms of gender equality, but, Susan Adams, a professor of management at Bentley University asks a very important question. ‘How long will it be before the gender of a presidential candidate is non-issue?’ How long indeed. There are many recognized reasons why this is but there are also some reasons that are not so well known.

Chores at home are still considered feminine roles.

Although American Dads have tripled the amount of time they help out with childcare over the last 50 years, they are still not doing enough chores to lighten the load that women do around the house. In a study carried out by sociologists at Indiana University it was discovered that over two thirds of American adults believe that women in heterosexual relationships should be responsible for doing the cooking, cleaning, laundry and buying the groceries.

This shows that many women themselves believe it is their role around the house. Gender roles have become so ingrained over the years that women automatically assume these gender roles without even questioning it.

In the same study, participants were given descriptions of same sex couples, one of whom was stereotypically ‘masculine’ and the other ‘feminine.’ Two thirds of the participants thought that the ‘feminine’ partner should do the housework as they incorrectly presumed that same sex couples follow straight gender roles in their relationship. The idea of gender specific roles is so deeply ingrained in people that they are simply taken as the norm.

There are less female inventors than men.

Lydia Dishman recently made a report to Fast Company stating that in 2010 only 7.7% of new U.S patents were filed by women. There are a number of likely reasons for this, a large one is the gender gap in STEM fields. According to a study by the Institute for Women’s Policy Research (IWPR), the few women who are inventors tend to file patents in female-dominated fields like jewellery (26.7% of all patents) and apparel (25.3%). It’s typically when women belong to a group of inventors, the report found, that they’re better represented in other fields, like chemistry and pharmaceuticals. Even female scientists and inventors are genderizing their own work to things that are considered ‘female’ in the field.

11% of U.S employees don’t believe in equal pay for women

In March, Glassdoor discovered that a massive 11% of workers do not think women and men should get the same pay for doing the same job. Many companies have recently committed to ensuring equal pay amongst their employees, but many companies have not committed to do so and some have even been disclosed publically stating that they do not give equal pay to men and women carrying out the same job. If female employees believe they don’t deserve the same pay and male employees believe they are worth more than women, there is some way to go to achieve complete gender equality in society. The change can only come about when women believe themselves they are capable of becoming leaders or earning more money than men, men can accept women are equal and are prepared to do work they normally presume is a woman’s job and our future generations grow up to believe there are no such things as gender roles. When this attitude happens only then will gender equality have been achieved.

Don’t Measure A Woman’s Worth By What She Wears

Terre Des Femmes, a Swiss human rights organisation has a brilliant ad campaign out. It was created to focus attention on gender equality and feminism; reminding us that the worth of a woman should never be measured by the clothes she wears.

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To some, heels of a certain height or skirts of a certain length denote that the wearer must be promiscuous. These “measuring sticks,” however, show just how absurd these measurements seem when removed from their context – regardless of what you think about someone’s clothes, the person wearing them is still a person and should be treated as such.

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The ad was design by Theresa Wlokka and students at the Miami Ad School in Hamburg, Germany.

More info visit terre-des-femmes.ch

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt Criticized For Letting Their Child ‘Explore’ Gender Identity

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt have faced a lot of criticism after reports that they had decided to support their child’s decision to be called John. The media went into a frenzy over the story, and so did the anti-LGBT activist who attacked their parenting skills – going as far to say their “destructive ideas are ruining people’s lives”.

Since the story came to light, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt haven’t said too much more on the subject. In fact the couple never said that their child was having an identity crisis, but just wanted to be called John.

So what do we actually know. Well in a recent interview Brad Pitt said…

“She only wants to be called John. John or Peter, so it’s a ‘Peter Pan’ thing. So we’ve got to call her John. So you know, it’s just that kind of stuff that’s cute to parents, and it’s probably really obnoxious to other people.”

Brad Pitt

It seems labelling John Jolie-Pitt trans* at this point maybe unnecessary. Brad and Angelina have not made any kind of statements that would suggest that they treat John as their son, but only that they are allowing their child to be who she wants to be without pressure to be anyone else.

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“I don’t think it’s for the world to interpret anything. She likes to dress like a boy and wants her hair cut like a boy and she wanted to be called ‘John’ for a while. Some kids wear capes and want to be Superman and she wants to be like her brothers. It’s who she is. It’s been a surprise to us and it’s really interesting, but she’s so much more than that – she’s funny and sweet and pretty.”

Angelina Jolie

For this stand point we have to praise the family for their open-mindedness, and allowing their child the freedom of self.

So what is the big deal that their child wants to be called John? What we all need to remember though, is there something special about parents who accept their children for who they are without offering labels, judgment, or terms of any kind. And hopefully, as time goes on, we as a society will hear less about those oppressed by loved ones until they are pushed to the brink and more about those who are allowed to explore every aspect of themselves as they grow.

‘I Am Who I Am, You Should Get Over It’ – A Trans* Youth’s Path to Self-Acceptance.

‘I’m from Driftwood’ is a collection of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer video stories from all over the world.

“I Am Who I Am, You Should Get Over It”

Alex Williams

Alex Williams, from Philadelphia, is a trans* teen on a path to self-acceptance.

However, despite having a mother who is unaccepting, Alex finds his source of strength from his girlfriend and a support system at school.

A Trans Youth’s Story of Self-Acceptance

 

This is Alex’s story…

I’m Alex Williams. I’m from Philadelphia.

Growing up, I was raised very, very, like, Christian, just strict, like, down-your-throat kind of Christian religion. Before you can even walk or talk, the number one thing I think that was like, preached to you was like, “Okay, homosexuality is wrong. This is wrong, this is wrong.” So from an early age I knew that like, “Okay, this is wrong, this is wrong.” But growing up, I started to find my way, and just like, have my own kind of identity.

Ninth grade, I come out as bisexual, just to put my foot out there a little bit. And then tenth grade hits, and I just realized, like, I’m not bisexual. Obviously, I like girls, so then I started to begin accepting myself. I believe it was January, like, 2nd, after New Year’s, my mom goes through my Facebook and my iPod, and she sees that I made a new Facebook and I was open on that Facebook. And then she just started going crazy, and she started to just give me the whole Bible and I was crying and she was crying and it was very emotional. She called my girlfriend, and was like, “Oh, y’all can’t be together. You have to break up. It’s done.” And I called my grandma, and was crying for my grandma to come over. I thought my grandma could save me, but it got worse, because my grandma started to come with the Bible and everything, so it was just really bad.

I wasn’t allowed to go out with my friends. I wasn’t allowed to have a phone. I had to come straight home. I wasn’t allowed to do anything. It was just basically, I’m being punished for who I am.

And March comes along, and this is a bad day. I don’t know, it was just a bad day. I get home, and me and my mom get into it about the situation. And my mom sends me away to Belmont. I love going there, because I felt like it was a break from everything, and I didn’t have to worry about anything, and it so happens that it was on Spring Break or something, so I didn’t have to worry about school. So it was a perfect opportunity just to worry about me, and just to focus on me and what’s going on. And I have better coping skills. And there, I did group. I did individual therapy. My parents and family visited, and there I felt like I was brave enough to stand up to them. So one visit, they came, and something happened, and they brought up the conversation of my girlfriend, and then I just was like, “You know what? It is what it is. I have a girlfriend. You should get over it. I am who I am.” And it was just a big fight, and I ended up storming out, and just running out and going into my room and closing my door. And I was happy, because they couldn’t go back there. Basically, I felt like I was protected. And then I was in there for I think almost two weeks, and I got out.

I live with my grandmom currently, and my grandmom isn’t as bad as my mom, but my grandmom is trying to be more understanding, and she’s trying to be not as controlling as my mom. And that’s a good thing. I can live in that environment. I feel like with my mom, I can’t live in that environment. I mean, recently, there have been situations, because recently I’ve come out as trans*, but my family doesn’t know that, but my school does and my friends do. It’s more like a support system, and my mom still has this controlling thing that she has. She tries to control every aspect of my life, even though I don’t live with her or anything. So it was still like a daily struggle.

I actually saw her today, and we had a big falling out today, because she said that my girlfriend is not allowed to come to my graduation. She was like, “I don’t want to see that. I don’t want to see that lifestyle.” I said, “Well, you might as well say you don’t want to see me, because she’s going to be there, and whether you’re there, that’s fine. But she’s going to be there.” She’s been there since day one. We’ve been going out for two years, and she’s my support system. She’s like my backbone, and anytime I have an argument with my mom or my grandmom, I know that the first call I’m going to make is to her. And we talk a lot and she supports me, and she helps me. Like, if I’m having a bad day, she’ll help me cope or anything. She’s my coping skill.

When I was in Belmont, we were in group, and we were talking about what do you live for, and what do you want your future to be. And then, in that group, I just realized that because of who I am right now, that doesn’t mean I have to cut my life short. And I realized that I just need to keep going, and no matter what, that I’m on this Earth for a reason. I’m this way for a reason. And I just wanted to live. I finally just wanted to live.

Source: www.imfromdriftwood.com/alex_williams/

Brad Pitt & Angelina Jolie Announce Support as their 8 Year Old Self-identifies as Male

Congratulations to Jolie Pitt family, as they announce their support for their child’s decision to self-identify as male, and use the name John.

Last week there was plenty of attention given to John Jolie Pitt, when the family appeared on the red carpet for Jolie’s film ‘Unbroken’, wearing a tuxedo and with cropped hair.

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The family has always shown full support for John’s right to explore their self-identification.

“She wants to be a boy.. So we had to cut her hair. She likes to wear boys’ everything. She thinks she’s one of the brothers.”

Angelina Jolie

The family have been praised for their handling of the situation, and have been held up as a good example of how to handle a child’s exploration of their gender identity.

Why Unisex Bathrooms Should be a Must in 2014

Ever since I was a child, I had always been a tomboy. I cut my hair short and I was rarely seen in anything other than a pair of jeans and a t-shirt.

When I was 10 years old, I thought that being mistaken for being in the wrong bathroom was for this reason only. It was only as I started to get older I realised actually, I don’t really look much like a girl, nor a boy. I’m 5’8″, I’m very slim, about a size 8-10. I don’t have much shape and I don’t really have many feminine characteristics.

Facially, I don’t think I clearly resemble either. I don’t wear make-up, partly because I don’t think I need to but also because I wouldn’t have a clue where to start. I would hazard a guess at 65% of the people I meet will say “hello love” and the remaining 35% will greet me with “alright mate”. And that’s not an exaggeration either way.

During my early twenties this created many problems for me as I was an extremely shy person. If someone was to mistake my gender I would literally run in the opposite direction too embarrassed to correct the culprit. Work life was a problem too, with not enough self confidence to go out and get a job I’m more than capable of doing, through fear of receiving that strange look or being judged.

Now I’m heading fast into my 30’s, my outlook has changed somewhat. I am a lot more comfortable in myself than I was in my twenties.

I embrace the way I look rather than be embarrassed about it. I am comfortable with using terms to describe myself such as ‘andro’ or ‘androgynous’ and that confidence has done wonders in allowing me to date some absolutely beautiful women, so it cant be all bad!

However there has always been one thing that has remained an issue in my life and I think always will. Public bathrooms.

Public bathrooms have become almost a phobia. I will go in them when I absolutely need to, but if I can avoid using them I will.

A packed out restaurant on a Friday night or a busy motorway service station is like an anxiety-ridden nightmare. If I can see the toilet door I will find myself watching how many people go in and come out before I think its safe to casually get up and go. But alas, 50% of the time it is inevitable that I will meet another woman in the public bathroom.

Some say nothing, perfect! probably because they are very well aware that I am female and so why would they say anything? Some, give me the look up and down as we cross paths, and unfortunately for me I doubt this is in the way that I would be hoping for. The best ones though are when I’m about to open the door to leave and almost bump into someone with an “oh, sorry” as they glance up at the door signage to make sure they’re the ones heading into the right bathroom. Sometimes to lessen my own embarrassment I say “yes, you’re in the right one” with a smile 🙂

When I went down to Brighton a few years ago one of the gay clubs had changed their toilets to all Unisex, and I know of a couple of other gay clubs that do this too.

In theory I think this is a great idea, although don’t get me wrong, I think there should still be separate men’s and women’s facilities available. I also understand the issues surrounding safety where public bathrooms are concerned.

However, in this day and age, where people are so individual, should there not be the option for those who are gay/lesbian/transsexual/transgender/gender-neutral (the list goes on) or simply just uncomfortable in their own skin, to be able to use a public bathroom without being second glanced or commented at for being in the “wrong one”?

We’re allowed (pretty much) to be whoever we want in this life and express ourselves however we feel comfortable- until it comes to toilets. You can be whoever you want, but when you need to use a public bathroom you are still segregated; MAN or WOMAN, you pick.

Just a thought..

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Emma Watson to All Men ‘Gender Equality is Your Issue, Too’ – #HeForShe

“It is time that we all see gender as a spectrum instead of two sets of opposing ideals. We should stop defining each other by what we are not, and start defining ourselves by who we are.”

Emma Watson

Emma Watson made this call as she launched a United Nations campaign for men and boys worldwide to join the movement for gender equality.

The UN Women Global Goodwill Ambassador was at the UN Headquarters in New York on Saturday, to deliver a strong and personal message on equality, gender roles, and feminism.

The UN Women campaign called “HeForShe” aims to mobilize one billion men and boys as advocates of change in ending inequalities that women and girls face globally.

“I want men to take up this mantle so their daughters, sisters and mothers can be free from prejudice but also so their sons have permission to be vulnerable and human, too and in doing so, be a more true and complete version of themselves,”

Emma Watson

In the speech, Watson stressed the importance of men’s involvement in promoting women’s rights.

“How can we effect change in the world when only half of it is invited to participate in the conversation? Men, I would like to take this opportunity to extend your formal invitation. Gender equality is your issue, too. I’ve seen my father’s role as a parent being valued less by society. I’ve seen young men suffering from illness, unable to ask for help for fear it will make them less of a man …. I’ve seen men fragile and insecure by a distorted sense of what constitutes male success. Men don’t have the benefits of equality, either. We don’t often talk about men being imprisoned by gender stereotypes but I can see that they are.”

Emma Watson

Watson said liberating men from stereotypes ultimately benefits women.

“When they are free, things will change for women as a natural consequence. If men don’t have to be aggressive in order to be accepted, women won’t feel compelled to be submissive. If men don’t need to control, women won’t have to be controlled. Both men and women should feel free to be sensitive. Both men and women should feel free to be strong.”

Emma Watson

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon and UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka commended Watson for her work with UN Women.

“Men are responsible for most of the threats and violence against women. Often, these men are close to the victims – fathers, husbands, boyfriends or supervisors. We need to say to men and boys: Do not raise your hands in violence – raise your voices to stop it – and to support human rights for all.”

Ban Ki-Moon, UN Secretary-General