Deja vu all over again

If she survives the probably sexist knife attacks from the men in her own party. Lash

Joan Kirner, Carmen Laurence, and Cheryll Kernot might not appreciate the irony, Bill. It's one thing to watch Neanderthal Tony having a go, but half her own cabinet has it in for Julia, and as for that troglodyte Laurie Oakes ...... Lash

Sexism in politics? No, that would never happen!

vandana, my take on feminism is that it is about a woman's right to make her own choices, and that includes the choice to be a traditional houswife without getting dumped on by the Sisterhood. But those who do not choose this, as a matter of natural justice should be given equal opportunity, equal pay, and equal consideration. Lash

I am fine with empowerment, equal earnings. But when equal opportunities are concerned, I think the person who needs that job more - male or female - gets priority in my eyes. I know of college students here who use the so called lists supplied by charitable institutions to collect donations for old age homes and orphanages. Their cut is 20 percent of that. It gets spent on pubs and perfumes. It hurts when money given by us flows in a direction it should not. Likewise, I know of many women who can sit at home and not feel the pinch for food, clothing, shelter, medicines, and travel. Still they work because they need time pass. There are million different ways to do time pass. How about some social work? Oh no, the time pass should be monetarily rewarding so that they can use the monies to buy some gold or spend it in gambling or on lavish parties and functions. I am not communist by nature..dont get me wrong. I just feel that when unemployment rates are high, and there are people who are struggling to make the two ends meet, then women who dont really need that job should let go of them and be true women. They may resume their careers if they so wish after recessions cease, or their partner stops earning or they are facing any financial problems. People I know have wealth that will last two generations! And such people pay paltry sums to maids too, instead of letting the monies they earn percolate. Women get addicted to making money and hoarding it or spending it on "frivolous" stuff..lol. Men dont exhibit similar tendencies and so what they spend on really moves the economy, creates employment. @grandpa_lash..somewhere god gave us different set of duties na. I mean women need maternity leave and all that. Men are not entitled to such things, isn't it? So where is the equality anyway? Even by nature we are different. A woman resuming the duty after the child's birth is likely to show lower level of concentration in her work because of inadequate rest and worry about the child. That wont happen in the case of men. Some professions are hard for women. In short, my call is, women should work only if necessary otherwise they may not be doing their best, and I am fine with slightly lower pay because I accept that I will have my failings due to other duties interfering with my official performance. If we work as good or better than men, then and then only, we should get equal pay. That, incidentally, in my 25 odd years of regular service, was very very rare..women are sincere but not as fast or as efficient as men. Output is generally lower. I am just being honest grandpa_lash. :)

It depends on what or where you are looking at. I live in the U.S. for example... Men can evade the responsibilities of their families should they so choose. It is also assuming that women who work today do not need the money should they be married or in a stable relationship with a dominate working partner. My husband works and I tend to save money and literally hate spending it on myself. However, I plan to work and there are many other factors involved. It is not just "frivolous" spending as one may think it is though I am sure that many people do just throw away money as I like to believe. I look at it as empowerment and some women hate being housewives. If you have children though, both parents working and can help to pay for more opportunities for the children. I have two children and that is how I see it. If women made as much as men in some places then it might be easier. Not everyone is going to marry someone with a fantastic job. In America... there are only select places where women do make more than men but there are still a lot of gaps in pay for much of the same work.

Emulating someone great isn't a bad thing. There are afew women who are billionaires. I was just watching a murder mystery doc lastnight about a guy who was working as a research writer for Forbes in Russia. He was murdered for knowing too much and one of the people they thought might have done it was a female billionaire. So it does happen. Just not always here in the US.

It seems to be mainly window-dressing, and a few exceptional women get to be tokens for the others to emulate. It's a bit like the idea that everyone can get rich in America, but I don't see any rush of billionaires happening. Lash

Is that significant in the liberation of women? Lash

Happens everyday here in Mexico. Nothing has changed since my dad was alittle one here. Most of the world is the same I guess.

I am sure it is and thanks stowyk

Being an Aussie of that generation, I'd be drummed out of the polity if I didn't remember Ms Reddy and her song lol. And for years I lusted after Germaine, although I suspect she'd have eaten me for breakfast, her intellect is intimidating. But for an issue that's been around now for over 150 years, the progress seems very slow. We Aussies were among the first to give women the franchise, and yet we are still as far behind as any other Western country. J. S. Mill would be turning in his grave. Ms Pankhurst would probably just be girding up her loins. Lash

Who? Lash