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Rhona Pavis

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The women's revolution is the last revolution that the world will ever need. Male/Female equality is essential to human happiness.

When men and women acknowledge and experience their equality, there will be happiness, health, peace and all other good things throughout the parts or totality of the world that does this. Then all females and males can relax and simply enjoy life as we were obviously meant to do. The current inequality experienced in nearly all societies today is the basis of the turmoil and suffering of humankind.

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    Martin Hassel 500+

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    HostTED AttendeeTED TranslatorTEDx OrganizerAssociateLanguage Coordinator
    Dec 27 2011: The talk by Richard Wilkinson that is referred to puts Norway among the "top 3" for most measures of equality. Women (and men) in Norway are free to choose any education they desire, and subsequently any job they want. The government has tried to increase the ratio of women in many typically male dominated domains, such as mechanical engineering, computer sciences, armed forces and more, often through some form of light "affirmative action" measures. This has increased the female ratio significantly, but what we have seen in Norway during the last decade, is that given the freedom to choose, the majority of women have gravitated back to "typical" female jobs such as nursing, day-care, and other occupations involving interaction with people, empathy and caring. While most men typically choose more "engineering"-like professions involving machinery and manual labour.
    The reason stereotypes have become stereotypes, are because they have a center of truth to them.
    Equality is essential to a healthy society. Equality of choice, of freedom, of remuneration for equal work, of social status etc. But we should not strive towards a society of equality with regards to male/female ratios in specific occupations. We should not define how the end result should look. We should simply make sure the conditions are right, fair and equal, and let the result become as it will.
    Yin and Yang would look rubbish if they were both grey.
    It's possible to celebrate our differences and have equality at the same time.
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      Gisela McKay 30+

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      Dec 27 2011: And I agree that there will be a natural distribution that will correlate largely to sex.

      What you DON'T do is say that "this sector is strictly for men" (or women) and bar people who have the right ability/capacity and the wrong genitalia from entering it.
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        Joanne Donovan 30+

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        Dec 29 2011: Sorry Gisela, I had to flag this 'though women and children are weak and ignorant, we have to protect them from all dangers and correct their follies and guide them along the correct path' and the rest of the toxic diatribe, hope you are not feeling 'out on a limb'.
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          Gisela McKay 30+

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          Dec 29 2011: Don't apologize to me - I didn't write it, heh. I was only hoping that it would last long enough for SEP to see it.
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      Joanne Donovan 30+

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      Dec 28 2011: Hi Martin: Re this; This has increased the female ratio significantly, but what we have seen in Norway... the majority of women have gravitated back to "typical" female jobs such as nursing, day-care, and other occupations involving interaction with people, empathy and caring. While most men typically choose more "engineering"-like professions involving machinery and manual labour.
      The reason stereotypes have become stereotypes, are because they have a center of truth to them.'

      So long as a society values both sexes equally, rewards them equivalently, and treats them fairly in the judicial system. I do not see a problem with this. We can get into the reasons why, but what would be the point? I am happy to accept some of it is because of the genetic differences between men and women, if that is what you are suggesting. I think we all agree, men and women are different. That is a beautiful thing, if you ask me.

      I think you might be on thin ice with this though 'The reason stereotypes have become stereotypes, are because they have a center of truth to them.' I can think of dozens of stereotypes, which are simply part of the power groups mythology in order to justify keeping the underclass in its place. A few decades ago, women were referred to as 'the weaker sex', people have told me that Aboriginals are not human because they have a smaller brains, that indigenous people are drunks and can't be trusted and that the Irish are stupid. With stereotypes one has to ask the question, which came first, the chicken or the egg? Did that group exhibit some characteristic which contributed to the story, or did that characteristic (if even true) arise out of the circumstances around oppression?

    • Rhona Pavis 50+

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      Dec 28 2011: Martin, I'm glad Norway acknowledges the issue of inequality in status, power, control and other significant things between males and females and that Norway has taken action to correct this age-old wrong. There is no need for you to reiterate that men and women are different. We all know and celebrate the differences as long as those differences are not the result of incorrect, negative brainwashing that result in women having less money income, less power to design the institutions within which we live and other basic, important issues. Society can be vastly improved by letting go of old stereotypes. The occupations themselves would change if males and females were equally involved in the design of the economy, business, politics, education and other basic constructs that affect our well-being. Please explain the repeitiveness of prejudices regarding religions and races, for example. Repeating lies does not convert them into truths. Anyway, congratulations to Norway for the progress it has made thus far. May this progress continue until men and women have the equality that will cause all Norway's citizens to live happily ever after.

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