Another reason not to vote Conservative!

Only 15 out of 568 Conservative candidates support women's equality, pretty shocking!

according to this survey by the Fawcett Society

Resisting and Challenging Religious Fundamentalisms

They're not complete yet but you can already read about strategies women have found for combating Christian fundamentalism in Africa here

Teen motherhood is not all bad, says novelist | Books | The Guardian

Teen motherhood is not all bad, says novelist |
Books |
The Guardian

This is something I've been thinking about for a while. Like most women of my age, I was brought up with the idea that you have to get your career sorted before you procreate. Working in Kazakhstan with women of 35 who already had teenage children, I saw an alternative. Hilary Mantel asks us to consider if the 'career, then children' rule is just one more way we have to fit in with the male-oriented working world timetable. Actually the problem with having children early might not be so much about career as about finding the right person to have children with in your early 20s....

Burqini: the latest in modest swimwear

I saw this site offering a brand of modest swimwear for Muslim women (Speedo has a version but it is far more clingy and therefore doesn't quite cut the mustard).

BBC News - Deutsche Telekom sets gender quotas

It's the next Enlightenment: BBC News - Deutsche Telekom sets gender quotas

key snippets from European Parliament equality resolution

This European Parliament resolution on equality between women and men, adopted on 10 Feb has some interesting points: Texts adopted - Wednesday, 10 February 2010 - Equality between women and men in the European Union ‐ 2009 - P7_TA-PROV(2010)0021

For example better protection of immigrant women (given that 1 in 5 highly qualified immigrants is working in a low-paid job). Trying to mainstream gender into the EU2020 process. Urging governments to introduce programmes to encourage female secondary school graduates to take up careers in engineering (too late by then?). Highlighting the fact that the European Institute for Gender Equality is still not up and running (due latest 2008).

The EP also criticises the Commission for not yet bothering to respond to its November 2008 resolution on revising equal pay legislation.

A key point in my opinion is that this resolution also urges Member States to conduct more outreach with regard to combating stereotypes, through

'awareness-raising campaigns in schools, workplaces and the media in order to promote diversification of career choices, especially for girls and combat persistent sexist stereotyping and degrading images, with particular emphasis on campaigns that highlight men's role in better sharing of family responsibilities and in work-life balancing'

Let's watch this space..

The Stepford Sylvanians...

Sylvanian Families, the bemusingly twee brand of plastic animal tribes which live in tree houses, is enjoying a surge of popularity. Amongst its new creations is the new Pig Family.

It would be hard to imagine a more obvious reinforcement of gender stereotypes; I quote:

'Richard E. Grunt is a builder and a very good one. He builds lots of houses of all shapes, sizes and materials in the woods of Sylvania as well as garden walls, shops and schools. No job is too big or small for Richard E.

Constance Grunt like her name suggests is constantly preparing food for her large, hungry family. Pastries for breakfast, biscuits and tarts for snacks, at least five vegetables for main meals as well as puddings, it never ends!

Hugh Grunt is a 'chip off the old block' and hopes to become a builder like his dad. He has built his own den and treehouse in the garden as well as drawing up plans for a shed to store his tools; just like his father's shed!

May Grunt is a slave to fashion. She spends her time scanning magazines and shops for the latest designer outfits along with all the must have accessories. Once she has chosen her new look she then works out how to alter her clothes to create her new outfit.

I mean, please! Although the pig father's name is tantalisingly similar to Richard E. Grant, accident or design?

More descriptions of servile Sylvanians to follow...