100 years on, but how far have we actually come?
100 years ago women got the vote.
But how far have we actually come? What would Emmeline Pankhurst think of where we are now? Most importantly, how are we going to get to where we need to be?
What recent news marks this grand occasion? Oh yes, PepsiCo announce that Doritos are planning on making a special version of their crisps for ladies. Without the mess and crunchy noise that apparently stops us women eating in public.
Hold the phone!
Forget the gender pay gap, tampon tax or sexual harassment. Thank god for PepsiCo hitting on the real gender issue of 2018: I will shortly, hopefully, be able to snack in public in my neat, meek and mild way making my little lady life complete.
Seriously!?
The reason behind such a huge company taking this step you ask? Their research shows them that whilst men happily crunch away and “lick their fingers with great glee”, women, apparently, don’t.
So instead of looking at why, in cultural terms, women may not feel comfortable making noise or licking our fingers in public, they have decided that a bunch of “women friendly” snacks with low noise and low mess are the answer. Oh and they will fit nicely into that cute little purse of yours as well, don’t you worry your pretty little head about that.
So again I ask: how far have we come?
It’s great that women can vote, work, divorce, remarry, never marry, have babies by themselves, be a working mum, not be a mum at all, not have a career, be the boss. But are we meant to bow down, say thanks and sit quietly in a corner now feeling grateful?
It is 2018. We still have the tampon tax, we still are not paid equally, we are overlooked, we don’t feel comfortable having salary or promotion negotiations, we feel harassed, we face sexism every day and questions about when we are going to settle down. We have come forward, but still have so far to go.
It is not a women’s issue. It is a human issue. It affects everyone. When we put women in a quiet, meek and mild box, we put men in a cage of what masculinity should be as well. Without expression of emotions and a misconception of what a man is, what being weak is.
Why are we doing this to ourselves? We need to change.
Look up from your phone. Speak up when you hear sexist comments. Be there for that male colleague or friend who needs to cry.
Be better. Do better.
Let’s really make a change so that in another 100 years, we know that we are all truly equal, regardless of gender, race, sexual preference, religion or any other identifier of ourselves.
To quote a great River Island campaign: labels are for clothes, not for people.
Empowered people, empower people. Go and empower.