The simplicity of my day to day. |
Prompt five for
https://youtu.be/ihd7ofrwQX0 In this age of the “Me Too,” movement the pendulum has swung far away from its usual arc. Women no longer allow men to speak down to them, patronise them or sexually demean them. Well, perhaps this is how the media portrays the status quo, but is it really so? That scenario is the end play, the place where women hope it will be, one day. No, we still live in a very patriarchal society, let’s not pretend it is any other way. However things are definitely changing for the better. This week was the 10 th anniversary of a speech given in parliament by the then Prime Minister of Australia. Julia Gillard had been ridiculed for her voice, her dress sense, her large bottom and her relationship with her partner. There was one parliamentarian, Tony Abbot who seemed to delight in getting under Julia’s skin until one day she gave a fifteen minute speech in the house which was the forevermore called, “ The Mysogeny Speech. I was watching a replay of the speech from ten years ago and I sensed the mood had changed. What society will accept now from men toward women is different. The change has been a subtle one but the fact I was more shocked at her treatment from the perspective of 2022 rather than how I viewed it in 2012 says it all. More women are winning the race for the top jobs although, rather than the norm, it is the exception. New Zealand has had a very popular woman prime minister for many years. She has carried out her duty to her country in difficult times with steel and determination yet also with a woman’s touch. The United Kingdom has a new Prime Minister a woman, Liz Truss. She has a huge task ahead of her, it will be interesting to see her balance the role of the top job without losing her femininity. Is it possible to avoid losing something, some gentleness when holding such a position ? Do women have to “grow balls,” to command respect? |