Equality, social justice—it’s 2022 and by now, many of us assume that it’d be common sense for more or less everyone to respect their fellow human beings, no matter their gender, race, or creed. However, the reality is very different. If you want justice, it’s a constant struggle, an uphill battle.
Despite progress having been made in the fight for gender equality in recent decades, sadly, there’s a lot of regression happening at the same time. Women’s rights aren’t as protected as they might seem. You only need to take a look at how Roe v. Wade was overturned in the United States to see that your rights are built on far shakier foundations than they would seem.
‘Fight the Patriarchy’ is a Facebook page that touches upon a wide variety of social issues, from sexism and misogyny to toxic masculinity and worker exploitation, and more. We’ve collected some of their most powerful feminist posts to share with you, Pandas. Scroll down and share your thoughts about these issues in the comments. Let us know what you care about the most, what you’re doing to make the world a better place, and what you think needs to happen in the world for there to be more justice.
Writer Ariane Sherine was kind enough to share her thoughts about sexism, social justice, and gender equality with Bored Panda. In her opinion, it's the fear of women's power and a resentment that they're growing stronger that lie at the core of sexism and misogyny. "It's not as easy to subjugate us anymore. Of course, men still hold most of the power and wield male privilege, but they're being held to account more and more, and many of them aren't happy about this at all," she said. Scroll down for our full interview, including Ariane's prognosis about when women can realistically achieve parity with men.
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In writer Ariane's opinion, there's generally more social progress and gender equality nowadays than a few decades ago. "I mean, when my mum gave birth to me in 1980, she was expected by society to give up work and look after her kids. As a highly intelligent woman working as a university lecturer, having worked super-hard, prioritized her career and risen up the ranks until this point, this wasn't fair or right," the writer told Bored Panda.
"This wouldn't be an expectation these days—jobs are held open for women and it's illegal to fire someone because they're pregnant," she said, adding that it's also illegal not to hire someone in the first place just because they're pregnant.
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"There are more single women than ever and studies show we're happier than partnered women on average too. Women can have a baby without needing a partner, childcare is more widely available too, and only people stuck in the Dark Ages think less of women who work and put their kids in nursery," Ariane said.
"However, Roe v. Wade being overturned was a devastating blow for women's reproductive rights and I truly feel for women of childbearing age in America right now. It's an incredibly regressive step and I hope they manage to reverse it," she commented on the recent news in the US.
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According to Ariane, the fight against sexism and toxic masculinity is a never-ending one, but an important one.
"We've taken great progressive strides from where we were in the 1950s when women were expected to be Stepford Wives, so in another 70 years, we may achieve parity with men. At least, that's my hope. And even if the fight against sexism is a constant, never-ending battle, it's one we must never concede."
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The founders of the ‘Fight the Patriarchy’ Facebook page describe themselves as feminists who are “determined to fight injustice everywhere.”
“We're intersectional, so we fight sexism,” they explain. At the time of writing, the page had 27k followers who react and comment on the latest posts that deal with gender relations, examples of injustice, and screenshots of people tackling sexism in everyday life.
Most recently, many people in the US and around the world have been in an uproar about Roe v. Wade being overturned by the Supreme Court. What this means is that each state in the US now has the ability to decide whether or not abortions are legal. Some have expressed fears that due to this, women’s rights have experienced a huge setback.
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Celebrity expert Mike Sington shared with Bored Panda earlier that it’s very important for public figures and stars to denounce the Supreme Court’s decision.
"Celebrities and public figures speaking out against Roe v. Wade being overturned has been very important, especially for young people. Freedom of choice has been a right granted to Americans for 50 years, so younger people don’t know what a world is like without that freedom," Mike said.
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"I think it’s the sensitive issues like this that celebrities have the most impact on because it tells the public they are not alone in the feeling of despair they are having by a fundamental right being taken away," he told us.
"The impact celebrities have will not be on the Supreme Court itself, and I don’t expect it to change the opinions of politicians either. What celebrities can do is drive people to the polls this November to actually change who the politicians are representing them," the expert said that the political impact of the decision will be felt in the autumn of 2022.
"Other rights granted by the Supreme Court are now in jeopardy, so it will be important to have political representatives in place that can turn those rights into laws," he told Bored Panda.
"I’m on Twitter a lot, and I’ve seen nothing but widespread condemnation of the Court’s opinion. Polling confirms what I’m seeing on Twitter. The vast majority of Americans support a woman’s right to choose."
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Sexism is arguably far more deeply rooted in society than it might first appear. For instance, human rights advocate Elizabeth Arif-Fear explained to Bored Panda that the gender pay gap that exists in workplaces is a gross violation of women’s rights.
“Discrimination includes women being denied work, in preference for men due to maternity leave allowances. Due to the imbalance between caring for children and housework among male/female partnerships—which is still prevalent across the globe—women are left juggling a high amount of childcare and work which places extra demands on women,” she shared her thoughts with us during an earlier interview.
“Practical barriers add an extra burden onto women. Beyond childcare, women in leadership is an area that is evolving but there is still a massive glass ceiling. We need more women in leadership positions,” she shared one of the ways how gender inequality could be reduced.
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A while back, human rights advocate Elizabeth said that women are still expected to be responsible for the home just because of their gender. Women are often left to do the lion’s share of the housework, even if they’re working full-time.
“If both partners are working full-time then they should be sharing the housework equally. Sadly, research shows that women still do more housework than men even when working. On a practical level, if a couple is committed to an equal level of partnership, drawing up a chore timetable can be useful, as can designating roles by working out who does what based on their likes and strengths,” she said.
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“These attitudes go beyond chores. They are a symptom of sexism. In such a relationship, both partners are not equal. No woman should be expected to work two full-time jobs—one paid and one at home—while her able-bodied husband sits back and does nothing at home. In today’s world, looking after the home and/or children is a full-time job in itself and such work needs to be shared. Families often have to rely on two incomes and women have the right to pursue professional goals—something which their spouse should encourage as part of an equal partnership,” the human rights advocate told Bored Panda.
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“Being financially dependent on a man is not a healthy or safe option. Spouses must be equal in opportunities and shared duties. As working patterns have shifted with the economy in the past decades, outdated sexist attitudes also need to shift. A women’s role is where she wants to be—just like a man’s. It’s not her job to pick up or look after male relatives/spouses. If she chooses to stay at home as the family is financially able to manage on one wage, that must be the couple’s joint decision. Even then, there must be mutual respect, sharing of responsibility, and a fair equitable division of chores.”
According to Elizabeth, prejudice lives off fear, ignorance, and privilege. “Changing beliefs takes time but is possible. We need to challenge gender-based stereotypes, unequal distributions of power and ensure that legal mechanisms are in place to protect everyone in society.”
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