@Vitaliy_Kiselev Okay, I'm sorry but the reason why most changes happen tends to come down to economics or political pressure more often than any sense of "what's right". That has nothing to do with what I was discussing, nor does it have anything to do with the original post that you started the thread with.

If you pay a woman less than a man for doing the same job, then I have a problem with that. If you prevent a competent women from getting a job because of her gender, then I have a problem with that.

And no, everyone isn't the same - just like all people with the same gender aren't the same. There are traits that I prize in my friends that I've encountered in a very small number of people, some of them men and some of them women. And I've encountered their exact opposite in people of the same gender. It's not that gender isn't present - it's that it's not an accurate indicator of either personality traits or competence because there is so much variation.

One of my favorite collaborators is a singer, composer, mother and third-degree black-belt martial artist. She is capable of both great warmth and ferocity and her professional ability is beyond reproach. What exactly am I supposed to gain in my evaluation of her by looking at her gender before I consider whether I want to work with her? I can't even assume a voice type based on her gender (there's a pretty big difference between an alto and a high soprano). And if you think that her son is missing out because of her professional life, then you've clearly never met him.

In Sweden, paternity leave is available to parents of either gender. The most important thing is for the kid to get to have a chance to bond with their parent(s). Yes, of course it's normally ideal for the kid to get to have breast milk as opposed to formula. But how long is that an issue for? Kids move to solid foods rather quickly and at that point the most important thing is whether the child has a parent that provides closeness and comfort, not the gender of that parent.

Anyway, don't get me started on parenting. If you want to know where I'm coming from just read one of the books my parents individually wrote (or co-wrote) on the topic.

http://www.amazon.com/Pocket-Coach-Parenthood-Winning-Parents/dp/0965776085

http://www.amazon.com/Eye-Vol-Gloria-J-Walther/dp/1439273499

http://www.amazon.com/Eye-Volume-Gloria-J-Walther/dp/1453795979

Sweden's (and to a lesser degree Denmark and Norway) official, politically correct approach to "gender politics" is oppressive and warped. There's a bias in liberal media here domestically and abroad to portray those policies as popular and an expression of the happy, smiley Scandinavians. In reality the liberal political and cultural elite use authoritative legislative force to push their insane policies down our throats. Most Scandinavians are are disgusted by some of the idiotic stuff these politicians and think-tanks cook up.

My #1 proof that a feminist movement is necessary is that a majority of women around me report having been sexually assaulted by men. This ranges from verbal assaults on the streets to the most atrocious acts I have no words to describe for.

I see big problem with it. What you mean under "assault"? How womans survived thousands of years if they were constantly "assaulted"?

As your fight resulted in situation were people on work can't flirt or meet. And were firms force people to sign idiotic papers.

That has nothing to do with gender equality. Some things have to change or we are all fucked, no matter what gender or sex or whatever you like to call it.

It has all to do with equality. As if you put woman in equal role she must work equally, hence no proper baby feeding and caring - as result children with constant health and mental problems. Nature does not care about your "equality". As it never existed in nature before and very soon will vanish to same place were it originated.

I prefer the term gender for social and cultural and sex for biological aspects, but that is also blurry, and a topic of it's own.

What is exactly "social and cultural" aspects? Sex is sex, nothing wrong with it. As term "gender" had been fully artificially injected via books and media.

Shouldn't we shape the system to help her? Long way, perhaps utopian, but a legitimate goal for me.

We can. But it won't be equality. It'll be some form of favoritism. In fact it will be full discrimination against woman who decided not to have children.

Some "smart" countries even pay for each extra children. This measure resulted in negative selection as people with goal to get more money an without any skills and education started to produce big amount of offsprings. So, thing that look "smart" on paper look horrible in reality.

But, to start with, it is not natural science it is a social theory so really hard to compare.

What exactly is "social theory" ? I understand "social reality" and I understand "real consequences". But it is just wrong term to call some fantasies as :social theory".

@Vitaliy

What exactly is "social theory" ? I understand "social reality" and I understand "real consequences". But it is just wrong term to call some fantasies as :social theory".

Social theory does have implications on policies that have influence on our biological lives or deaths for that matter. It's not some weird transcendental poetry.

Terms as "gender" and such are here to help us communicate and better and more precisely pinpoint problems and issues, not to blur or destroy meaning.

Obsession with "equality" does not arise because of a lack of equality, per se. It always comes when arbitrary limits are placed on a group of people (for whatever defining characteristic - gender, race, etc) from a person or group outside of the one being limited.

In other words, when men tell women what they can and can't do for long enough (which we have), and these patterns become oppressive enough (which they have), it is natural for a group to rebel. The early stages of such a rebellion will necessarily be somewhat lacking in nuance and reactionary, thus blanket statements such as equality, etc.

However, as a teacher, I always notice that if you don't focus on equality, but rather on giving people the space, resources (there's that x factor again), and encouragement to do what they do to their best, whatever that may be (meaning they have a bigger say in it than I do), then they will generally not only tolerate huge differences in skills/talent/opportunity, but will actually celebrate them without a single complaint about what "the other" is getting. However, if I set up a series of seemingly arbitrary rules about who they are, what they are allowed to do, and tie all of it to big (but shallow) identifiers such as gender and race, then my system will rightly be viewed as unfair, lacking in nuance, and more about my interests than about the reality of what that individual is meant to be, capable of being, and wanting to be.

Alas, concentrated power will always tell others what to do for its own interests, and the reaction after time will always be a primal reaction that seeks "equality", whatever that may or may not mean. You can see this in racial issues, social class issues, gender issues, and on and on.

OK, how term "gender" help with anything?

Well, for example, if Judith Butler's book Gender Trouble was called Sex trouble it would sell much more ;)

It's still not up to me or you to decide how a woman shall live her life.

I did not say that it is up to us two only to decide this thing.

But it is up to society to stop complete nonsense. As big societies just die now because of "smart" decisions made by university professors, "feminists" and other strange guys. You claim Hitler as horrible man all across education and media. How about this people who literally eliminated Europe and US future and just did not allow woman to give birth and, instead made them fight now along their husbands (if they are lucky) for same money combined, but now without caring for their children. It is not progress, it is called genocide.

Sorry but I just can't find any basis for that statement.

You can just look at teachers opinion for early grades.

Statistics about children who live with single working parent.

Statistics with children on artificial milk in their early life (and this very significantly affects brain and overall development).

Statistics for EU and US birth rate (for core white population).

but I also feel the percentage of men on here relative to those into video production is pretty low.

It is not so low as you think :-)

For all of my friends. colleagues who are in the creative/technology field... I can't think of one who spends any time lurking on a forum, much less posting.

And it is strange and sad statement. Btw typical view for people who are not active on communities.

Feminist girls are great at behaving like men, but my goodness do they make lousy women. Vive la difference!

They're all in the Kitchen... where they belong.

LOL.

It is interesting to calculate health damage and economic effect due to fast food and half backed food that replaced normal good quality food in many families with working woman.

I've got a gut feeling that a lot of what has been touched on here regarding nurturing mothers gets down to the cost of housing, and the fact that so many young mothers have to work and make the sacrifice of giving up fulltime motherhood. So often the cost of childcare leaves the womans' income with little left anyway, but without her working they won't qualify to get a loan in the first place.

If you wan't to dig into the demographics of a lucky country such as mine, youll find that so much real estate is still being bought up by the first wave of baby boomers after the 2nd world war. These people are well into there sixties, inherited the parents home, bought and own a 3/4 bedroom home, and are still buying up more housing at stupid prices as part of there self funded super annuation schemes, and also claiming negative gearing, and hopefully they will also claim a part pension and seniors card. What chance do there grand kids have of having a mum being available 24/7 in there early years like a lot of us did.

Well maybe it's just history repeating itself, and because of housing costs we will be forced to live like my grandparents with 3 generations living together, and because of this kids will come home from school to a family envoiroment with fresh food on the table that nan or Pop bought during the day whilst mum and dad work.

Sorry if I went too off topic.