The Gender Divide

No Country in the World Gives Women 
Equal Status or Power No country. In the world.

I... just... wow.

When I saw that headline in the Irish Examiner this morning my head exploded a little. (OK, not literally; I still need this head to write and such, so I managed to keep it intact. Mostly.)

But... It's 2014. We all pay lip service to equality. Right, right... most right thinking folk we know personally at least pay lip service to equality.

But... That report. Those facts.

But... 70% of the 1bn people living in extreme poverty are women and girls.

But... Every single time I saw this post about Jennifer Lawrence shared on Social Media, the comments contained some menz trying to argue, in many and various ways, that she was asking for it. 

But... I'm still hearing Rape Jokes. And justification of Rape Jokes.

But... Women who face the heartbreaking trauma of fatal foetal abnormality still can't get a medical abortion in this country. They are travelling to England for an injection to stop their baby's heart, and then travelling home again, at great personal risk, so that they can safely, sanely bury that child's body, and don't have to wait for a knock on the door from a courier delivering their child's ashes.

But... The society I'm raising my children in - this Ireland, right here, right now - is not safe for women. Is not equal. If my daughter was raped, got pregnant, and didn't want to grow that child in her body for 9 months - if I decided to help her abort that foetus, legally I would face 14 years in prison. As would she. Her rapist, IF caught and charged and found guilty, would face just 7 years. And that's a big IF.

But... Well. Do I need to go on? Why am I even writing this post? Will anything ever change, or am I just banging my head against the brick wall of patriarchy, getting bloody and broken, and accused of being just another angry feminist. Because we should be Equalists, right?

But... I'll be Equalist when we're Equal. Follow me on Social Media to have your say, lend your voice. Give me some hope? Thing is, I'm more likely to get rape threats and harassment for daring to speak out. 

But... My author page is here, the personal page is here... or here for Twitter. 

Because, Fuck You. I Won't Ever Shut Up.