March 8 (yesterday) was International Women's Day, a day to celebrate the economic, social and political achievements of women. Little things, like getting the right to vote, and be educated, and run businesses, and stand for and gain high political office. The theme for International Women's Day in 2008 was Shaping Progress.
So you think that it might have been a good occasion for the National Council of Women in New Zealand to reflect on the progress that has been made by women in New Zealand, and to call for work on issues that still inhibit women's lives. Such as, access to affordable and good childcare and flexible working hours. Good issues to focus on, because as many of us have lamented, combining careers and children seems to be just about impossible.
But no. Instead, according to both the Dominion Post and the NZHerald, the message from the National Council of Women on International Women's Day was that women should stop behaving like blokettes, and start being ladies instead. The Council's spokeswoman says that New Zealand women have blazed through social, economic and political barriers, but there's no need for them to take on male behaviours, and try to prove just how equal they are to men by being blokettes. They should behave themselves, go easy on the drinking, and stop trying to act like men. At present, they seem to be confusing empowerment with what had been historically classed as the domain of stereotypical male behaviour.
What a curious message. But even more curious was the subbing in both the Dom Post and the Herald. The National Council of Women spokeswoman carefully used the word, "woman". I can't find their press release on line, but both newspapers quote or repeat these words:
Women need to realise that empowerment does not disenfranchise them from being a woman. Women need to know that it is perfectly acceptable to act and behave like a woman and not a `blokette' with something to prove to their male counterparts."
But the headlines are: "Be a lady - not a blokette" and "Blokettes told to behave like ladies".
Somehow, the word 'woman' has been lost, and the prissy word 'lady' put in its place. Perhaps the subbies were quietly sending up the statement from the National Council of Women, and pointing out that the Council is trying to control women's behaviour, in just the same way as people who insist that women must be ladies. There's every good reason not to be a lady - ladies' behaviour is carefully controlled and regulated, but women are free to behave as they wish, as the equals of men.
I'm not at all keen on lad and ladette behaviour; going out to get both drunk and laid just doesn't seem like much fun to me. And as the Council spokeswoman says, there are significant risks associated with the behaviours. Nevertheless, it seems odd that the National Council of Women thinks that International Women's Day is a good opportunity to reprimand women for their behaviour, or even that they should scold women at all. It has a hint of the second wave feminism vs younger feminism vs younger women disputes: "We fought so hard to get all these freedoms, and this is what you do with it?"
Well, yes. If that's the choice that younger women make, then perhaps we have to accept it. That's a natural consequence of obtaining freedom for women.
Then again, perhaps it's preferable to the Mai Chen reprimand. There's nothing quite like a mother of just one child, who can actually afford to pay for good childcare, telling other mothers that they lack commitment. "I can do it, so you can do it too!" All that shows is a complete lack of imagination about other women's lives. At least the scolding from the National Council of Women was based in concern for women.
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