Second in a series of three describing a day in the life of a discrimiated man. (Morning is here)
Part Two – Afternoon
Once again being unable to pick his children up from school, John has to make other arrangements. The school timetable is not helpful to fathers in John’s position who find themselves increasingly left out of their child’s education. This, along with the low numbers of male primary school teachers means that fewer children have male mentors or role models. Statistics show that mother-headed homes often produce child criminals, and children who grow up not living with their father do less well in their studies. Leave from work for men who have just become fathers is also substantially less than for women.
When thinking about his situation, John realises that women who complain about inequality have very little to base what they say on. Men are often portrayed as dim in the media, in some news stories and particularly in advertisements, yet in today’s culture several women have gained celebrity status for being dumb. Men are always blighted by negative press coverage, for example a stalker featured in the news is rarely female.
Aside from the Equal Opportunities Commission, John has few places to turn with his concerns. There are several support groups widely available to women, such as women’s refuge centres, women’s hostels, single mothers, lesbian lines, and women’s branches of social services, yet the only male support groups widely available are only aimed at gay men. Also, there are radio stations that have programmes like women’s hour but there is no men’s hour.
Wherever John turns there seems to be some form of discrimination, and there is no real opportunity to change this. Women have the lifestyle options of work, housewife, full-time parent or part-time parent with part-time work. Traditionally, men are only given the option of work.
John has now found that women have began to assume male roles in both his home and workplace, while it remains unacceptable for him to do the same; he cannot get a drastically different job, he cannot collect his children from school, he cannot even wear an earring to work should he choose to.
All factors in this seem to be against John, from the fact that women’s insurance is cheaper and the 21st century working environment now favours women by being geared more towards relationships with power than positions of power.
By Jamie Watt
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