The Rights Of Man

2010 - ANOTHER BAD YEAR AND ANOTHER BAD GOVERNMENT FOR BRITISH MEN

When the coalition government came together (also with lots of new MP's) there was some hope that the prospects for equality for men would improve after 13 years of a proudly anti-male Labour government with Deputy Leader, Harriet Harman, proudly proclaiming her anti-male credentials.

When the coalition government came to power, there were a number of positive things it outlined. Family law reform (still pending), anonymity for rape defendants unless found guilty and a commitment not to implement the controversial 'positive' discrimination sections of the Equality Act specifically designed to undermine the employment chances of men. Plus there was a general feeling that there would no longer be the harsh anti-male tone of the previous Government.

There were still troubling issues such as the fact that there was again a Minister for Women but no Minister for Men (how can a government state it believes in equality and have a Minister for one gender and not for the other, if it has to them at all). It also talked about equality in the boardroom (now going ahead), continuing with pension age discrimination and also nothing on men's health or education.

So what has happened, well its worse than we feared:

(1) The government performed a heinous u-turn on anonymity for rape defendants.

(2) The controversial section (section 159) of the Equality Act was implemented (on the link see latest news on 2nd December 2010) and hidden in the small print on its announcement on its Equality Strategy (see 8 below). This pernicious part of the Act was substantially covered on this site (1 and 2 ) and the u-tunr was covered in the Telegraph, Daily Mail, Metro, Daily Telegraph 2, Daily Telegraph 3

(3) Still no Minister for Men

(4) The government adopted the End Violence against Women & Girls strategy which has meant that male victims of rape and domestic abuse do not feature in government, police or local authority plans in tackling rape or domestic abuse. The outcome can be seen by the way the government handled its trials on 'stop' orders which were framed at female victims (thereby setting the tone for the way the police will handle the issue) or its Christmas campaign. For an example of how it percolates through the system, see a response the ManKind Initiative recently received from the Equalities Commission.

(5) Its continuing and deliberate misinterpretation of the gender pay gap, even though we now know younger women earn more than younger men. Plus resurrecting the issue that there are not enough women in the boardroom (1 and 2) and stating it has an aspiration to ensure 50% of appointees to public bodies are female.

Lord Mervyn Davies who is leading the taskforce looking at the female make up of boardroom has already declared "let's put women first for 2011". I kid you not. With this and the Equality Act, men are being shut out, make no mistake. Academies for female executives, board internships and now the 30% club.

Equality should mean the best people, now basing people on their gender but that is now what is happening and in many circumstances men (and of course that means their wife/partner or daughter as well) will lose out because good men will be held back to allow a woman with less skill to take their place. How can this be equality, gender is irrelevant.

Can Lord Mervyn Davies hand on heart say that a black boy from a run-down council estate attending a sink school has more chance of being on a board of a FTSE-100 company that a white girl living in Knightsbridge and going to a private school. Davies thinks so. 

(6) No action on boy's education, men's health (Prostate Cancer society article shows why) or suicide (80% of young people committing suicide are men).

(7) No one in Parliament (including the 232 new MP's - 35% of the total) and certainly no one in the Government is standing up for men and men's issues. It means the anti-male feminists in all parties are again riding roughshod over the true meaning of equality and doing all the can to marginalise men. 

(8) And finally - the coup de grace - the government's shiny new Equality Strategy - Building a Fairer Britain. At no stage (except fleetingly on Caribean boys)  does it ever mention men and boys or the isuses facing them. None of them in this post are ever mentioned. Nothing on education, higher rates of unemployment, health, suicide - just example after example on issues affecting women.

The Equality Strategy published this month, makes it completley clear - this governement is no better and no more interested than the last in tackling issues that affect men & boys (and consequently their mothers, sisters, daughters and wives/partners/girlfriends).

It actually wants to make things worse not just by the overt discrimination (see 1, 2,3,4 and 5 above) but the covert discrimination of discrimination by omission. And with Parliamentary terms lasting five years now, we have over four years of this to go.

There have been a few advances, equality of pesnion age, a family review still pending (who know what the result will be) and Mirko Fischer's BA win. Plus some organisations seem to be pushing more and more (Men's Network, ManKind Initiative, Prostate Cancer Society, Families Need Fathers, Parity, False Allegations Support Organisation, Men's Health Forum amongst others) and they will need to be encouraged by us all to continue.

However, looking back, the hopes at the beginning of the year have proved unfounded and it is clear that things have got worse in 2010 for men and boys.

Posted by Skimmington 

MEN'S NETWORK LAUNCH STRATEGY FOR MEN & BOYS IN BRIGHTON & HOVE

The excellent Men's Network has launched its Citywide Strategy for Men & Boys in the city of Brighton & Hove.

There a large number of positives to come out of the work the Men's Network are undertaking.

Firstly, it is based solely on the concept that equality means equality for men & boys too. It is not a patsy of the anti-male feminist establishment.

Secondly, it challenges in a mature and responsible way the politically correct orthodoxy that men & boys do not matter and are the cause of all the problems that women and society face.

Thirdly, instead of throwing rocks, it is doing something positive in producing its own strategy and using that as a basis to challenge the statutory agencies in Brighton & Hove about the lack of practical support and help there is in the city.

More on this in a New Year round up, but men who believe in equality and believe that men & boys are discriminated against, ignored and ill-served by society, statutory agencies and others, cannot rely on politicians, civil servants and throwing rocks. We have to set up or join (and fundraise for) sensible organisations and do it ourselves.

Posted by Skimmington 

 

THERE ARE NO FECKLESS MOTHERS WHO DENY CHILDREN ACCESS TO THEIR FATHERS...

is there Rt. Hon Iain Duncan Smith MP?

And of course Cafcass, family law courts, judges, solicitors and those feminists who think men/fathers are superfluous.

That's what Duncan Smith seems to be saying here.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT IS NO GOOD WITHOUT ACTION ON FAILING BOYS EDUCATION

A recent post highlighted how the gender pay gap showing young women get paid more than young men and this is one of the clear signs of the educational establishment's failure to give boys a decent education. At least two generations of boys have seen their education damage by establishment failure and neglect.

This has been caused by the move from exam-based O-levels to course-based GCSE's, few male teachers, the feminisation of the curriculum turning pupils into robots with little room for initiative or challenge (letting boys be boys) and a whole host of other issues covered in these recent posts in particular (1, 2).

The symptoms been clear for some while now. We have the gender pay gap as mentioned, we have more females entering the professions as highlighted by the Daily Telegraph, 40% of women participate in higher education (university) against 32% of men and there are gaps at A-level (though Daily Telegraph said it narrowed this year), GCSE level (BBC) and also concern about how boys are falling behind at a SATS level (BBC 1, BBC 2 , BBC 3, Daily Mail).

The issue is that while there is recognition that boys are behind, it is almost treated as a footnote rather than something that is a core or central problem. There are one off type initiatives but nothing central or fundamental.

Why has the government not commissioned full scale research  or a Commission looking at why boys are now way behind girls educationally. Michael Gove (Education Secretary) acknowledges the problem of boys being behind academically but does absolutely nothing about it.

Why is the Education Selection Committee in Parliament silent on the issue?

There is lots of hot air but precious little action from the government, just like the last, about seriously tackling this issue. Another reason for a Minister for Men.

And of course, if it was girls who were underperforming we would never hear the end of it.

Posted by Skimmington 

DECEMBER'S MEN'S MATTERS

The latest edition of Men's Matters by James Williams is now on Express FM.

EDUCATION FAILURE FOR BOYS FEEDS THROUGH TO GENDER PAY GAP - AS WE ALWAYS KNEW IT WOULD

As often commented here (1, 2 , 3) the gender pay gap has literally been a stick to beat men for decades and is whipped out whenever anyone challenges the anti-male feminists about their hatred of men.

Whenever they raise the 'gap issue' it is always on the basis of discrimination against women even though there is no proof and there has never been that systematically a women with the same talent, skill, years of experience, adding the same value and undertaking the same job at the same company has ever been discriminated.

Never any mention of women taking career breaks to bring up children because they and their husband/partner have made an adult and mature decision to do so, or the fact that many women choose the job security/regular hours of the public sector over the private sector. The latter being able to pay higher wages. 

The issue of career breaks is anathema to modern-day anti-male feminists who see women who want to stay at home and bring up their children as old-fashioned and victims of old skool (sic) patriarchy. There is no better explanation of why the misuse of the gender pay gap is wrong then this pamphlet.

All the arguments anti-male feminists trot out is that "Men get paid x% more than women". Their misuse of statistics would shame a five year old.

The latest ONS gender pay gap figures showed that for full-time employees it fell from 12.2% to 10.2%. For part-time employees (dominated by women) it is now -4% (i.e. part-time women get paid more than part-time men) and overall, the gap is 19.8% down from 22%. The median full-time figure is the one ONS rightly uses.

When the figures came out there were general comments (BBC, Telegraph, Telegraph 2, The Guardian). Some business leaders questioned why with the gap narrowing the government needed to bring in equality laws.

Still just because the gap is closing does not mean the anti-male feminists will stop. The government's 'equalities' department said it was still committed to "taking measures to end discrimination in the workplace" - bring on the gender pay audits and positive discrimination! How is this liberal and how is this conservative?

The crucial statistic which highlights decades of educational failure is the one regarding the wages of young men and women.

The figures showed (page 8) that women aged 22-29 earned more than men of the same age. Full-time it was 2.1% and at 1.9% for part-time. This was highlighted in articles in the Daily Mail  and The Independent, whilst our old friend Barbara Ellen ranted away.

What this shows is that the gender education gap (1 and 2) is now filtering through to employment as this site and others have always said it would. The move from exam-based O-levels to course based GCSE's, the feminisation of the education system (no male teachers and dumbed down curriculum) and the continual demonisation of boys is as expected leading to lower employment choices and chances for men when they enter the workplace. The Daily Telegraph research of two years ago highlighted this clearly.

But there is just silence from the government on this, Michael Gove (the education secrertary) says nothing to address it whilst Theresa May and equalities minister and hieress, Lynne Featherstone, says we want even more rules to help women.

The new figures show clearly the effect of poor educational attainment of boys yet there is just silence on it and even though there is now clear and unequivocal proof of its effects. 

As well as this of course is the fact that if suddenly a figure moved from being pro-female (like a +ve gender pay gap figure) to being negative (like a -ve gender pay gap figure) then there would be acres of comment from politicians but there is just silence.

Dr Catherine Hakim (1 and 2) is a voice that stands out in this field and her forthcoming report "Feminist Myths and Magic Medicine" will be a joy to read.

Posted by Skimmington

Additional info: here is another article about Dr Catherine Hakim

NO MALE VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC ABUSE EXIST IN WEST YORKSHIRE - ACCORDING TO LOCAL POLICE

A few posts ago, it was highlighted how the Coalition Government did not believe that any men suffer from domestic abuse over Christmas and whether there were any other sexist campaigns being organised (at taxpayers expense) by any other statutory body.

Normally, the campaigns will only highlight female victims but not male victimss. Sexual discrimination by omission especially when according to the government one in three victims of domestic abuse are men.

Well up popped this corker from West Yorkshire police. You get a poster all over the region and in GP surgeries etc asking for female victims to come forward plus posters for male perpertrators to come forward and stop and even a video for you to enjoy.

Even the list of organisations at the bottom of the web page do not even mention the Men's Advice Line or the ManKind Initiative (often at least one will be included so an organisation can say "we do care about men as well").

If you are a man (and your children) and are suffering from domestic abuse at Christmas in West Yorkshire - they police do not recognise you exist.

Such a blatant example of institutional sexism by West Yorkshire Police who fail to understand that equality means equality for all victims of domestic abuse.

Posted by Skimmington 

MEN'S HEALTH FORUM HIGHLIGHTS SEXIST BOOTS ADVERT

The Men's Health Forum (MHF) is really doing some good stuff and campaigning hard to ensure men's health needs are not forgotten. We will be looking at one of the issues they raised on health priorities in a little detail later on and also they put a marker down on missed appointments. The Chairman, Peter Baker, saying it could be down to waiting times or an inability to get time off work with the implication that there should be no blame game in saying men are lazy etc, the usual knee jerk reaction.

This week, they raised the issue about an advert making light of the women's magazine invention "man Flu" which is now de rigeur amongst feminist , chick-lit writers, columnists and anyone that wants to mock men - so tediously  'Sex in the City". You can tell MHF what you think on their website.

It reminds me of the infamous MFI ad. The key thing is, would Boots and whoever the advertising agency they paid to produce it, run such an advert with a man mocking a women with a cold/flu or suffering from her time of the month. No, but its men, so its OK then.

Posted by Skimmington

GOVERNMENT SAYS MALE VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC ABUSE DON'T COUNT AT CHRISTMAS

A few weeks ago, this site highlighted the issue about the government's "stop order"trials and how they had been couched in terms of just female victims even they also apply to male victims. This had to be literally dragged out of Lynne Featherstone, the Minister for "Equalities" by Nicky Campbell on Radio 5.

After receiving a tip off from a keen eyed reader, it is now completely clear that the Conservative/Lib Dem coalition government is no more interested in male victims of domestic abuse than the previous Labour government.

The government's campaign against domestic abuse at Christmas looks laudable on paper but then you read the press release and watch the video (at the bottom of the release) and there is not one mention of male victims, just female victims.

So men (and their children) suffering at Christmas are not even worthy of a mention. They don't exist according to the government, swept under the carpet

If there are other Christmas campaigns like this or like this one in Lancashire where men don't get a mention but only women do, please list any more in the comments section.

Posted by Skimmington

WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IF CHRISTINE JAMES WAS A CHRISTOPHER?

Last week, a Lib Dem Councillor Christine James, who sits on Weymouth and Portland Borough was convicted for assaulting her husband, also a councillor, albeit a Conservative one.

She has said to the Dorset Echo she would not be resigning even though the report also in the paper says she was screaming like a Banshee as she rained bows down on her husband.

As set out clearly by Andy Blackwood from Weymouth, how can this councillor possibly remain elected.

What one of the many issues is that what would have been the reaction of her party (Lib Dems) if Christine was a Christopher. What would the council have said and what would the local refuges/women's groups etc have said.

They would have demanded his on a plate, but because it is a her, then there is a defining silence. That is the hypocrisy that men live under in the UK.

Move along...nothing happening here in Weymouth and Portland...

Posted by Skimmington

Other media coverage - Daily Mail