The Rights Of Man

UNIVERSITY GENDER GAP REVEALED TO BE 45,000 BOYS PER YEAR

A few stories back, the site looked at the issue that politicians, the elites and the commentariat were more concerned about male-only golf clubs than the fact far fewer boys went to university than women. A kindly reader sent over the detailed facts from UCAS and they show clearly the year on year gap between the number of boys and the number of girls going to university.

Covering, a six year period 2007 - 2012, 445,035 (average 74,173) fewer boys applied to go to university and 270,554 (average 45,092) fewer were successful. This means 45,000 fewer boys per year are going to our universities each and every year.

This shows the reality of the crisis in the education of boys at the top level as well as the crisis at the bottom level where so many boys leave school with no qualifications.

The misandry and spinelessness of today's politicians, commentariat and education establishment is that none of them are interested and none of them are prepared to do anything about it. They do not even speak about.

This crisis plays out in terms of men not being able to find work leading to depression, crime and a sense of rootlessness/identity and also the inability to use their talents and skills to the full (why is it that boys did better than girls 20 years and now the reverse has happened). No wonder younger women earn more than younger men and more women are the main breadwinner (not a problem per se) 

Who is speaking up for boys and the missing 45,000 who are not going to university? Or is it that golf club membership really is more important? Where is the Government's Equalities Department? Where is the Secretary of State for Education? Where are Barwell and Willetts?

Posted by Skimmington

HOW THE FEMINIST NARRATIVE TEMPLATE DISCRIMINATES AGAINST MEN AND BOYS

This week, has been a landmark in showing how modern-day feminism (mutated from being an equality movement to one about gender supremacy and misandry) is actively denying both equality for men and boys through misandry but also even recognition that men and boys have problems to whether men and boys actually exist.

We have seen these issues as showing how the feminist man-hating narrative has become the mainstream view, the new normal, the standard view for Britain and its elites. Every issue that a woman faces is the fault of a man and/or only happens to a woman - so men get excluded from the story even through they also form part of the story.

We had at the start of the week the trolling story. As stated earlier this week, the lunatics trolling the MP's and campaigners do a great disservice to our cause, but the assumption of the feminist discourse readily picked up and accepted as Gospel by the media and the "elites" is that only women are trolled. Er, what about this then, on GQ (Telegraph, Independent). The professor in this story who says it is not a gender issue gets little traction all week.

Then there was a story on the introduction of application fees for employment tribunals. There was much anguish about the fact that this would be bad for low-paid women. It was if there were no low-paid men, yet 40% of low-paid workers are male! (Listen)

 The Evening Standard announced there was a summit on the lack of female engineers and a Parliamentary inquiry into whether science is institutionally sexist (I cannot find any news on this). But where is the campaign and the summit about the lack of male teachers, the lack of men in social services, healthcare, education etc. Er...there isn't one.

Mens Conference UK picked up on Marilyn Stowe's revelation that the Ministry of Justice's guidance on legal aid mentions husbands as perpetrators but not husbands and wives. The Ministry of Justice acting with pure unadulerated institutional discrimination against men. The rules are gender-neutral but the Ministry of Justice does not believe they apply in practice to men.

Continuing on the domestic abuse front, a Facebook message from Karen Woodall (Centre for Separated Families) stated "here's one for all of you interested in domestic violence.... Nick is training today for the DWP, he is not allowed to talk about violence against men or violence in separating couples in any way other than that which is ratified by the Coalition Government Policy on VAWAG by order of the HOME OFFICE - he also has two observers sitting in on the training to make sure he does not transgress this order (that's because they are nervous about my blog and my refusal to do as they ordered me to).   This is what your taxes pay for people...the state is most definitely controlling you and if you separate it will be Women's Aid and Refuge who rule your world."

Will the media point out in the Eddie Kidd story that men are victims too? (will Refuge's Sandra Horley spin this as self-defence?)

Will the media look at this story about this wicked mother and attack women, like they would attack men if it was the father who was at fault?

Plus of course the Co-Op bow to pressure and put men's mags in plastic covers because they have half-naked women in. When Hello etc have half naked or provocatively dressed women on their cover and sometimes men. Where are the feminists crying about this cover "The lost art of the handjob"!!!

There will be more and the site has already covered how feminism meant the media and the elites were more focussed on the membership of golf clubs than the number of men not going to university. The same has happened all week and what is so disappointing is that the media just do not question the facts or challenge the commentators so that modern-day radical feminism dominates the news agenda with no challenge, but they also do not challenge or even accept male related issues onto the agenda. Radio 4 had a section on feminism getting stronger, but when will they do the same on men's issues.

Glen Poole this week, set out his poll and it is more vital today than it ever has been to get some form of group up and running to put our case that men are discriminated against in every day society and that by shutting out men and boys  from the equality narrative and also acting with plain hypocrisy.

Modern-day radical misandrist feminism is a devastating barrier for men and boys. Their voice has been drowned out. 

Posted by Skimmington

 Ps I do like this article from Carol Sarler in case anyone has missed it.

 

GOLF CLUB EQUALITY IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE FAILURE OF THE EDUCATION SYSTEM TOWARDS BOYS

On Monday, UCAS published its figures on university admissions and the main story was that white teenagers (especially boys) were less likely to go to university than black teenagers especially boys.

Buried away was the fact that "Gender remains one of the biggest factors in application rates, with females remaining substantially more likely to apply. In 2012 in England, 49% (40% in 2007) of women
applied compared with 38% (31% in 2006) of men." 

Roughly for every seven applications, four are from girls and three are for boys - an actual gap in 2012 of 29%. 

This is an issue this site keep turning to (here and here) and still the silence from politicians, the government equalities office, department for education etc is deafening. Not a word from the Minister for Equalities - she thinks men-only golf clubs are more of an equalities issue.

It is why there are now more and more women earning more than men in their household, or when they are in their 20's and why more men are unemployed than women.

Reverse the genders (The Lyndon Concept) and there would be hell to pay - more attention is on the number of women in the boardroom or the cabinet or golf clubs.

 If ever there was a need for a responsible men's equality organisation this is the reason.

Posted by Skimmington

 

MORE MAINSTREAMING OF INEQUALITY OF MEN AND BOYS

Last month this site mentioned that discrimination and inequality against men and boys was becoming mainstream.

Fraser Nelson, the political commentator and editor of the Spectator chimes in with an article in the Telegraph and Spectator. Ally Fogg does not believe Conservatism is the answer and he may well be right but sure as damn it, it was the Labour Party that became the most men-hating political party this country has ever seen!

The Sutton Trust ran research (Guardian and BBC) that reemphasises the problem in education which showed the gap between rich and poor boys in the UK is one of the worst in the developed world. Why is Michael Gove silent? Heard anythimg from the Minister for Equalities?

Posted by Skimmington

MINISTER FOR WOMEN MILLER TO BRING IN MORE INSIDIOUS DISCRIMINATION AGAINST BOYS - WILL BARWELL AND WILLETTS BE SILENT?

The Observer is running a story today that shows how anti-male the government is. The story is that the Minister of Women (still no Minister for Men - 16 years and waiting) is to launch an information pack that

"will offer advice on how to guide daughters through subject and career choices, amid concerns that many people feel they lack key parenting skills at such crucial times. It is feared that girls are not being brought up to be ambitious for themselves. The number of female chief executives in the FTSE 100 has fallen in the past year, with just three now heading large London-listed firms."

All at the taxpayers expense of course.

This is insidious for a number of reasons.

The last two generations of boys are the ones that need help

Just look at four key areas

• Just 30% of male school-leavers applied to university for autumn 2012, compared to 40% of female school-leavers.
• Boy's results at school continue to be way behind those of girls, especially English
• There are far fewer men than women entering the professions
• Unemployment is higher for men (1.4 million) than women (1.1 million) - despite the spin put out that women suffered more in the recession than men (as the CIPD showed)

Ignoring the generation gap

The average age of a FTSE-100 board member is 57 so if there is an issue with unambitious women, it is not the girls and young women of today (who are going to university and/or entering the professions - encouraged by their fathers and mothers) it with those entering or in their 40's. Many of whom do not want to be in the boardroom (anti-male feminists like Karen Brady and the 30% club always presume that every women wants to be a board member).

So therefore to provide information guides to parents with daughters to enable them to be more ambitious and successful is not only nonsense when they are more successful than boys already, it is discrimination and reinforcing disadvantage.

Not just because parents with sons won't get them (imagine a family with twins - one boy and one girl - she gets the pack he doesn't! ) but that it will make it even harder for boys to compete as they are not being encouraged and girls are. It will push them further behind.

Where is David Willetts MP who said that society and there were discriminatory barriers against boys going to university and working class men. Where is Gavin Barwell MP who sponnsored the report raising his concerns about feminism and boys education. Both of these are Conservatives, so why are they letting Maria Miller who is also a Conservative get away with this?

This initiative is driving a stake through the heart of equality and rubbing another generation of boys face in it. The Minister for Equalities is making it harder for equality to be achieved.

 Men are to blame for women not going into boardrooms

The underlying theme for all those who want quotas remember is that it is men are to blame and it is another male conspiracy driven by the some the tyranny of the patriarchy ideology. Quotas would discriminate against men.  

This is the real driver for Miller. She has bought into the anti-male ideology of her predecessors and wants to be loved by the anti-male feminists. She can get away with it because no one dare take her on - who speaks up for men and boys in this government?

This initiative is not about equality. It is about reinforcing inequality against boys, pulling the drawbridge up further from them.

Posted by Skimmington

 

 

BREAKTHROUGH WEEK IN THE FIGHT FOR EQUALITY FOR MEN AND BOYS

When we look back in some year’s time when it is fully recognised that equality applies to men too, I think all of us involved in the quest for equality for men will look at this week as being
pivotal.

There are a number for reasons for this – men were talked about, it opened the door, and men are walking through it by taking matters in their own hands.

Labour Party

Firstly, there has been the fact that a mainstream party (Labour) are starting to talk about a men’s narrative, even though it is Labour (the party of Harriett Harman, Vera Baird, Yvette Cooper, Margaret Moran, Angela/Maria Eagle, Caroline Flint and others who actively hate men) who have brought in anti-male legislation (encouragement to Cafcass to be biased against fathers) and practices (Minister for Women but no Minister for Men – 16 years and counting...).

The Conservatives dabble but then skulk away (Dominic Raab and David Willetts) and the Lib Dems and in particular Cable wants to stop meritocracy in the boardroom.

So this week, the fact that both Jon Cruddas MP (Labour: Barking and Dagenham) spoke at the IPPR think tank’s meeting in Manchester about Childhood and Family Issues. A key part of Labour’s policy work is to “Valuing a father's family role as highly as his working role; helping men play a larger part in looking after the home and the upbringing of their children”

“The Conservatives have dominated debate about the family with their stereotype of a  feckless underclass of absent fathers. They've concentrated on demonising a small minority and ignored the majority. Many fathers have two basic priorities; their family, and work to improve the lives of their children. And many feel that the Conservatives have failed them on both counts. No support
for fathers, and no jobs.”

Don’t anyone ever forget what Cameron said about Fathers on Father’s Day.

Then on Thursday, Dianne Abbott MP, a Labour MP who certainly has not been a friend
of men, talks about men and the cause of masculinity. Albeit her speech was terribly flawed and stereotypical (a male identity Fight Club masculinity crisis fuelled by Viagra and Jack
Daniels which was statistically demolished by Ally Fogg)

Some quotes were:

“I believe we need to say loudly and clearly, that there is a powerful role for fathers. The truth is that just as loving fathers are a benefit to children, so loving families are a benefit to men. And that the ‘left’ must reclaim the debate about families.

 “Our men have little movement politics to speak of. Many British men have no authentic
voice.”  

While it was welcome that she spoke about these issues it was through the wrong lens.
In that, it was based on that men are the problem and that the problems they face have not been down to (radical) feminism or the fact the government policy (so often an expression of anti-male feminism) has purposely ignored problems that affect men.

It is no good for Abbott and others to complain about falling educational attainment when this and previous governments have chosen to ignore it – the same on suicide, depression, unemployment, men’s health etc. She identifies the problem but is unwilling to look at what causes them or why there have been deliberate attempts (either overt or covert – discrimination by omission) not to do anything about them. All of the problems she highlighted that affected men, were framed as if they were caused by men – a feminist outlook rather than a neutral outlook. It was still based on the age-old premise that men are the problem.

But at least men are being talked about...

Media Coverage - Guardian, BBC 1, BBC 2

Opening the Door

As ever, it takes someone to open the door to allow an initial chink of light, and then there are people ready to step in.

Leading writers in the men’s equality movement, Glen Poole and Ally Fogg, took that opportunity.
Gen had two articles published (one in the Guardian and another in the News Statesman) and Ally was featured on the free thought website, both talking about the issues raised this week and also Glen talking about the barriers (including the problem there is for feminism) men face. 

In addition to the open challenges made by Glen and Ally, a range of other commentators jumped in to support Glen and Ally’s premise or to argue against Abbot’s stereotypes.

Other commentators include Max Wind-Cowie, Ian Jack, Tony Parsons, Jake Wallis Simons (Abbot gave a “has given a horrendously matronising and ham-fisted speech entitled "Britain's crisis
of masculinity.”), Amol Rajan, The Huffington Post, Heartfield, Belinda Brown, After Nyne and Tony
Parsons again.  

Of course no one was naive enough to think it would be all one way, and the more people start to talk about male inequality, the more likely anti-male feminists (male and female) will fight back – they have careers in male-bashing to hang onto, remmeber. Laurie Penney (who said Glen Poole’s article was based on the tackling the evils of feminism – probably the most laughable and desperate comment ever published in the Guardian), Suzanne Moore and Matt Hill who believes feminism is the answer.

Walking through it

Glen Poole sent an email around this week outlining a number of events where the growing men and boys sector are “doing it for themselves”.

There is no point complaining about the need for equality for men or ending discrimination against them or that people ignore the problems men and boys face nelss people are doing something positive and practical about it. The email is set out at the end.

In addition, Mike Buchanan held his first meeting for his Justice for Men and Boys (and the women who love them) political party in Bedford.

Again, rather than being passive, it is about being active and controlling the agenda and changing society’s views and providing solutions.

Labour have raised the issued, starting the debate – others have taken it forward and given it a wider airing – but more importantly others are providing solutions. A pivotal week - a week to remember

Posted by Skimmington

 

Notice for people helping men and boys....

This is a short email update to make sure you know about three events for people like you who are committed to improving the lives of men and boys in the UK:

This year’s Third National Conference for Men and Boys is taking place in September over five days covering issues like health, mental health, fatherhood, education, male mentoring, criminal justice, social care, religion, personal development, building the men and boys sector  and much, much
more…..

To find out about the UK’s Third National Conference for Men and Boys in September and book
your early bird tickets click here now

This year’s Men’s Health Week takes place during June and Helping Men will be marking the week by hosting its Helping Men Get Help workshop in Brighton on Wednesday 12th June. This one-day course is designed for people like you who may want to develop their ability to help more men and boys to
access or engage with the services and projects you run

To find out how you can come and take part in the Helping Men Get Help workshop in June and buy a half-price ticket today click here now

Finally a reminder that International Men’s Day takes place on Tuesday 19^th November and is a great platform who you to promote the work you do with men and boys, or to help you connect more men
and boys to your work

The theme of this year’s International Men’s Day is Keeping Men and Boys Safe and you can use the
day to promote any theme you want as long as it’s helping to improve the lives of men and boys in the UK.To find out more about International Men’s Day in November click here now

O2 AND SYMANTEC ADMIT THAT FATHERS RIGHTS AREN'T HATEFUL

I haven't heard any updates from O2 and Symantec recently over their defamation and censorship of men's human rights sites, so I decided to reexamine the list of sites (it now stands at almost 90). It seems to have been worth my while and there is a least a little good news.

Previously, following my complaints, Glenn Sacks of Fathers and Families had his site unblocked, similalrly the other unblocked site also pertained to fathers' issues. O2 appeared to be standing by their hate smears, indicating as such on Twitter just yesterday and have not mentioned any more sites being unblocked. In reality, my testing shows a number of additional father related sites have been unblocked and are no longer suffering this vile defamation. These include:

• http://www.angrydad.blogspot.com
• http://www.framedfathers.blogspot.com

This now leaves father-related sites as quite a small minority on the "hate" list, and suggests that Symantec and O2 are slowly coming round to the idea of equality for fathers being a legitimate issue. Of course it goes without saying that they are still firmly against any other men's issues being addressed such as rape, abuse, false imprisonment and domestic violence. The only other possible scenario is that they just have absolutely no idea what they're doing.

In total O2 and Symantec have now reclassified eight sites since I started this exercise, others include the following:

http://www.gabnet.com/lit/demoh10.htm
http://www.barnoz.wordpress.com
http://www.rulymob.com
http://www.womenagainstvawa.org (wasn't actually smeared as hate, but wrongly censored due to being given a "pornography" classification)

I've no idea if Symantec and O2 have apologised to the owners of those sites, though given that they haven't even publicised the unblocking, I doubt there has been any communication never mind a much needed apology. Perhaps site owners can confirm this? Anyway, just another 80 to go….

by John Kimble

CRANFIELD AND CABLE'S HYPOCRISY OVER EQUALITY

The hypocrisy of this anti-male government knows no bounds as can be seen on their silence on one issue and their campaigning on another - all on the same day. Sexism by omission in its purest form.

This week more evidence was shown about the lack of boys going into university and that the trebling of tuition fees was putting them off from going to university. This feeds through to even fewer men going into professions and the decline of men continues into a downward spiral.

David Willetts raised this in January but has done nothing practical about it. Raise an issue and then forget about it - all for a headline.

The Independent Commission for Fees'  report set out this week stated:

The gap between working class boys and girls going to university widened in the first year of the new tuition fees regime, a new analysis of UCAS data by the Independent Commission on Fees shows today.

And while the fall in acceptances did not have any disproportionate impact on less privileged areas of England overall, young male acceptances from these areas declined over two years while young female acceptances increased.

Women are now a third more likely to enter higher education than men and the gender gap seems to have widened since 2010.

Among UK residents, 134,097 women aged 19 and under were accepted to English universities in 2012 compared with 110,630 young men. This represents a decline since 2010 of 2.6% for girls and 4.0% for boys, and a 5.9% decline for girls and a 7.5% decline for boys since 2011.

There were a few mentions in the Guardian, Independenet and Daily Mirror

Yet on the same day, Business Secretary Vince Cable issues another edict to demand that equality goes out of the window and that companies must put more women on boards, no matter if they are not the best people for the job. Discrimination against men if they are the better candidates does not count - gender is everything. Aided and abetted by organisations such as the Cranfield School of Management, an organisation that is happy to do the government's bidding for some free publicity.

If Cable, Cranfield and the government really believed in equality, they would be raising the concerns about the lack of boys going to university as much as the board issue. But because the university issue is about boys they are not interested.

Surely the Cranfield School of Management should be concerned about the lack of numbers of boys going to into management and the professions at a a graduate age. They are not - again - because they dance to the government's tune but are also blinkered by political correctness not to be bothered.

Posted by Skimmignton

Ps - here is a great post from Groan earlier on this week:

 

http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2013/apr/10/tuition-fee-rise-poorer-boys

This is an interesting report. Once again showing males losing out in education. I can’t find the reference but there was some research done early in the life of student loans here in the UK . One basic point was that young men took more seriously the weight of the debt. Because they expected to be solely responsible for repayment in future.

Whereas females expected more help from family and future partners in paying for the loans. In
other words the females generally expected to be able to share their responsibilities either presently or in the future. This is of course a likely scenario and a realistic expectation generally in a society still organised generally on a “one and a half” pay contribution to couple’s finances.

This reminded me then of the much more extensive debates and research in the USA. There it is quite clear a number of gendered issues assist female access to HE and FE.

1.    Greater financial support for females from families.

2.    More likely to have financial support and gifts from partners (cars being common).

3.    Deliberate behaviour to partner with “successful” males able to support them. There is extensive
research on US universities as a site for females seeking good prospects for
partnership and marriage.

4.    Expectations of future earnings of husbands and their responsibility for funding their
wive’s debts.

I suspect the more extensive research in the US reflects their more open discussion of money.   

NEWS UPDATE

A few recently

Yahoo: Boyfriend Trainer - Controversial app lets you beat boyfriend (Chris Morris) and Independent / Telegraph

DTI Press Release: Vince Cable demands board place women on them

Huffington Post: Does Call the Midwife fail the sexism test (Caroline Frost)

BBC: Young boys lack optimism

Posted by Skimmington

UNIVERSITY ENTRY FIGURES SHOW STRUCTURAL AND INSTITUTIONAL DISCRIMINATION AGAINST BOYS

On Tuesday, Prostate Cancer UK highlighted the institutional discrimination men faced in the area of cancer research and today in an interview and article in The Independent, Universities Minister David Willetts said that white working class boys should be treated as an ethnic minority because so few are now going to university.  He also was interviewed on the Radio 4 Today programme and there was a follow up article in The Independent on the issue.

The final figures for last autumn's university intake in the UK show a fall in applications from men which was four times that among women. Just 30% of male school-leavers applied to university for autumn 2012, compared to 40% of female school-leavers, according to UCAS.

In his interview he quotes:

"There are now more women who enter university each year than there are men who submit a Ucas form. That marks a tremendous achievement for women, who were in a minority among undergraduates as recently as the 1990s. But it is also the culmination of a decades-old trend in our education system which seems to make it harder for boys and men to face down the obstacles in the way of learning. That is a challenge for all policymakers."

There are four issues here.

Firstly, 'the challenge for all policymakers' that Willetts talks about is a challenge that has been known for decades but the educataion establishment has been too frightened and politically correct (only girls count - boys are disposable) to do anything about it. Politicians, policymakers and the establishment like the Equalities and Human Rights Commission and the Government Equalities Department are too biased against men. No point in Willetts saying there is a challenge but not offering a solution. 

Secondly, Willetts and others are still to afraid to go that extra mile and admit that the education system and Britain as a whole) are institutionally biased against boys and has been captured by ideologues who only view women and girls as important.

Thirdly, as 'Groan' pointed out in his comments on the last post, if organisations such as the Fawcett Society, Equalities and Human Rights Commission, The Guardian, the TUC etc want quotas for women in boardrooms, then why not quotas for university places for boys? I am not in favour as all quotas are wrong, but it is a point worth making in showing up their hypocrisy. 

Lastly, this is another landmark story (I take the point as one reader mentioned this week that we have known about the figures for years but this and the cancer story have dominated the headlines on both days respectively). Both highlight beyond doubt the structural and institutional discrimination against men. In two areas, of fundamental importance - education and health.

The door of opportunity on these and so many other issues is starting to open. We need to keep the pressure on.

Posted by Skimmington.   

Media Update (other coverage) - BBC with debate

Ps tried a new font (Verdana) is it better than Arial?