New administation in the Equality Authority may benefit men.

The_Minister

In the Irish Times today, veteren men's rights campaigner John Waters remarked that there seems to be a new way of thinking present in the equality authority.
I don't normally have much time for John Waters on issues other then Men's rights, but he isn't someone to go running at the first crooked finger and a smile, so I find this article encouraging. I think it is past time that the deficiencies in family law, and in the justice system in general, as regards the rights of men, were addressed.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/opinion/2009/0306/1224242370056.html

Surprised to feel at home at Equality Authority
JOHN WATERSIt seems the obvious step of seeking gender equality for both genders is being taken

ALTHOUGH I have been writing about equality for years, I had never, until last Wednesday, been inside the Dublin headquarters of the Equality Authority. To be truthful, I didn’t even know it was in Clonmel Street, off Harcourt Street, a short walk from St Stephen’s Green. It may be relevant that I have never before been invited. But there was also my sense that the kind of equality the Equality Authority was interested in did not embrace the kinds of things I had increasingly, since the mid-1990s, found myself writing about.

Last week, I was invited to the launch of the authority’s Strategic Plan 2009-2011, Equality for All in a Time of Change. Curiosity, and a hunch about the new chair of the board, dragged me along. But, still, I half expected the kind of frosty reception I have long been getting in such quarters for pointing out things that have been unpalatable to some of those already ensconced within the equality tent.

I happen to know the recently appointed chair of the authority, Angela Kerins, as a colleague for the past five years on the board of the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland. For many years Angela has been a towering force in advancing the cause of people with disabilities. She and several members of the authority’s staff actually greeted me as though I was not after all in the wrong place. Over the next hour or so, I met several old acquaintances and new friends among those campaigning on behalf of the disabled, the Travelling community and others. I encountered also the long disappeared Peter White, former Fine Gael press secretary, now a member of the authority’s board.

For the first time in many years, I felt at home in a place where hitherto I would have found large tracts of carpet opening up around me. But my sense of a change went deeper than the personal. A man sitting beside me drew my attention to page 25 of the new Strategic Plan, which outlined under the heading “Objective 1” that the Equality Authority will henceforth seek to promote “the status of men as carers, in particular the equal sharing of caring rights and responsibilities between women and men and continuing dialogue with men’s organisations on issues of equality for men”. Further down the page was a commitment to respond to “gender equality issues for men including their impact on health and wellbeing”.

Already I was glad I came.

Addressing the meeting, Prof John FitzGerald of the ESRI gave an overview of the likely impact of the recession on those already weakened by difference or marginalisation. He highlighted an emerging disparity in the education levels enjoyed by women and men. It seems that an unnoticed byproduct of the boom years has been that young men were opting out of education to avail of ready money in, for example, the construction sector.

On a day when newspaper reports were again emphasising discrimination against women, FitzGerald pointed out that whereas almost 60 per cent of women now enter third-level education, the figure for males is 40 per cent. This, he said, will have serious adverse consequences for men in both the economic and personal contexts, as low educational attainment is also seriously disadvantageous in relation to marriage prospects.

What I found most remarkable was that FitzGerald spoke as though the outcome for males was as important as the outcome for females. I pinched myself, but found he was still speaking. There were no caveats, no weasel words, no counter-balancing what-aboutery. I have never before, at a public meeting held under the auspices of any State organisation, heard someone say something with the clear implication that the Irish State is as concerned for its sons as for its daughters.

Angela Kerins outlined what, to these ears, sounded like a revolutionary message at a time of seismic change: “Let there be no doubt that the equality agenda and the work of the Equality Authority is owned by every man, woman, and child in Ireland. We are determined that everyone who has an interest in our work will feel a part of it, and that no one will feel that the authority does not have a real concern about an issue which affects their dignity or their equality.”

It is 13 years since I began to write in this newspaper about the hidden ways in which men are discriminated against in this society – about, for example, how fathers are treated after the personal relationships between them and the mothers of their children have fallen apart. It has been a rough ride. Often, I have felt like a counter-revolutionary, seeking to undo gains achieved in earlier waves of progress and change.

I do not exaggerate when I say that, sitting in the offices of the Equality Authority in Dublin last Wednesday, I felt for the first time the possibility that the day might yet arrive when I will no longer have to annoy myself and everyone else by seeming to be the only one who has noticed what strike me as the most glaringly obvious things. Before our eyes, the concept of equality in society was beginning to be reintegrated with the dictionary definition.

This article appears in the print edition of the Irish Times

DarkJager

Great article, and great to see mens rights finally being brought back into focus. It will especially benefit fathers who are so often seen as a second wheel when it comes to kids in a divorce situation. Now, if only they could gag beyonce from releasing any more of her **** and we'd all be happy

trout

Moved to AH as requested by OP.

Professey Chin

trout wrote: »

Moved to AH as requested by OP.

As requested? Ooooo dangerous tactic

CreepingDeath

Yeah... cheaper car insurance.

MagicMarker

The right to bare boobs.

panda100

"Often, I have felt like a counter-revolutionary, seeking to undo gains achieved in earlier waves of progress and change. "

I wonder what he means by that?
Why would anyone want to undo any 'gains' either gender has made? John Waters does not really strive for genuine equality for men, as he appears as quite anti feminist and anti women.


As a feminst I would never dismiss mens social struggles here in Ireland or worldwide. I belive in true liberation for people wether they are male or female.
However,John Waters always seems to dismiss women rights like its feminists fault somehow for the vast problems that men face in Ireland today.
For example, why cite in his article that 60% of women are in higher education compared to only 40% men? I could easily come back with similar statistics showing how oppressed women are in modern life from political representaion to gender pay gaps. The fact is that neither gender is liberated!

He blames and targets the wrong people.Its not me,my mother or my sister to blame for the harsh treatment of men in family matters or the lack of men entering higher edcuation. Perhaps he should be looking at our capitalist system that relys so heavily on the specific roles it creates for men and women particularly when it comes to their roles in the family.

thebman

panda100 wrote: »

"Often, I have felt like a counter-revolutionary, seeking to undo gains achieved in earlier waves of progress and change. "

I wonder what he means by that?
Why would anyone want to undo any 'gains' either gender has made? John Waters does not really strive for genuine equality for men, as he appears as quite anti feminist and anti women.

That is the same as most feminist groups from what I can see.

I'm against special interest groups for genders altogether at this stage. The Equality Authority can see what injustices there are and knows what it should do. It should not have to deal with these lobby groups trying to get one up on the other gender.

I'm against some of the attempts at equality that have been made recently such as trying to push women into science and engineering areas. This is up to the women themselves and I think it is unfair to try to tell them that they should want to join these areas. They will if they want to, leave them alone to make up their own minds on what they want to do. Give them the facts and let the them make up their minds.

I'm also against forcing organisations to employ a certain percentage of women. I think that is sexist and that employers should be allowed hire the best person for the job. It doesn't prevent the boys club attitude that some businesses have anyway, it is a complete failure. I have met women in the work place who have no qualifications for the areas they work in that know they got the position because of their gender over another applicant. This attitude toward equality will only lead to further divisons and more crazy policies in the future to try to right these wrongs that are being set in place now.

All we can realistically do is make it an even fighting ground and then wait for the attitudes to change in society if they have not already. I think in most cases they have changed. I don't know anyone that I went to college that would look down on a woman or not hire a woman because of her gender. Some of the most intelligent people in my class in college were women. You can't force cultural change IMO and that is what is required so we just have to wait for it to occur and I think my generation is a hell of a lot closer to it than the previous generation.

I have been shocked at my managers attitude when the last woman left our department and he said thank god now we can be more honest. Everyone that was 5 years older than me in the department nodded their heads. Anyone my age just seemed to look shocked and confused at what was going on.

ShooterSF

MagicMarker wrote: »

The right to bare boobs.

Even Polar bear boobs?

kowloon

thebman wrote: »

I'm against special interest groups for genders altogether at this stage.

+1 on this, as long there are groups like this there can't be equality, everyone's too busy with the gender issues to see society as a collection of individuals.

abi2007

DarkJager wrote: »

Great article, and great to see mens rights finally being brought back into focus. It will especially benefit fathers who are so often seen as a second wheel when it comes to kids in a divorce situation. Now, if only they could gag beyonce from releasing any more of her **** and we'd all be happy

Second wheel... I think there are quiet alot of men that are happy to play the second wheel, men have it too easy. My x texts me last min to say he cant take his daughter cause he has to do something (usually something sociable). Although I do belive not all men are like that but I think the Majority are.

kowloon

abi2007 wrote: »

Second wheel... I think there are quiet alot of men that are happy to play the second wheel, men have it too easy. My x texts me last min to say he cant take his daughter cause he has to do something (usually something sociable). Although I do belive not all men are like that but I think the Majority are.

Shirking responsibility and restricting rights are two very different things.

thebman

kowloon wrote: »

Shirking responsibility and restricting rights are two very different things.

Agreed, you can't base everyones rights on individual circumstances.

If you think your partner isn't pulling his weight then work it out with him. Don't decide that all men should not have fewer rights because of your partners actions.

That is indefensible IMO. *Absolutely don't want to get involved in anyones personal live BTW, just making the point that individual circumstances is no basis for deciding rights for all*

The_Minister

abi2007 wrote: »

Second wheel... I think there are quiet alot of men that are happy to play the second wheel, men have it too easy. My x texts me last min to say he cant take his daughter cause he has to do something (usually something sociable). Although I do belive not all men are like that but I think the Majority are.

Thank you for generalising.

Most of the groups campaigning for fathers rights campaign on the basis of fathers rights and responsibilities.