Sexism you have personally experienced or have heard of? READ POST 1

iptba · 15-04-2022 2:14am

Heard this on the BBC news earlier.

Some asylum seekers who cross the Channel to the UK will be given a one-way ticket to Rwanda under new government plans.

The pilot scheme will focus on single men arriving on boats or lorries.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-61097114

Ash.J.Williams · 15-04-2022 2:23am

My ten year old took her teacher to task when she made the assumption the only food I could provide when she’s with me was a chipper ….so proud 😂

Ash.J.Williams · 15-04-2022 2:24am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/83544599#Comment_83544599

Yeah there’s no way of predicting the outcome if they’re strangers

Pawwed Rig · 15-04-2022 7:03am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/83544599#Comment_83544599

There is no need to touch a child to push them on a swing.

It happened once when I was in a playground that a child fell on the ladder of a slide and whatever way her clothes were she got snagged on the ladder and ended up hanging upside down and unable to free herself screaming and in distress. There were no parents around to help her. I have to admit I thought twice but did lift her down.

I have often seen strangers push my children on a swing or help them down from something though so maybe it is just reading these threads that makes me a bit paranoid

iptba · 25-06-2022 12:54am

Legal history made as more women than men granted top lawyer titles

For the first time in Irish legal history more female lawyers than male have been added to the ranks of senior counsel.

Twenty women and 14 men made the latest list of lawyers to be granted “patents of precedence”.

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/courts/legal-history-made-as-more-women-than-men-granted-top-lawyer-titles-41784538.html

---

Twenty-four male barristers and 17 female barristers applied, while 13 male solicitors and seven female solicitors applied.

---

So 37.8% of men who applied were added to the ranks of senior counsel.

and

74.1% of women who applied were added to the ranks of senior counsel.

This doesn't prove discrimination but the success rate figures are quite unbalanced.

Background information like this makes me wonder whether female candidates were at an advantage/male candidates were at a disadvantage:

But this year has seen a surge in female appointments following calls from Justice Minister Helen McEntee, the Irish Women Lawyers’ Association (IWLA) and the Law Society for more women to apply.

littlevillage · 01-07-2022 6:58am

Does anyone thing this article title could be written if the genders of the people involved were reversed??

https://www.irishtimes.com/life-style/people/2022/07/01/hilary-fannin-what-could-jerry-hall-possibly-have-seen-in-rupert-murdoch/

Pawwed Rig · 01-07-2022 7:04am

I think the article is very critical of Jerry Hall actually although hard to see the point of it.

littlevillage · 01-07-2022 7:09am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119274389#Comment_119274389

I haven't even read the article (it's behind paywall) but was only commenting on the blatant sexism of the article title. There isn't a hope in hell that such a title would get past editors if the genders were reversed.

Pawwed Rig · 01-07-2022 7:10am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119274396#Comment_119274396

It’s a tough one all right. What could possibly have drawn Hall, a woman with a clear penchant for rich old conservatives (even ones posing as subversive rock’n’roll rebels), to the immensely powerful right-wing shaper of opinion who, moreover, has his very own sheep farm and is reportedly worth more than $17 billion?

Article seems to be tongue in cheek but again hard to see a clear point in it. I accept you point though

iptba · 14-09-2022 10:44pm

Minister for Justice Helen McEntee visits new Limerick Prison expansion and announces publication of the Irish Prison Service Annual Report for 2021

The Minister also noted the highly innovative accommodation which is built specifically for the needs of women.

The Minister said:

"It is important that our prisons cater for the specific needs of women. This new facility has been carefully designed to meet these needs and will help the women prisoners there to address the factors that led to their offending and provide them with opportunities for a better life post imprisonment."

https://www.gov.ie/ga/preasraitis/a31cb-minister-for-justice-helen-mcentee-visits-new-limerick-prison-expansion-and-announces-publication-of-the-irish-prison-service-annual-report-for-2021/

Looks like they are continuing a policy of better prison conditions for female prisoners

A social justice group has brought up the female prisoners issue in a press release:

Adams concluded: “Female imprisonment is the area of our justice system which should demonstrate the most restraint, but instead there has been a clear policy decision to imprison more women, despite the availability of other options. The design being tailored to women’s needs does not change the fact that a prison is still a prison.”

https://www.jesuit.ie/news/jcfj-alarmed-at-ministers-comments/

iptba · 22-10-2022 11:59pm

Taoiseach says Government ‘under pressure’ on refugee accommodation after 33 Ukrainians turned away from Citywest

No women or children turned away, but men asked to provide contact details for when places become available

[..]

A spokeswoman for the Department said all individuals who were turned away from the Citywest transit hub were male, and no women or children were turned away. The men who were not able to be accommodated were asked to provide contact details so they can be contacted when accommodation does become available.

https://www.irishtimes.com/ireland/social-affairs/2022/10/22/33-ukrainian-refugees-told-no-accommodation-available-on-friday

iptba · 24-10-2022 1:11am

re: last comment

There are 10 more:

Ten Ukrainian refugees who arrived in Ireland yesterday have been told there is no accommodation for them, bringing the total number to 44 this week.

Yesterday it had been revealed that 33 refugees had been told there was no accommodation for them, but this afternoon the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY) confirmed that “a further ten people, all single males, were informed that no accommodation was available and asked to provide contact details for when it does become available.”

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/news/more-ukrainian-refugees-told-no-accommodation-for-them-in-ireland-at-moment-42088810.html

iptba · 24-10-2022 2:19am

RE: last two comments

Speaking on RTÉ radio’s Morning Ireland, Mr O’Gorman said he “could not rule out” that some people would end up sleeping on the street.

Women and children will be prioritised for accommodation in Citywest, and his department will work with NGOs about supporting other arrivals.

https://www.irishtimes.com/ireland/2022/10/21/refugees-sleeping-on-the-streets-cannot-be-ruled-out-as-citywest-reaches-capacity-minister

Note that just because some women are mothers, doesn't of course mean all female refugees are here with children

He's the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth of Ireland

iptba · 11-12-2022 3:18am

RE: last post:

Women and children will be prioritised for accommodation in Citywest, and his department will work with NGOs about supporting other arrivals.

Given the above statement, it may not be a coincidence that the migrants in tents are men:

Migrant men sharing tents at Clare refugee centre

'Sense of hopelessness' setting in as men seeking international protection remain in tents since September

https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/munster/arid-41025629.html

Almost 100 men seeking refuge in Ireland continue to sleep in 'inhumane' tents provided by the State in Co. Clare tonight as no alternative accommodation could be found despite the sub zero temperatures.

‘Hopeless’ hundred in Direct Provision in Co Clare spend third night in tents in sub-zero conditions

Authorities are scrambling to cope with sub-zero temperatures, while flights cancelled in Dublin and drivers warned

https://www.irishtimes.com/ireland/2022/12/10/asylum-seekers-freeze-in-tents-as-cold-snap-set-to-continue

mcsean2163 · 13-12-2022 11:58am

Yep, have to agree a lot of the talk of 'unvetted males' seems pretty dehumanizing to me.

There's the separate issue of child homelessness and it may be feeding into the 'unvetted males' narrative but it's really strange and seems to be a recent phenomenon. Are 'unvetted males' not worthy of help? Some of these men have gone through horrific torture and escaped here to be classed as 'unvetted males', hopefully it's a phenomenon that won't last.

iptba · 23-02-2023 2:08am

Now it’s okay for men to pee sitting down, here are a few other changes they could make

Brianna Parkins: It also turns out that seeking help from trained professionals might not make a medical condition worse

https://www.irishtimes.com/life-style/people/2023/02/21/now-its-okay-for-men-to-pee-sitting-down-here-are-a-few-other-changes-they-could-make

Premise of article:

"Seeing the success of men adopting practices formerly considered “women’s business”, here are some other ways men could benefit by becoming more like women."

It ends:

======

And the one that counts

But that one’s not going to change the world. The one that would really count, just off the top of my head, would be getting men to inflict less violence, both sexual and physical, on women.

In Ireland, Women’s Aid has registered 256 violent deaths of women since 1996. Of the 200 cases that have been resolved, 87 per cent of the victims were killed by a man they knew. In Australia, where I grew up, five women have died from violence allegedly committed by a man in the first month of the year, according to Counting Dead Women Australia. In 2022, 56 women there suffered the same fate.

But bringing those numbers down would be more of a benefit for us women and, say, for society as a whole. Is that a selfish thing to ask for?

======

I really can't see the Irish Times having a male journalist write a similar article in reverse i.e. about women.

Mobius2021 · 14-03-2023 6:25pm

Not sure if this is slightly OT for this thread but I'm curious...

Would people consider "bitching session" to be an offensive or sexist term? Was on a work call recently and people (from Ireland and other countries) mentioned they want a forum to discuss pain points and issues, I quipped something along the lines of "that sounds like another name for a bitching session" and the reaction was very surprising. Those in a particular location, who admittedly English is not their first language, reacted in quite a shocked fashion, saying that's a very dangerous thing to say etc. Think I just ended up nervously blabbing and shut-up fairly quick.

So I assuming they consider it maybe sexist, which I honestly never did until today and other colleagues and I, both male and female, would use that phrase without issue.

Thoughts?

One eyed Jack · 14-03-2023 7:23pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120358585#Comment_120358585

The strong reaction was more likely due to the fact that they’re all using garbage language (aka the language of corporate culture) and you popped a colloquialism in there. Easy to misinterpret really, albeit unintentionally. I can see how it was a bit awkward 😁

Made a similar gaffe myself years ago when I said in a meeting that I’d a pain in my balls with all this paperwork. After the meeting I was pulled up on it by another manager who, we never had the best relationship in the first place, but the difference from your example was that she clearly understood the intent. She feigned offence at my… as she put it “you referred to a part of your anatomy”. I figured best course of action was not to indulge her nonsense, and let it go.

Mobius2021 · 14-03-2023 7:55pm

Yeah, thinking about it I can see how it went sideways. Guess we often throw it around the office here in Ireland and very much in a non-gender way i.e. both men and women use it and are part of bitching sessions.

Lesson learned. Funny thing is the one criticism my management chain would have of me is that I'm possibly too nice and careful with people, got recent feedback to not be afraid to be more blunt. :-)

greenspurs · 08-04-2023 9:43am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120358585#Comment_120358585

"Would people consider "bitching session" to be an offensive or sexist term"

No, why.

"TO bitch (intransitive):

To criticize spitefully, often for the sake of complaining rather than in order to have the problem corrected.
- All you ever do is bitch about the food I cook for you!

(Wiktionary)

According to Etymonline the sense may derive from the Middle English "bicched" meaning cursed, bad!

Bitch (v.):,

"to complain," attested at least from 1930, perhaps from the sense in bitchy, perhaps influenced by the verb meaning "to bungle, spoil," which is recorded from 1823. But bitched in this sense seems to echo Middle English bicched "cursed, bad," a general term of opprobrium (as in Chaucer's bicched bones "unlucky dice") , which despite the hesitation of OED, seems to be a derivative of bitch (n.)."

Snowflakes will get offended, mainly because they love it.

FishOnABike · 08-04-2023 8:40pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120453806#Comment_120453806

Snowflakes....always so self assured in their own ignorance...

iptba · 11-04-2023 9:23pm

RE:

RE: last two comments

Speaking on RTÉ radio’s Morning Ireland, Mr O’Gorman said he “could not rule out” that some people would end up sleeping on the street.

Women and children will be prioritised for accommodation in Citywest, and his department will work with NGOs about supporting other arrivals.

https://www.irishtimes.com/ireland/2022/10/21/refugees-sleeping-on-the-streets-cannot-be-ruled-out-as-citywest-reaches-capacity-minister

Note that just because some women are mothers, doesn't of course mean all female refugees are here with children

He's the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth of Ireland

=========

Today:

The Citywest facility has been at capacity since January this year, with a lack of beds leaving some men sleeping on chairs for up to 30 days.

Article is titled:

Differences between State’s treatment of Ukrainians and other asylum seekers ‘unacceptable’, Ombudsman says

Government warned preferential treatment of Ukrainian families over other asylum seekers ‘unacceptable’

https://www.irishtimes.com/ireland/social-affairs/2023/04/11/ombudsman-criticises-discrimination-against-child-asylum-seekers-in-citywest-hub

I haven't seen any agencies/NGOs/charities criticise the explicit discrimination against male asylum seekers.

iptba · 21-04-2023 2:28am

Male Defence Forces personnel who made sex abuse complaints were shunned in ‘disgusting’ campaign of intimidation

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/male-defence-forces-personnel-who-made-sex-abuse-complaints-were-shunned-in-disgusting-campaign-of-intimidation-42440351.html

She said there was a stark contrast between the treatment of women who made sex abuse complaints in the military and men who complained of historical abuse.

—

However, there has been no indication to date that the abuse of teenage males in the military in the 1970s and 1980s will be investigated.

The woman – who has been married to her husband for 34 years – said that while everyone had praised the courage of the Women of Honour for speaking out about abuse, the Men of Honour had instead been subjected to a clandestine campaign of whispers, ostracism and subtle intimidation.

===

“My husband went to the removal of an army colleague who had died to pay his respects and several former comrades and superiors literally turned their backs to him. They ignored him and shunned him,” she said.

===

A second army veteran, who claimed he was abused by a different NCO during basic training at a southern base, claimed he discovered he was not being invited to a number of events for retired personnel.

He attended one event without an invitation and a number of former colleagues and NCOs either ignored him or left the gathering a short time afterwards.

===

The man was left so traumatised by the abuse he suffered that he tried to take his life more than 30 years ago, and recovered thanks only to years of counselling and with the support of his wife and family.

iptba · 01-06-2023 1:23am

Another example of only male applicants for international protection not being accommodated:

Over 200 male applicants for international protection remained without accommodation last week, committee hears

As of May 24, all adult women and couples seeking accommodation since January were accommodated

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/over-200-male-applicants-for-international-protection-remained-without-accommodation-last-week-committee-hears/a601773033.html

littlevillage · 24-06-2023 3:18am

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jun/23/rte-suspends-director-general-over-payments-to-presenter-ryan-tubridy

Elect more wimmin they say. Honesty & integrity they say

cms88 · 25-06-2023 9:30pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120757715#Comment_120757715

What are the odds of her getting very little criticism for her part in all of this?

iptba · 03-07-2023 1:26am

RAF diversity targets discriminated against white men

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-66060490

Initiatives to increase the numbers of women and people from ethnic minorities in the RAF led to unlawful positive discrimination, an inquiry has found.

The head of the RAF has admitted some men were discriminated against.

The internal inquiry was sparked by the resignation of a female RAF Group Captain who told her superiors the policy penalised white men.

The inquiry found she had faced significant and unreasonable pressure to meet diversity targets.

[..]

The RAF has also admitted its target for 40% of the force to be female and 20% from an ethnic minority background by 2030 is unrealistic.

iptba · 27-07-2023 11:23pm

A gym, a salon and ensuite rooms – we take a look around the new Limerick Women’s Prison

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/crime/a-gym-a-salon-and-ensuite-rooms-we-take-a-look-around-the-new-limerick-womens-prison/a532804390.html

People will have different opinions about prisons and the accommodation and facilities they provide.

But the question is whether male and female prisoners who commit the same crimes face the same facilities to serve their sentence in and that doesn't look like to be the case in Ireland.

I know that the killer "Scissor Sister" Charlotte Mulhall is in the women's prison in Limerick* and I think some other killers are there are also.

This article portrays female prisoners as generally being victims more than Irish articles I've seen about male prisoners e.g.

Andrew McCarthy, the governor of Limerick Women’s Prison:

“Most of these women have never experienced proper security or safety in their lives and many of them have been abuse victims on the outside. The vast majority of female committals are victims, and we have to work around their traumas,” he said.

*If they are not there, they [female killers] are in the Dochas Centre, which is also a less austere environment then what male killers would face.