Women Have Both Equality And Special Status

James Doogue

In the era of feminist activism, 'believe all women' and gender quotas, professor Janice Flamengo presents an interesting monologue.

Flamengo looks at 'damselling'. A term describing women who claim to be feminists, or who demand equality, who then 'damsell', because they are 'fragile' females, to evoke empathy and chivalry.

If a man acted in the same way they would be considered weak, and unworthy of a position of responsibility or authority.

When women were fighting for equal rights, including the right to vote, they were told by leading female commentators they could retain the special 'protected' status of females, or they could have equality. They couldn't have both. But Flamengo says in general, women appear to have achieved both.

As usual Flamengo includes historical and contemporary references.

Women said that a right to vote would end all wars because war is a male generated result. There has been no indication that prediction came true. There are women and there are women. Think Maggie Thatcher and Jacinda Ardern. Just like there's Donald Trump and Justin Trudeau.

It would be interesting to see how chivalry has changed over the years. Flamengo reminds us that when the Titanic sank in April 1912 women's protected status saved many of their lives.

A total of 74% of the women survived as opposed to just 20% of the men. Men gave up seats in life boats to women because the shame of breaching the rules of chilvalry would have been greater than their life was worth.

I'm not sure, but I suspect 'damselling' only works in politics for attractive females. Or perhaps doesn't work for those with the wrong political stripes.

I don't think it helped conservative Defence Minister Linda Reynolds when she teared up in parliament recently. Or Liberal MP Nicolle Flint who has been savagely harrassed by right wing activists with little empathy coming from the media or the left.

There's no doubt though that claims of bullying, harrassment, life and family choices, and emotional distress from women in public life evoke much more sympathy than it does for men. That fact protects women from the same rigorous scrutiny and treatment that men receive in public life.

I know shrinking violets Hillary Clinton and Julia Gillard were keen to claim victim status. But whatever they experienced in public life was nothing compared to conservative male political leaders such as Donald Trump and Tony Abbott.

In general, I think the conclusion that women have achieved both equality and retained their protected status is accurate.

The Near Irresistible Lure of Damseling

Tim adds:

I've been saying that for years. Women want to be in the thick of things, at the heads of corporations and running government agencies and the like, but then hide behind the "little girl" status when it suits them. (Well, some do, not all.) You aren't supposed to be able to have your cake and eat it too. But that's exactly what we see in the world today. And I think deep down many women realize this, which makes them feel they haven't achieved equality - because they haven't. Someone is only equal when they are treated the same as everybody else.

Oh, and Rush Limbaugh had a bit about making an elite military squad of women "the All American First  Cavalry Amazon Battalion". As he understood women are in many ways more vicious and cutthroat then men.

Posted by: Timothy Birdnow at 09:14 AM | Comments (4) | Add Comment
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