Feminism
Stereotype
The advocacy of women’s rights on the ground of the equality of the sexes.
A widely held but fixed and oversimplified image or idea of a particular type of person or thing.
Sexism Prejudice, stereotyping, or discrimination, typically against women, on the basis of sex.
Gender
Equality
The state of being male or female (typically used with reference to social and cultural differences rather than biological ones).
The state of being equal, especially in status, rights, or opportunities.
In the 19th century women were not allowed to make any political decisions. Women were only seen as mothers and housewives and it was believed that women did not need to vote as their husbands would take the responsibility for them in political matters. In 1897 women began to fight the system and the National Union of Women’s Suffrage Society (NUWSS) was formed by various local women’s suffrage societies, under the leadership of Millicent Fawcett. They were fighting for the vote for middle class property-owning women and believed that they would use non-violent tactics in order to
achieve this by using methods such as demonstrations and petitions. This was so that the organisation was seen to be intelligent, polite and lawabiding in order to prove that women are responsible enough to make political decisions. The Suffragists were only middle class female citizens but some of the members realised that the movement also needed the support of middle class women. By 1900 there was already evidence of their campaign working as many Members of Parliament had already been won over and they were gaining a lot of support, however not enough for it to be passed as
law.The Suffragettes evolved from the Suffragists movement and were given their name by the Daily Mail newspaper. A member of the Manchester Suffragists group called Emmeline Pankhurst had grown impatient with the NUWSS and in 1903 she set up a separate society called the Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU). Pankhurst believed they needed young, working class women to draw attention to the cause and created the Suffragette’s motto “deeds not words”. From 1912 their actions became more violent which included law breaking, physical violence and hunger strikes; this lead to many
of the Suffragettes being arrested and jailed throughout their protests. However this helped to increase sympathy and support from the public. By 1909 a newspaper called ‘Votes For Women’ was being published which sold 20,000 copies each week. When World War One broke out in 1914 the women’s suffrage movement was put on hold and activities were being suspended due to the greater threat to the nation. In 1918 women over 30 were granted the right to vote in Britain and 10 years later in 1928 all women in Britain gained equal voting rights with men.
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Deeds not words.
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1870
1867 The London Society of Women’s Suffrage is formed to campaign for female suffrage.
The Married Women’s Property Act allows married women to own their property.
1918
1920
Woman over 30 are granted the right to vote in Britain.
The Sex Discrimination Removal Act allows women access to the legal profession and accountancy.
1903
1906
The Women’s Social and Political Union is founded in Manchester by Emmeline Pankhurst.
The National Federation of Women Workers is set up by Mary MacArthur.
1921
1922 The Law of Property Act allows both husband and wife to inherit property equally.
Unemployment benefits are extended to include allowances for wives.
1964
1970
1971
The Married Women’s Act entitles a woman to keep half of any savings she has made from the allowance she is given by her husband.
The Equal Pay Act makes it illegal to pay women lower rates than men for the same work.
Over 4,000 women take part in the first Women’s Liberation march in London.
1979
Margaret Thatcher becomes Britains first female prime minister.
1980
Women can apply for a loan or credit in their own names.
1928
All women in Britain gain equal voting rights with men.
1972
Erin Pizzey sets up the first women’s refuge in Chiswick, London.
1983
1985
Lady Mary Donaldson becomes the first woman Lord Major of London.
The Equal Pay (Amendment) Act allows women to be paid the same as men for work of equal value.
Under the Qualification of Women Act, women can be elected onto borough and county councils and can also be elected major.
1912
1908
1907
The ‘cat and mouse’ Act is enacted in Britain, allowing the government to temporarily discharge women prisoners hunger striking for the vote.
Two hundred and fifty thousand people gather in Hyde Park, London, in support of women’s suffrage.
1913 A massive rally is held in Hyde Park for women’s right to vote, with women travelling from all across the country.
1941
1948
1956
1958
All unmarried women between the ages of 20 and 30 are called up for war work.
The introduction of the National Health Service (NHS) gives everyone free access to health care.
In Britain, legal reforms say that women teachers and civil servants should recieve equal pay.
The Life Peerages Act entitles women to sit in the House of Lords for the first time.
1975 The Sex Discrimination act makes it illegal to discriminate against women in work, education and training.
1986
Women are allowed to retire at the same age as men.
1975 The Employment Protection Act makes it illegal to sack a woman because she is pregnant.
1988 Julie Hayward if the first to win a case under the amended Equal Pay Act.
1990
Independant taxation for women is introduced.
1976
1977
The Equal Opportunities Commission comes into effect to oversee the Equal Pay Act and Sex Discrimination Act.
International Women’s Day is formalised as an annual event by the UN General Assembly.
1997
The general election sees 101 Labour women MPs elected.
1998 The European Union passes the Human Rights Act, guaranteeing basic principles of life for everyone.
Sexism is still an issue in today’s society. With men earning “17.5 per cent more than women on average per hour” (Dugan, 2014) [Online] it shows how men are still the dominant sex. Not only are women earning less they are also being expected to pay more than men for the same product. Taking into account all areas of spending, research has shown that “the cost of being a woman is 6% more than a man” (Osborne, 2012) [Online]. This includes compulsory feminine products such as sanitary items and bras, which is a necessary extra expense that males do not partake in. However these products are not the only culprits for the additional 6%. In some cases, individual items targeted at females are costing more than the male equivalent. “At Boots, a pack of 10 Wilkinson Sword razors aimed at the female market cost 4.39 - 1.30 pounds more than a similar product aimed at men” (Osborne, 2012) [Online] and “Women’s Levi’s jeans are 20 pounds more than the 70 pounds for men’s
501s” (Osborne, 2012) [Online]. Nevertheless, not all price differences are this significant, for example, in Top Shop and Top Man, men’s socks are being sold for 3 pounds but women’s socks of similar style and design are being sold for 5 pounds, even though less material is being used. Despite this gap being small it still adds up to a large sum when present across several items. A “survey on household spending shows that in 2011 it was an average 244 pounds a year on men’s clothes, against an average of 458 pounds on women’s clothes” (Osborne, 2012) [Online]. Not only is the pricing of clothing a disadvantage for women but so is the practicality of female clothes. Many female clothing items are unpractical and not suitable to wear on a day-to-day basis. Clothes are being designed using thin, see-through materials. This means that unless women want to reveal their bodies they are required to purchase more than one item of clothing to layer over the top, and therefore are spending twice the amount of money.
Currently this project aims to focus on sexism within consumerism, particularly concerning the female gender. Investigating how different price gaps in salaries and product costs impact upon women, as well as looking at clothing practicality and the way in which people are influenced to consume. There will be analysis into whether there is a significant difference between males and females. This will illustrate whether consumer society is encouraging inequality and if so look at how this can be overcome.
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Lack of jean pockets for women, lack of pockets in general.
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69 34 12
9
3
13-17
52 32 20 18-22
13 10 3
23-27
2
1
1
28-32
3
1
2
33-39
3
1
2
40-49
8
7
1
50-59
10
8
2
60+
Haircuts
The majority of the results are from 18-22 year olds.
5
1
Toiletries 18 12 6
Shoes 21
88
4
People are spending the most money on clothes.
Clothes 55 40 15
Jewellery 1
people think sexism is still an issue.
9 12
1
0
3
0
Bags 3
£7.16
£6.54
Females are willing to pay more than men for a plain white t-shirt. Females spend an average of £10.18 more than men on haircuts.
64
people encounter issues and difficulties when looking for clothing and shoes.
53 32 21
18 people try to keep up to date with the latest fashion trends.
8 33 41
9 people were inbetween views.
25
people believe that fashion designers are making practical clothing.
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Too tall for regular clothes but too short for tall clothes.
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Nivea Stress Protect Antiperspirants Deodorant – which comes in a feminine white and blue can – costs 1.43 pounds per 100ml. The man’s version of Nivea Stress Protect – in a manly black and blue can – costs 1.32 pounds per 100ml, both on boots.com.
A 50ml bottle of Jean Paul Gaultier Eau de Toilette for women costs 49 pounds at Tesco, whereas the 75ml bottle of Jean Paul Gaultier Eau de Toilette for men costs 38 pounds.
A national salon chain ‘Toni & Guy’ charge 10 pounds less for men’s hair services.
It is estimated that women spend a lifetime total of nearly 10,000 pounds on bras.
A woman will spend an average of 1,430 pounds on sanitary protection throughout her life.
On average women are spending 588 pounds a year on their wardrobes, while men are shelling out 322 pounds.
Men now earn 17.5 per cent more than women on average per hour.
As of 2014, average weekly earnings are 462 pounds for women and 558 pounds for men.
The UK has fallen out of the top 20 most gender equal countries in the world.
Men outnumber women in parliament 4 to 1, and just 4 of the 23 cabinet members are women.
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I like dresses but they are either too short or too long.
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Slogans on t-shirts may be a possible design route for this project. Research has shown that there is a lot of inequality within clothing and that people face many issues with clothing. Therefore designing t-shirts would fit in well with the themes of this project as the issues that were raised about the make and feel of clothing can be addressed and solved in the making of the t-shirt. As well as this the t-shirts can be designed to be gender equal in order to help to start eliminating the sexism that is currently present in the fashion industry. As t-shirts are worn by the majority of people and are seen on a regular basis within the public, they could potentially be an effective method in order to get a message across. Slogans about sexism displayed on a t-shirt would be a form of guerrilla advertising which could help to promote awareness to the general public about inequality whilst advertising and campaigning for a gender equal society. Public advertising links to the Suffragette Movement as the Suffragettes also used their own methods in order to advertise. This is because
they did not receive funding by the government. However, the Suffragettes often used illegal methods in order to promote their campaign such as violence and illegal placements of posters. T-shirt designs would be a completely legal, widespread method of advertising which can help to inform and campaign in a peaceful manner. Through research it was discovered that historians question whether the violent and illegal methods the Suffragettes used actually delayed their success. Therefore it is important to use legal, non-violent methods in order to communicate the message effectively. These t-shirt examples show methods in which a message can be displayed in the form of a t-shirt. Some designs do this by simply presenting a sentence, whilst others take a more creative approach by using a play on words or illustration. This indicates that there are multiple methods in which a message can be communicated through t-shirt design.
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A lot of women’s tops are see through.
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Research into sexism has been undertaken in order to examine factual and statistical evidence to decipher whether sexism is still an issue within consumerism and to also discover other areas in which sexism is still present. Factual evidence is needed in order to prove whether it is an issue or not, while statistics will indicate as to what extent. Looking at this evidence on a worldwide scale can indicate where inequality is at its most concerning. Several news articles have been considered which discuss sexism today and the key issues where it is still present; such as the gender pay gap, and ‘women’s tax’. This shows that the issue is still significant enough to be a contemporary topic in the news. Other articles have also been explored through which individuals discuss the impracticalities of the fashion industry and the
negatives that are attached to the female gender that are often not applied to the male population. Additional articles have been found which analyse the difference between the costs of products for men and women that people have spotted during general shopping trips. Blogs such as The Gender Price Gap have also been discovered where people are allowed to upload their findings in relation to products and their costs, specifically looking at gender related products and prices. Consideration of the Suffragette movement has shown what women were able to accomplish and how they did it. This gives a context regarding to what extent people today would have to go to in order to overcome inequality. Research into 21st century feminist groups and individuals has been carried out in order to develop an idea of who is fighting for equal rights as well as what they are attempting to do in order to achieve it. This can be compared to the Suffragette movement to help see how successful the feminist campaigns currently in place could potentially be.
Gender inequality is an ethical issue as it means that males and females are being treated differently from each other in an unfair manner. This effectively creates an unbalanced society, which leads to males and females being targeted and perceived differently and encourages the use of gender stereotypes and roles.
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Sizing isn’t the same in every shop which makes it confusing to know what size you actually are.
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Overall, this project will help to reveal the inequalities that are still present within society, particularly in consumerism. It is important to inform people of these inequalities in order to make them aware that they are still present and to encourage them to do something about it. The project will be able to discover ways in which sexism can be combatted and attempt to do this through the use of design.
Living Dolls: The Return of Sexism – Natasha Walter This source discusses feminism and areas in which sexism is present, such as within consumerism as well as the ways in which males and females are treated. It contains statistical evidence, which identifies where inequality is of most concern. This is particularly useful to the project as it provides factual evidence displaying that sexism is still an issue and to what extent. The Beauty Myth – Naomi Wolf Naomi Wolf explores the ways that females are targeted through the media and within consumerism. This provides a wider understanding of related factual evidence and statistics as well as giving potential reasons as to why sexism is still an issue and what will have to be overcome in order to defeat it. In The Way Of Women: Men’s Resistance To Sex Equality In Organizations – Cynthia Cockburn This book looks at feminist movements across the decades and how they have been diverted and resisted. It talks about the
sex discrimination act, which helps to establish a basis of information on the laws that are in place to promote equality. It also discusses sex and gender segregation, which gives an indication as to what issues are still present.
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Everything has different measurements.
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BBC (2014) The women’s suffrage movement [Online] Available from: http://www.bbc. co.uk/bitesize/higher/history/ britsuff/suffrage/revision/1/ Accessed on: 27th October 2015 Blueinc.co.uk (2015) Xplicit Industries [Online] Available from: https://www.blueinc. co.uk/mens-dark-ink-t-shirtwith-yellow-slogan-p18810 Accessed on: 28th October 2015 Carey, T (2015) Why is it SO expensive to be a woman? It’s been called the pink tax – how women pay more than men for everything from dry cleaning to razors [Online] Available from: www.dailymail. co.uk/femail/article-2959383/ Why-expensive-women-calledpink-tax-women-pay-men-drycleaning-razors.html Accessed on: 27th October 2015 Cockburn, C (1991) In The Way Of Women: Men’s Resistance To Sex Equality In Organizations, Hampshire, Macmillan Education Ltd Dugan, E (2014) Gender pay
gap falls - but men still earn 17.5% more [Online] Available from: www.independent.co.uk/ news/uk/politics/gender-paygap-falls--but-men-still-earn175-more-9871401.html Accessed on: 1st October 2015 Harris, B (2013) Be The Change You Want To See In The World [Online] Available from: https://www.pinterest.com/ pin/351210470912156116/ Accessed on: 28th October 2015 Kelly, K (2015) Gender Equality [Online] Available from: http:// www.redbubble.com/people/ kristinkelly/works/13825822gender-equality?grid_ pos=10&p=t-shirt Accessed on: 28th October 2015 Lookhuman (2015) Human [Online] Available from: http:// lookhuman.tumblr.com/ post/81595863095/who-needsgender-roles-when-we-canhave-sushi Accessed on: 28th October 2015 Manchester Metropolitan University (N.D.) The Women’s Timeline [Online] Available from:
http://www.mmu.ac.uk/equalityand-diversity/doc/genderequality-timeline.pdf Accessed on: 28th October 2015 Osborne, H (2012) Is it cheaper to be a woman – or a man? [Online] Available from: http://www.theguardian.com/ money/2012/dec/14/cheaperman-or-woman Accessed on: 1st October 2015 Ovsyannykov, I (2011) 60 Bold Typographical Statements from Wordboner [Online] Available from: http:// inspirationfeed.com/inspiration/ typography-inspiration/60-boldtypographical-statements-fromwordboner/ Accessed on: 28th October 2015 Skreened.com (2015) Fly Away From Gender Roles [Online] Available from: http://skreened. com/ps2014/fly-away-fromgender-roles Accessed on: 28th October 2015 Walter, N (2011) Living Dolls: The Return of Sexism, London, Virago Press Wright, O (2014) UK drops out of gender equality top
20 after women’s wages fall [Online] Available from: www. independent.co.uk/news/uk/ home-news/uk-drops-out-ofgender-equality-top-20-afterwomen’s-wages-fall-9821990. html Accessed on: 27th October 2015 Wolf, N (1991) The Beauty Myth, London, Vintage UK Feminista (2015) Uk Feminista [Online] Available from: http://ukfeminista.org. uk Accessed on: 21st October 2015
Make a gender equal society!