“Semiotics: The Marginalisation of Women in the UK from YORKIE bars to Pub Toilets” by Corinne Mynatt
Sometimes it is unbelievable—given the blatant nature of the marginalisation of women—that still not much has been done to further equality for the sexes. Though women have had the right to vote for almost 100 years in the United Kingdom, we are still being treated as second-class citizens through various miniscule acts that add up to a problem in my opinion. Laws are in place that still have no effect because the world is still (and probably always will be unfortunately) run by white men. I will go through these unfortunate circumstances with you from Chocolate bars to equal pay.
Let’s start with the YORKIE bar. Advertising for products in the UK are still allowed to write “Not For Girls”, loud and clear and large on the front of their products. Well, frankly I am glad they did, because I sure as hell wouldn’t buy one. By doing this, they have just selectively excluded more than half of the population from buying their product. According to the UK 2001 Census, “There are fewer men than women at all ages over 21,” bringing the total percentage of women to 51% (This adds up to a lot when you are dealing with 60 million). Which surely the marketing using a discriminatory slogan can’t make up for all that lost consumer potential? And if you are a woman who has bought one—shame on you. Yorkie is owned by Nestle anyway so you shouldn’t be buying it in the first place. In my opinion it is not a bit of cheeky fun in a marketing campaign. Have there not been complaints to the Advertising Standards Authority? Perhaps not enough women feel compelled to stop the constant degradation of their sex. Imagine if another product declared on it, “Not for Black People,” “Not for Asians,” or “Not for Old People?”—it wouldn’t last for a second. For me, there is no difference between discriminating in this way.
If we look to another classic example of good old fashioned misogyny, we go to the English Public House. Originally women were always accompanied by a man when she went to a pub, and if not she was assumed to be a whore. The public house was built for a man with toilets on the ground floor/close by for his convenience. This tradition lives on as you will have probably noticed in pubs around the country. The Ladies loo is almost most certainly upstairs or less convenient to get to. And why? Well, simply it goes back to the old adage that white men run the world and were designing for themselves and thinking of women only as a secondary concern. Now ask yourselves this: why, when women take longer to use the toilet, and need it for more than two bodily functions would one prioritise the man? Men are notoriously quick in the toilet as they wee standing up and most often never wash their piss-laden hands and therefore if you do the maths they are the ones who should be going up the stairs in my opinion. Ladies: look out for it next time you have a drink, it’s just a continuation of the marginalisation by the world we live in that wasn’t built with us in mind.
It goes on and on in the world. In 1970 (pretty late-coming but better late than never) the UK government passed the Equal Pay Act making it unlawful to discriminate between men and women. It is a good idea, but unfortunately it is not completely enforced. Recently there has been a lot of research into the current pay gap by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC). Statistics have found that it still exists—though it shouldn’t according to the law passed in 1970—that the gap is quite large, and that is it too difficult to regulate. Regulators noted that it was not possible to control, given the records they are given can easily be altered on spreadsheets in order to demonstrate that they are complying with the act (though they are not). The most recent information to come to light is that women receive up to 39% less than their male counterparts. In the consistently corrupt financial sector, that percentage jumps to a 55% pay gap. Perhaps they are not running enough seminars such as the recent one at the Bank of England.
In the seminars of February 2009 at the Bank of England no less, women were instructed on how to “Dress for Success.” Tips included always wearing heels, always some make-up, never wearing ankle chains, or wearing too much jewellery. HOW, I mean HOW could this possibly be approved in this day and age? It is unbelievable to me that this is even possible that this seminar could be delivered to women only because private consultancy firms do offer this type of advice to men as well. These companies are blatantly saying to women that their appearance will affect their ‘success.’ They might as well hand out 1950’s pointed bras while they are at it.
Simultaneously there was a summit about the global recession going on in Davos. Perhaps instead of telling women how to dress they should have been putting them in positions of power so that the economic downturn could have been prevented! It was a complete waste of time and money that could have been used to concentrate on more important matters, ie, all the banks collapsing. Similar behaviour has been commonplace in Ernst and Young and the law firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and probably many others that have not yet been reported in the media.
I have delved into more significant issues obviously than chocolate bars and pubs. There is obviously still a great deal to do before women are truly equal, although sadly something makes me think it will never happen. Those little things like YORKIE bars do annoy me and are constant reminders that men in positions of power do not take our demand for equality seriously. We have come so far and I fully appreciate those who have come before us and made our lives easier than theirs were. Don’t think there is not work to do. Don’t think you are not a feminist because it is a dirty word. It only means you want for women what everyone else is entitled too! I’m speaking to men and women here….
I am interested in any other petty examples people have of the marginalisation of women. Please email them to: c.mynatt1@gmail.com.
