I meet examples of sexism virtually daily here in Devon, and I try always to challenge it - though it gets very wearing sometimes! I dropped into Tesco this morning to be met by a large placard/ad at the front entrance for Mother's Day, which began:
Mums do so much for us - not just the cooking, shopping and cleaning.
I shouldn't be surprised, but I was - it just encapsulates all the unspoken assumptions about 'women's work' and who does the chores in the household, and it just so saddens me that, after all these years, these assumptions are still so much on display, so much a part of our daily life. The placard went on to extol the virtues of mums, how much they care and look after us, etc. - and I'm a mum too, and yes, I've done all this stuff - but I do other stuff too, and my (male) partner shares shopping and cooking and cleaning and other chores too, as well as the caring and parenting.
I'm intending to complain to Tesco, but it so feels like an uphill struggle in this neck of the woods... I just wanted to share it with someone out there who I know will 'get' immediately what I mean and how I feel about this - and believe me, there are so many people I know here who just wouldn't even see this placard as any kind of a problem...
Thanks for listening!
