This is a fantasy. Whilst in some professional occupations, productivity has a bearing on how much you are paid, for the vast majority of workers asking your boss for a pay rise and them reciprocating isn't how things work. Your answer, go work somewhere else if you aren't satisfied. Pray tell, where? Do you realise that the employment options for women are much narrower for those than men. Having a uterus and the ability to fall pregnant makes you a liability. The reality is women are still overwhelming employed on a part-time and casual basis in low-paying, domestic industries. 'Taking your services elsewhere' is even less of a possibility for those without the education or experience necessary. This is precisely the 'blame the victim' mentality I mentioned above.
In all the low skill (labour, production, service) work I have undertaken, pay has been the same regardless of age, sex or gender. I mention this as you seem to only be talking about low skill labour. If you are involved in a skilled area or profession, then yes - your pay is dependent on your skills and how well you market them. If your skills are WORTH the money you are asking, when a tight-arse boss says 'go work somewhere else' you... go work somewhere else (for what you are WORTH).
The fact that women choose not to go into whatever profession is seen as male dominated is their choice. If no women take up career x it is no coincidence that it remains male dominated.
Having a uterus isn't an issue, 9 months+ out of your role probably is. As it would be for a male. That is a personal decision but unless you walk into the interview 2 months along, I don't see how it is a factor.
Anecdotally - my aunt worked at the RTA, got another job and fell pregnant at roughly the same time. Despite all this she was told she would be welcomed back with open arms should she ever want to return. If you are WORTH it, you won't meet this supposed resistance.
True, but not necessarily. Female students don't have the same opportunities to persue technical subjects such as wood work and metal work in school and TAFE due to lack of resources, familial obligations, social stigma among other factors.
What lack of resources? If a co-ed school has wood/metal work for boys then obviously they have it for women. I don't see the social stigma argument. 'Tomboys' are not a new or negative thing. Familial obligations must be a joke. Please tell me you are joking.
Regardless of the formal equality women have in seeking education, the reality is women are under-represented in technical education: they are under-represented in science, mathematics and industrial arts subjects in high schools; under-represented in carpentry, plumbing, electrical, automotive maintance, etc. and over-represented in out-of-house domestic occupations such as hairdressing and midwifery at TAFE and other technical educational institutions; under-represented in engineering, mathematics and the natural sciences, and over-represented once again in out-of-home domestic occupations including education (particularly earl-childhood education) and nursing.
'Opportunities' are one thing, reality is another.
Yes, the reality is that women obviously have little interest in these fields - else they would make use of the exact same educational opportunities. I have yet to meet a girl or woman who has wistfully sighed and told me 'I wish I was a plumber'. The amount I have met who has mentioned they wanted to be a makeup artist/beautician? Heaps.
Which exist precisely because of discomfort and indimidation many women feel in weight rooms which have traditionally (and continue to be) dominated by men. In fact this point prooves what I'm saying, otherwise they wouldn't exist.
Do they feel uncomfortable and intimidated at the shops? The bank? The grocery store? The newsagent? At work with all those MEN?
Every gym I've been to has had men and women coexisting. Maybe they fight over cardio machines I don't know I don't venture into that area, but in the weights area everything is peaches.
Actually, you're right. It is discrimination. What you fail to understand is that the problem isn't discrimination in the abstract. The problem is with the specific form that it takes, namely the oppression of and sstystematic discrimination again women.
Which, in my opinion, you have yet to demonstrate exists.
On the specific point of 'cry wolf' rape cases, whenever this is brought up I feel the need to point out very strongly that these are an infantesimally small minority of rape cases and the amount of attention they often get in these sort of discussions belittles the very deep and life altering significance rape has for many women.
So the deep and life altering experience of being labelled a rapist (which is what happens to these individuals, even if the case is thrown out) doesn't matter?
Only in Victoria do women have the right for abortion on demand regardless of circumstance and even then only up until 24 weeks. Across the rest of the country the a woman's right to make decisions about her own body is restricted (the exceptions being in the case of rape, mental illness, risks to the life of the mother, and even then these exceptions do not apply in all states!). Women seeking abortion are not only treated like criminals, in numerous cases they have actually been convicted!
If you can source this I do indeed find it retarded.
Linked in with this point is the continued prevelance of physical and sexual abuse suffered by women and the barriers and difficulties in seeking help.
Yet when a man is abused by a woman (which happens ALL the time - at this point it is basically given the ok by society) it is fine.
Despite the formal equality women possess in written law, reality does not conform. Women are still the second sex in our society. The people who deny that we live in a sexist society are either ignorant fools or mysognist pigs.
I think the reality is closer to equality than you have portrayed with your post. Removing the arguments with no actual basis (Familial obligations? Stigma?) leaves a much more positive, although not perfect, picture.
I would like to quickly state that I do appreciate the detailed response you gave, and I hope this doesn't come off as a hostile reply. I would also like to highlight that I don't believe domestic/sexual abuse are light issues - I did gloss over them but only due to the discussion at hand.