What are the "special laws and treatment" feminists are supposedly advocating for?

Question

I'm a feminist and I have no idea what you (anti-feminists) are always complaining about. Could someone who is not a feminist please let me know what my agenda is? You seem to know more about it than I do. Examples please.

Answer 1

I'm not advocating for any.   Society has determined we needed some laws to "level the field" because of the absolute bias against women.

Answer 2

Haha, good question, sister.

Answer 3

for every £1 spent on male health EIGHT is spent on womens health despite the fact that men are more likely to die from all ten leading causes of death and live 7 years less the women (in the early 19th cent the gender gap was only 1 year)

- Weight management: More men than women in the UK are overweight (67% of men compared to 57% of women) but men are much less likely to be offered help and support in weight loss programmes in GP surgeries. Analysis of 1256 patients across 58 GP practices in 2004 found that only 26% of those attending structured weight loss programmes at local surgeries were men, despite the service being - in theory - equally available to both sexes. Evidence suggests that men who are offered support lose weight as effectively as women.

- Cancer: Men are almost twice as likely as women to die from virtually all the cancers that affect both sexes, mostly because of preventable causes such as smoking, poor diet and alcohol use. This suggests that local and national cancer prevention programmes are less effective with men than women.

- Smoking: Smoking is the single most important preventable cause of heart disease and causes virtually all cases of lung cancer. Historically, men have always been much more likely to smoke than women and although numbers of smokers have declined among both sexes (and more sharply among men), it is still the case that men are more likely to be smokers (28% of men, 26% of women). NHS smoking cessation programmes are much less likely to succeed in attracting male participants. In 2002, only 98,000 men took part in NHS programmes compared with 130,000 women (i.e. only 43% of participants were men).

- Use of Primary Care Services: Men are much less likely to visit their GP than women. Under the age of 45, men visit their GP only half as often as women. It is only in the elderly that the gap narrows significantly – and even then women see their GP measurably more frequently than men. A survey of men conducted by the Men’s Health Forum suggested that many men are unhappy with the service provided at their local GP surgery for reasons that are rectifiable: unhelpful opening hours; perceived emphasis on services for women and children; and undue bureaucracy.

- Depression: although men and women suffer equally from depression, men are less likely to seek help, clinical diagnoses are skewed towards women and more men end up killing themselves, going missing and drinking heavily. What is required is a better understanding of male mental health, better training for clinicians, awareness-raising amongst men and more accessible services.

Answer 4

I am an equalist and I am frankly surprised that you submit a non-question such as this. There are NUMEROUS special preferences and privileges given to feminists. They are common knowledge so you clearly know that they exist and know what they are.

Feminism itself is utterly s*x-based and s*x-biased so that makes it totally incompatible with equalism. Equalism - unlike feminism - regards people as HUMAN BEINGS regardless of gender and regardless of race.

http://www.celticsurf.net/phpBB3/viewfor...

EDIT: Excellent and well-researched answers, Gun Fanatic and Yohan!

Answer 5

A lot of what they complain about is nonsense. Like the women only buses in Mexico, where women are routinely subject to verbal and physical abuse on public transport. Even many men in Mexico agree that women only sections are a good idea, probably because they're worried about their wives and daughters. Personally I'm not sure, but then I don't have to deal with being groped on my daily commute.

222 - actually these laws have not yet come into effect and also firms will not be REQUIRED to discriminate in favour of women / minorities.

Answer 6

i can tell you that many anti-feminists are against VAWA (violence agst women act) and claim it's sexist.

some web sites call it "anti-family" tragedy that imprisons "innocent men" and turns minor conflict into jail time and divorce.

many of those against this law have had restraining orders, DV convictions, ect.   many want a return to patriarchy (but will not admit to that - go to their web sites & see for yourself).

what they fail to admit is that there are many laws for men - the responsible fatherhood act for one.  many others (and certianly have been thru history). somehow these are overlooked.

they call DV an "industry" that makes millions and uses false stats and hysteria to claim an epidemic.

go to cdc and world health for credible sources.  

apparently we are "privileged" to want protection from DV, rape and stalking.  apparently, they think men suffer equally from these crimes (they dont' DV is 85-15 by credible sources).  perhaps, they want half the VAWA monies - yet cannot produce credible sources of equal abuse.  i do not deny there is abuse agst men, but it is trumped up to further their agenda. plus, money from VAWA does help men. plenty of shelters give them referrals, advice & counseling. men are typically not threatened when they leave a violent reln'ship, so they rely on shelters considerably less than women.  men also can be stalked and can use these resources.

Answer 7

Affirmative Action and quotas for women

http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/affirm...

http://www.quotaproject.org/faq.cfm

Violence Against Women Act law

http://www.acadv.org/VAWAbillsummary.htm...

http://www.endabuse.org/newsflash/index....

http://womhist.alexanderstreet.com/vawa/...

Domestic Violence Act law in India that solely favor women

http://mynation.net/study-report-dvact.h...

http://mynation.wordpress.com/2007/12/24...

Title IX

http://www.siue.edu/ALESTLE/library/SPRI...

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/wr...

http://writing.colostate.edu/gallery/tal...

Women Business Ownership Assistance program

http://12.46.245.173/pls/portal30/CATALO...

Just to name a few

Answer 8

They seem to think that feminists are the ones looking for the following:

-alimony (when no need is demonstrated for it);

-child support (see above);

-guys acting chivalrously at all times;

-guys acting stereotypically masculine at all times; and

-guys sublimating their personalities to suit women at all times,

when, in reality, most of us don't want any of the above.

Answer 9

Dont know some feminists sat in sand and they make the rest of you look like jerks.

KICK THEM OUT OF UR CLUB

Answer 10

I don't know what your personal agenda is but I would hazard a guess that you want to feel important. If not please forgive me. However there is a law in my country that has just been passed by an extremely weak government that makes employer have to take on foreigners, women and the elderly before white males if they have the same qualifications..now you might think that is fair I don't however.

If a young lad has been fighting in Iraq and decides to leave the army and go into sivvy street and he goes for a job and a polish guy who has come hear just to make a few bob (nothing wrong with that by the way) then by law the Pole has to be given the job assuming it is a laboring job and therefore not qualifications are needed. They are equally qualified and the employer will be prosecuted by the government if they give the job to the young soldier who was serving his country.

Now you tell me how feminism as it is a prominent feminist that drafted this law benefits society in real terms....it doesn't it divides and is dangerous.

Answer 11

1....same money for the same job.

2....mastectomy & hysterectomy patients are sent home the the same day or the next day after surgery....with drains attached because Major Health Insurers don't consider them important enough surguries.

If a man had such a serious operation on his sexual organs you can bet they wouldn't send him home right away.

3....same goes for childbirth.....a woman could hemorrage to death before she got back to the hospital if something goes wrong.

Answer 12

The complaint is about the advocation for equality which in effect rejects equity. Basically the first wave advocated and attained equal rights and opportunities for women which is fair and just i.e. equitable.

However, these equal rights and opportunties failed to lead to equal outcomes (same number of men and women in high powered positions) or equality in its true nature. Basically because fair treatment failed to achieve the desirable ends they wanted, feminism had to reject it and begin advocating for policies that will achieve the equality they seek.

That means that equal rights and equitable treatment need to have more considerations added to achieve those equal outcomes. Equality for the sake of being equal, is that really fair?

Edit: Concise oxford dictionary 11th edition states that equality is the state of being equal i.e. it is ONLY concerned with the outcome that everyone is equal. So equality is defined by the outcome alone which must be "equal" and consistent

It also states that equity is fair and impartial treatment which means that it is the means whereby outcomes are achieved. It is not defined by the outcome (which can equal or unequal), but rather how it is achieved (fair treatment).

So you can treat two people equitably i.e. equal opportunity but they don't receive the same outcome since one deserves it more than the other. However, it can be equitable to have equal outcomes IF it was achieved by equitable means and not manipulated to gain the outcome.

I read what you said but the point is you cannot EVER judge the fairness of opportunity based on the outcome it produces. It was either equal opportunity or it was not. The "fairness" of the outcome is based on the fairness of the means employed to achieve it. Equity can produce 90% of women in high powered positions or 90% of men or (ideally) 50-50. However, you cannot decide that the outcome is "unfair" if the means to achieve it were actually fair. The best you could say is it is unequal. That is the distinction and conflict.

Furthermore the legislation should NOT apply equally to everyone, it should apply fairly. To take a really trivial example it could be fair i.e. equitable for women to have more toilets than men if they need them even though by definition it clearly cannot be equal. It's not an open and shut case as much as you'd like to think it is

Answer 13

About Europe:

Women find everywhere support and special treatment...

For example in UK is a campagne to shut down all prisons for women, because women are different.

In Spain there is the idea of a gender-specific income tax, men pay more, women pay less, because they are so poor.

Women in my native EU-country retire 5 to 10 years earlier than men, have a much better health-care and live 8 years longer than men.

Men are forced into military services in Europe for 1 or 2 years without pay, while women refuse even to do 1 or 2 weeks service for sick people or for elderly care without pay...which means to employ immigrants for such jobs.

In Norway there are even gender-specific commericial laws, giving preference to women - they must be employed, even in case their qualification is lower than those of men, who apply for the same job...etc.etc.

Sweden allows females to offer s*x-services to men, but only the man will be punished, as it is legal to sell s*x, but illegal to buy s*x...

There are also protection laws for women against Sunday work, night work, overtime...

Yes, women have a good life in Europe, better than in the USA, I guess...

Finally, not to talk about family laws, like divorce...the ex-wife gets everything, even if she was cheating the man - even if the ex-husband is not the biological father of the child he has to pay child-support....

There is even the idea in Norway to remove urinals from an elementary school, as boys should not do, what girls cannot...

And you are a feminist and have no idea why men are complaining?

Answer 14

Be a first-class woman, not a second-class feminist

Answer 15

Some people believe in equal opportunity, regardless of outcome.  Some of these are feminists, some are not.

Some people believe in equal outcome, regardless of opportunity, some of these are feminists, some are not.

This is as well as the fact that most people seem to think feminism only happened in the US, and use that as a tool to attack all feminism.  No, it's not logical, but since when did logic have anything to do with feminist bashing?  Good question btw!  :)

Answer 16

VAWA, affirmative action for women, government agencies for women only, special arrangements for women only (Cornell gym), on and on.

Answer 17

The fundamental problem with feminism is that it tries to equate people at finish line instead of start line.Feminism is flawed in theory.  

One does not even need to go to practice to find loopholes.

Answer 18

Title IX is the kind of thing that some people point to. It is supposed to make sure that girls and boys in school have equal amounts of money and so forth set aside for sports. The problem is that at times (rare times) there isn't enough interest from the girls at an institution so boys programs are cut to make things equal. It's not that the girls are being cheated. They aren't showing up, but the boys are still hurt.

It doesn't happen much and I have no problem with Title IX. I'm just giving an example of what you asked for.

Answer 19

I believe the special laws and treatment that feminists advocate for that is frowned on by anti-feminists are men and women living together and breathing the same air.