Ladies in their pants

First, by way of easing us into a discussion about women wearing not much more than pants, a publicity push for whomadeyourpants? collective. They make pretty underwear - hooray! - but concerned girls can be assured that the women who made them were properly treated and have a stake in the business, a rarity in any business involving women and intimate garments. I have ordered mine and will report back on future Bakery pages. I also have a pattern for knitting lacy pants so we can see whether commerce triumphs over home craft shortly.


Last week's Bakery posting urged support for the Fawcett Society's admirable attempt to take the government to court for failure to abide by the Gender Equality Duty and notice that they are disproportionately affecting women in the proposed cuts. It's pleasing to see that they are garnering much support, but saddening to find that they are getting so little coverage (try googling this or searching in any of the major newspaper websites or political blogs and you will see what I mean).


But let's try to keep the rant level low. Is there anything good to report on women's lives in the UK in summer 10? Well, yes, actually there is, though it is a strange thing to have to celebrate and is a bit like celebrating the end of a war. Thanks due to Object, a wonderful campaigning organisation. Even if you don't agree with them - and I do hope that by the end of this blog you will - they gladden the heart, they remind us all that you don't have to be a Freemason to influence people.


As of 3rd August 2010 (two weeks ago), Job Centres were no longer allowed to advertise posts in the so-called 'sex industry' (some of us choose to use the less factually challenged  term rape-and-sexual-abuse-industry when referring to lap-dancing clubs, sex shows, prostitution, pornography and the like, but call it what you will). 


I will pause for the effects of this to be clear....yes, that's right, it was legal before 3rd August for lap dancing clubs (known quaintly as the Adult Entertainment Industry) to advertise for staff in Job Centres. Which meant it was perfectly legal for Job Centre staff to put these adverts in front of unemployed young women. Did they put them in front of unemployed men, I wonder? And did the adverts carry the footnote about Exemption from the Sex Discrimination Act? If not, the Job Centres were themselves breaking the Sex Discrimination Act, but let that slide for the moment.


If you had an unemployed daughter, niece, friend, or if you yourself are a young unemployed woman, what would be your response to a Job Centre employee telling your daughter/niece/etc./you that you should consider this line of employment? Yes, the Job Centre guidance did say that job seekers should not be forced to apply, but at the very least, putting up the adverts in a government office gives them some sort of respectability.


What, Bakery Thangam, I hear you ask. What can you possibly have against nice ladies taking their tops off for kindly men who mean them no harm and simply want to give them some cash to buy a cardi with?  Pen and paper ready, please, take down the following:


Increased risk of sexual harassment of women living or working in the areas surrounding these establishments: try walking past one at night. I have to cycle home past two late at night after I get off the train from London, coincidentally after runnning a re-education programme for violent men and so I can personally assure you there is anecdotal evidence to support this. But don't believe me, read the research which shows this clearly: lap dancing clubs create an atmosphere in which men feel free to sexually harass and abuse women in and out of the premises. When they leave the club, they do not get hosed down with reasonable thought processes and their minds are in the same foolish state when they are outside addressing we ladies of the general public. I can also assure you of the generally depressing effect the sight of the clubs has on me: just spent 4 hours trying to give men reasons to stop treating women as their property and play things, only to be reminded that the men will have already been given 10 times as many reasons to ignore me, by the time they get home.


Increased risk of sexual harassment and assault for women working in these establishments: sounds like a duh! factor but there it is. Research shows that clubs are not safe for women to work in, they regularly face sexual harassment and assault. The clubs respond that they employ security guards to protect the women - by definition this shows that the clients are not to be trusted and a security guard can't be there all the time. You could try arguing that women know that they are risking this when they take on the job, but then you would also be arguing that women give up their rights to bodily safety when they get a job in the Adult Entertainment Industry. Are you sure you really mean that? If men pay the entrance fee, should we just ignore whatever they do to the women?


Sexualisation contributes to sexually abusive beliefs: yup, another duh! factor.  Research into sexual assault and beliefs shows that about a third of UK population think that women are to blame if they are wearing revealing clothing and get sexually assaulted. Are any of those people the same as the ones who want certain other women to reveal a bit more, by not wearing the veil? What's a girl to do? Wear more or wear less? Or shall we just stay at home in sensible shoes and knit lacy pants?


Sex industries make young women want to work in the sex industry: Some polls suggest that about two-thirds of the UK's young women want to work in the rape-and-sexual-assault-industry. Is this what you want for your daughter? If you aren't fine with that, but think people like me are interfering old witches, why is it OK for someone else's daugher but not yours? Would you say nothing if you were in a club and it was your daughter the men were leering over and trying to grab?


Sexualisation puts young women at risk of sexual harm: Young women in their early teens are publishing pictures and videos of them naked online on various well-known social networking sites. Some of these sites have proudly announced the thousands of user licenses belonging to convicted sex offenders they have had to close down.  Do you know what the young women in your life are posting online? More glamourising of the lap dancing and similar industries helps make sexual abusers feel justified in watching and abusing young women and the internet is then able to provide the means for them to do this from the comfort of their own homes. Why would we want to help that?


Discrimination: The Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) conducted an Equalities Impact Assessment on this topic, which makes clear that jobs advertised in the Job Centres have to obey the law on discrimination in employment. Lap dancing clubs recruit young, thin, women with a particular body shape. They are not well known for their equal opportunities strategies.


Lap dancing clubs who responded to the DWP consultation protested that they are simply a choice of employer amongst many, comparing their vacancies with those in butchers. Nice touch.


FACT: there is no reply yet from the government to the Fawcett application for a judicial review for gender discrimination.
FACT: just because something turns you on, doesn't make it right.
FACT: so far as I know, no-one has yet invented a device for checking if internet porn/webcams etc were produced with no coercion, trafficking, force, sexual violence against the people on screen.
FACT: there is much more to say about women in and out of our pants. But until then, do visit who made your pants and see good things about the subject and perhaps agonise over whether their pictures are objectifying us females....Comments welcome please.


So there we are, some good news, some bad. Mostly the not so good sort.


Keep on knitting and baking. But most of all, get active. And I am not talking about sport.

NEXT TIME: yes, there will be recipes. I promise. Fish pie looks likely, also some bread related item.