Frost Magazine

Books and Lifestyle

Frost Magazine

Tag Archives: sexism

Equal Pay Day: Female? You Will Work The Rest Of The Year For Free

Posted on by

Today is Equal Pay Day- so called because the average pay gap between men and women is so large that women effectively work for free from November 4th until the end of the year. Depressing, isn’t it? Something must be done about it. Maybe women should strike. I am up for it. A holiday from now until 2015? Sounds fun.

It is not just because women tend to bear the brunt of childcare, although more paternity rights and men picking up their slack in this area would help, read this brilliant article on equal pay from the Huffington Post. This year equal pay day is three days earlier than last year because the pay gap has widened. Truly shocking. For every £1 earned by a man, a women gets 80p.

Feminist_Suffrage_Parade_in_New_York_City,_1912

On Equal Pay Day 2014, Iain McMath, CEO of Sodexo Benefits and Rewards Services had some great comments on how pay differences are affecting employees and what employers can do to help:

“It is alarming to see that the difference in take home pay for men and women is actually increasing, despite it being over 40 years since the arrival of the Equal Pay Act. With figures now showing that women earn 15.7% less than their male colleagues, this inequality shows no signs of abating.

It is unsurprising, therefore, that women are suffering financial consequences of this disparity. According to our recent survey of UK workers, 54% of women say they struggle to put aside any funds due to limited disposable income, compared to just 40% of men, which clearly shows the impact that unequal pay has on financial planning.

Equal Pay Day serves to highlight the fact that there is still significant work to be done before men and women are treated equally in the workplace. Until this happens, employers need to be aware of the financial stress that many of their employees are facing, and must take steps to ensure they are helping staff to manage their money and reach their financial goals.”

 

 

Actresses Deserve Much More Than Being ‘The Girl’ And a Naked One At That

Posted on by

film characters - anna paquinIn my other life as an actress I have noticed a worrying trend. Well, I say ‘trend’ but actually it has been going on for years: female parts in films were the character has no name and is called ‘The girl’. The girl is usually the only female part in the film and will also have at least one nude scene. Just because it is not humiliating enough to be offered a script where all of the men have names and you don’t, you also have to get your tits out. Nameless and objectified: actresses deserve better than this. WOMEN KIND deserves better than this.

It is hard to describe just how depressing it is to work in an industry where women are reduced constantly to the sum of their parts and not even named. the worrying thing is that this is a common practice. Upon complaining about this on my Facebook, prominent film maker and casting director Rory O’Donnell said: “This is incredibly common. I made fun of it when I wrote The Landlady and gave all the female characters first, last and nicknames and called the only male character ‘The Boyfriend’….but he did get a name during shooting.” If only there were more people like Rory. 

But what is to be done? Well we need more female filmmakers for a start. Here are some highlights from an amazing survey done by Stephen Follows on his must-read blog.

 

  • Between 2009-13, women made up 26.2% of crew members on British films.
  • This compares favourably with top US films over the same period (22.2%)
  • Of all the departments, the Transportation department is the most male, with only 7.7% women.
  • The only departments to have a majority of women are Make-up, Casting, Costume and Production.
  • Visual Effects is the largest department on most major movies and yet only has 16.5% women.
  • 6.4% of composers on UK films were women.
  • 14% of UK films had a female director, compared with 3% of top US films.
  • The percentage of women on British films has barely changed in the past five years.

 

Read more about his survey here. It was in all of the papers so Stephen is truly doing his part for equality.  I often get asked why I don’t leave the industry. The truth is I did take a little break. Of course if my agent had called during that period I would have not said no, but it was a quiet period and I took the moment to reflect on my chosen path. One of them anyway. I often think that if I did not have this magazine and did not make my own projects I might go slightly mad. Luckily I do and I can fight instead. I made Prose & Cons which had a strong female cast and I am making more films with my filmmaking partner Steve McAleavy. The way forward is not to quit the industry, not to let these men give our breasts the starring role while our actual talent is just a nameless supporting character: the key is to raise awareness and FIGHT. Get men to join the battle and equal the playing field. Women deserve more and we won’t stop until we get it. The fightback starts here.

 

Catherine Balavage is a writer, film director, actress and the owner and editor of this magazine. She is also a published author and wrote the book How To Be a Successful Actor: Becoming an Actorpreneur which has received rave reviews and is a must for actors everywhere.

 

 

Zoe Saldana: I Am ‘Expired’ at 36 Because of ‘Ageist’ Hollywood

Posted on by

Guardians of The Galaxy star Zoe Saldana has called Hollywood out on its ageism, saying that the same ageist standards are not applied to men.

Zoe said it is “f**king ridiculous” that she is considered “expired” at the age of 36. She told The Sunday Telegraph’s Stella Magazine that she was offered the role as a love interest of an actor who was 30-years older than her. “I said ‘Eurgh, no f**king way’, they said ‘But Zoe, he’s the hottest actor’. I don’t give a  f*** how hot he is, I’m not going to endorse that — not until the day I see more romantic movies with Diane Keaton, Sandra Bullock, Meryl Streep with young hot actors working as their sidekicks. Only then will I say yes.”

Go Zoe!

Zoe_Saldana_at_82nd_Academy_Awards_(cropped)

 

If you want to be an actor, check out our editors book on How To Be a Successful Actor here.

 

 

Mind The Gender Gap – Men (Apparently) Make The Best Bosses

Posted on by

Frost has come across a survey we are not sure about. Do men really make the best bosses? 56% of people in a staff bay survey thought so, but we would like your input. Do men or women make the best bosses or does gender not matter when it comes to leadership? Let us know by commenting below or emailing us at frost magazine@gmail.com

  • 56% said they thought men make the best office generals
  • Just 4% of those surveyed said “they didn’t mind” whether a man or woman was their boss
  • Survey comes on back of recent ONS figures showing gender pay gap has decreased since the 1970s but disparity between what men and women take home today still differs dramatically after the age of 30.

 

suitamnestypaulcostelloeThe gender gap might be closing in the office, but men still make the best bosses, that’s the message from a new survey by social media-based recruitment specialists, staffbay.com

 

staffbay.com, which uses social media to bring jobseekers and employers together, asked 15,000 workers which gender they would prefer as a boss, and 56 per cent of them said they thought men make the best office generals. Interestingly, 62 per cent of those questioned were men, and just 4 per cent of those surveyed said “they didn’t mind” whether a man or woman was their boss.

 

staffbay co-founder, Tony Wilmot says that, although attitudes are changing, there still exists a gender divide in the workplace.

 

“The results of our latest survey show that, when it comes to taking up positions of power at work, men still rule the roost. What is particularly shocking about our survey is that only 4 per cent of those surveyed are ambivalent about the gender of their boss.

 

Tony adds: “In 1953, Gallup ran a poll showing that 66 per cent would choose a male boss and only 5 per cent a female one. Thankfully, times are changing. No-one wants to live in a male dominated world, as this only deters young, female talent from entering the workplace.

 

“We know from seeing behind the scenes at staffbay.com, that there are more young females than ever applying for traditionally male roles, and we welcome this. Our message is: get yourselves out there – become the bosses and business leaders of tomorrow.”

 

The survey comes on the back of recent Office of National Statistics Figures which showed that the gender pay gap has decreased since the 1970s but the disparity between what men and women take home today still differs dramatically after the age of 30.

 

Figures show that in 1975, 16 to 18 year olds of both sexes were paid similar sums but this changed after the age of 18 with men earning more than women at every age group. At that time, the biggest percentage pay gap was for 38 year olds, with male employees receiving on average 61 per cent more than their female counterparts.

 

“It’s time for this to change,” says Tony. “By pushing themselves forward and showing their talents off to prospective employers, fast-rising females can make sure this gap closes. We urge them to do all they can to make sure the gender balance is equal.”

 

 

Sexism And Sexual Harassment: The Rise of Everyday Sexism

Posted on by

This is an article I never wanted to write. But something compelled me. A sense of injustice, perhaps. I wanted to write about my own experience of everyday sexism. More importantly, I wanted to write about what happened to me a couple of weeks ago.

 

everyday sexism a personal experienceTwo weeks ago I was walking home from a party in East London when a car kept beeping. I ignored it. I usually do when I am in a part of London where I don’t know people. I finally turned around and a man gestured with his hand for me to come over to his car which had stopped at a red light. I obviously ignored it because I am not an idiot. Do they really think that a women being summoned by a stranger in a car is going to make her go over there? Insane. He was in a car with three friends. He didn’t like being ignored. In fact, he turned his car around so he and his friends could go past me and yell obscenities that I would never write down, never mind say out loud. To say I was terrified was an understatement. It doesn’t take a lot of courage to yell at a women who is 5.5 and a half inches tall and 130 pounds. If they wanted to get out of the car to hurt me, kill me, rape me, I would have stood no chance. I am an emotionally strong person, I even think that after martial arts training that I can generally look after myself, but, sadly, when it comes to physical strength: men and women are not born equal. I was badly shaken. My fiancé was off at a business conference. I didn’t leave the house the next. Nor the day after that.

 

I wish I could say this was a one-off. Sadly it wasn’t.  About a week later I was coming back from the post office near where I live and I was about to step onto the road and then I pulled back as a car was approaching very fast. I could have crossed and made it, but I decided to be extra safe. The car beeped at me aggressively. I waved the aggression away with my hand in an almost subconscious gesture. Turns out it was a man driving. He slammed on the brakes and got out of the car. A muscular man of average height and too-high testosterone. I had crossed behind him at this point. ‘What?, What?” He yelled at me with aggressive body language and an incredibly angry tone. I pretended he wasn’t there and walked in the opposite direction. Thankfully, he didn’t follow.

 

In fact the intimidate-a-women-in-your-car thing isn’t rare at all. It has happened to me four times now and many friends have had the same experience. But I doubt their mothers are proud of them. it doesn’t take a lot of courage to abuse a women who is alone, whilst sitting in a hunk of metal, surrounded by your friends. When I was growing up I wasn’t allowed in certain areas and places unless one of my brothers was with me. I always hated this, thought it was sexist and unfair, but, actually, my parents were smart and knew far more about the brutality and unfairness of the world than I did.

 

This doesn’t mean that all men are lovely and polite when not in cars. I have been asked ‘How much?’ whilst walking through Leicester Square. I have been followed a number of times, had my bottom groped, had men leer at me, been called everything from a slut, to a whore to a c**t (no, I can’t even write it down properly) I have walked down the street in a knee-length skirt and been treated like I was walking down the street topless. My crime? Just walking down the street, minding my own business. Oh, and having breasts and a vagina. Apparently that means it is open season. I never reply, I just ignore it. Usually I can brush it off but not always. Women should not have to put up with this level of abuse. It is time we took a stand. It is time that women and men unite and say no to everyday sexism.

 

There is a wonderful project called the Every Day Sexism Project (and I hope they don’t mind me using their name) you can add your experiences of Every Day Sexism.  They can also be tweeted at @EverydaySexism.

 

Please also comment and add your own experiences below. The more we expose sexism and show how common harassment is, the more we can do to stop it and raise awareness. My one hope is that some of these men don’t realise how their actions affect the women they treat so badly and that when they do, maybe they will think twice.

 

The Rise of Topless Activism: But Is It a Good Or Bad Thing?

Posted on by

There is a worrying new trend in feminism: topless activism. Not men being topless. Women being topless because of course. Even more worrying is the number of women falling for it. The trendy #freethenipple campaign has gained ground when, in fact, it does nothing but mock the real struggle for equality. Amanda Foreman wrote an amazing piece on this for The Sunday Times. She starts off:

“New York last week was awash with nipples. Actually, it was a tiny corner of downtown Manhattan. And it wasn’t so much a sea of breasts, as a handful (or an eyeful) of women who went topless in support of a campaign to “free the nipple”. For the uninitiated, #FreeTheNipple, was the brainchild of 29-year-old Lina Esco, who felt it was unfair that men can show their nipples in public in all 50 states, whereas for women it’s a mere 13. Esco struggled in comparative obscurity until her protest was annexed recently by Scout Willis, daughter of Bruce Willis and Demi Moore. She is locked in an ongoing struggle with Instragram over the freedom to post naked selfies. The internet company maintains a blanket policy against nude photos as a way of deterring pornographers and paedophiles.” 

She then goes on to point out that the previous week in Washington another struggle for women’s rights was happening, Senator Claire McCaskill of Missouri and others were part of a task force to confront the increase in violence against female students on US Campuses. Up a shocking 20% this year. The White House is holding hearings and using Title IX, a 1972 civil rights law, to force universities to provide better protection for female students.

Foreman also goes on to say that “one does not necessarily fuel the other” and makes the good point that countries in which women are covered up are worse for violence against women and sexism but she has a problem with ‘the American tendency to confuse life and death struggles for personal freedom with exhibitionist demonstrations of myopic self-regard’. I think this is well said but I don’t think it is just an American thing.

When it comes to the nipple there is nothing to free. It is everywhere, in television shows, films, magazines, Page Three, online porn,  even women’s magazines for god’s sake. I mean, why do fashion spreads in women’s magazines nearly always have a topless women in? It is just weird.

Thing is, I am not against nudity. Neither is Amanda. She posed nude for Tatler at one point. (no nipples though).  I am not a prude. I wouldn’t go topless on a beach but I love Helmut Newton’s fashion photography. The women in those pictures are all sexy, strong and in charge. Nudity, as with most things in life, is about context.

Femen, the Ukrainian political group, is run by a man and all of the women are slim and gorgeous. When it was Femen member  Inna Shevchenko’s birthday, Femen wrote: “Femen congratulates its most famous leader, real revolutionary, wunderkind of feminism and beauty Inna Shevchenko with her birthday!” The most important word there is ‘beauty’. Femen calls itself a feminist group but is just another organisation that has become famous through the exploitation of women and their bodies. 

They may be put in the paper, but no one is listening to what they are saying. The most interesting thing about Femen’s coverage is how big the pictures are of near-naked beautiful women, compared to how small the print of whatever they are protesting against is.  Anyone can get in the paper for getting their breasts out. It does not take talent or skill, women have been doing it for years and men have been exploiting them and selling magazines and newspapers off the back of that exploitation. When Vladimir Putin was protested against by a topless activist, his leering, pervy facial expression said it all.

Femen: the rise of topless activism

They are called private parts for a reason. People may call me a prude and think I am a killjoy but, actually, it’s rude to try and make someone else live by your rules. Breasts may be ‘functional’ but so is my vagina. I don’t whip that out either.

Some women think that a women going topless is the same thing as a man going topless. Or at least should be. Unfortunately, that cannot happen now. Breasts have been too sexualised for too long. It isn’t fair but the world isn’t fair. Breasts are sexual. They always will be. A topless man is not the same as a topless women. It’s not fair, but it is a fact.

If you don’t believe me, do an experiment. Flash your breasts at a man and then ask him what you said after. If he knows what you said, let everyone know his name; he deserves a medal or something.

Topless activism gets publicity but that doesn’t mean it works. Sex sells and the world is full of perverts. People love boobs and will use any excuse to print them, as long as they are attached to an attractive women.

Even the daughter of Demi Moore and Bruce Willis, Scout,  has gotten in on the act. ‘Protesting’ against Instagram not letting her post topless pictures of herself on Instagram. She then said she was going to ‘move to Europe’. She seems sweetly unaware that in ‘Europe’ we all wear clothes and that walking around topless is called indecent exposure.

She tweeted

Scout LaRue Willis @Scout_Willis 

I’m moving to Europe, people’s victorian sensibilities need to calm the fuck down

What @instagram won’t let you see 

Scout Willis walked around the streets of New York topless to make her point, but she could have chosen something more pressing to use her celebrity for. Like the fact women are stoned to death by their own families or teenagers being raped and then hung from trees in India.

Scout Willis #freethenipple protest Scout Willis #freethenipple protest

 

The thing is, we have to decide what we want. Feminism can’t have it both ways. Either we want to get rid of Page Three because it is wrong and objectifies women or we want to get our nipples out to be ‘equal’ to men. Which one is it? Easy. If you want to be equal to men then ask to be paid the same as them. Ask for the same opportunities. There are more MPs called John in the House of Parliament than there is women. The average college graduate in the US who becomes a mother will sacrifice a million dollars over her lifetime and single women make 90% of what men make. The list of what to fight for is endless and, trust me, freeing our nipples is the least of it.

 

What do you think? Is Topless Activism a good thing?

 

 

 

Is It Wrong When Women Swear?

Posted on by
Credit: Nemo

Credit: Nemo

There was a huge uproar when Dame Helen Mirren swore at the Glamour Women of the Year Awards. Dinosaur Daily Mail journalist Quentin Letts wrote a piece criticising her, calling her an ‘”uneducated trollop”. Here is what Mirren said: “40 is good, 50 is great, 60 is fab and 70 is fucking awesome.” In an ageist, sexist society you have a sexy, beautiful, successful woman saying the word ‘fuck’ and a grown man just can’t handle it. Mirren is an advocate that getting older is great, that life just gets better, much better than the usual youth-obsession and droning on that getting older is awful. Dawn O’Porter also wrote an amazing piece for Glamour on Letts and swearing.

 

But let’s get down to what this is really about: sexist double standards. No one writes scathing articles when men swear but women are supposed to be ‘ladylike’. And when people say ‘ladylike’ what they really mean is quiet, well behaved and knowing your place. We have to wear the right things, have the correct manners, don’t be loud, don’t be opinionated, don’t draw attention to yourself. It is all COMPLETE BULLSHIT. I mean, are men like Quentin Letts gentlemen? No, there are barely any left, but women are still supposed to follow an ancient Victorian code that oppresses them under the guise of being a lady. I am a woman, not a lady and I am proud of that. Being a woman is far better. I have no interest in being a lady.

 

I am not saying I like ladette culture, in fact, I hated it. I am not saying all women should be loud mouthed and swear all of the time but a well placed fuck in the right moment makes all the difference. Never mind the fact that there is nothing sexier than someone who can swear properly. When you tell someone to fuck off it’s a command, not a suggestion. Punch it. True, not everyone likes swearing generally, but then again, not everyone likes chocolate or steak or yellow, that doesn’t mean other people aren’t allowed to like it. Everyone is allowed their own opinion on general swearing. For and against.

 

The real fact is, this is the only area where I blame my parents (blaming your parents for problems in your adulthood is juvenile to say the least). When I was growing up swearing was something that we were punished hard for but my parents were particularly hard on me, not my two brothers, always saying that it is ‘worse’ when women swear and not ‘ladylike’. This is, very probably, why my favourite word is ‘fuck’.

 

So the next time you have a point that would be greatly emphasised with a well-timed swearword, fucking go for it.

 

What do you think? What is your opinion on swearing?

 

 

 

Two Teenagers Gang Raped Then Left Hanging From Mango Tree In India

Posted on by

These are the two women in India who were gang raped and then left hanging from a tree. I am sorry to share this picture and upset people but pressure must be put on the Indian Government. I will now be boycotting India until women’s rights improve. Shame on India.

Picture via Facebook.

Picture via Facebook.

The girls were cousins aged 14 and 16. A police officer and two other people have been arrested. This happened in a northern Indian village, Katra Sadatganj.

Villagers were angry and protested, stopping the police from taking down the bodies for 15 hours on Wednesday.

An autopsy confirmed the girls had been raped and strangled said the police. Armed police have been deployed to the village in case of any further unrest.

Apparently some people saw the abduction but were unable to stop it. The girl’s families accused three brothers of carrying out the rape and killing. Two of the brothers are now in custody, said R.K.S. Rathore, a deputy-inspector general of police. Families of the victim also accused the police of failing to respond and siding with the attackers, which has fueled anger in the village. Three police officers have been temporarily suspended for negligence of duty, and another one was arrested.

 

 

 

Frost Magazine