Iceland’s prime minister and women across the island nation are on strike to push for an end to unequal pay and gender-based violence.
Iceland’s prime minister and women across the island nation are on strike to push for an end to unequal pay and gender-based violence.
Unequal pay sure, but how the hell is a strike supposed to stop violence against women? That’s not an economic concept that can be impacted by withholding labor. It’s a fine goal I just don’t see how a strike helps it get accomplished.
It brings attention to the issue. Not everything is intended to have a direct impact on problems.
If even PM herself can’t do shit, then nobody will do shit.
I think you might need to read A Modest Proposal.
The thing is, giving women the ability to extricate themselves from bad relationships where they explicitly have to rely on the income of someone else to take care of themselves and their offspring is a big reason why violence against women persists.
When we’re talking “violence against women” we don’t mean women randomly attacked in the street, more often than not, we mean women attacked by their partners, who are mostly men.
The impact of being able to financially extricate yourself from a violent partner is huge and is driven by economics. It’s literally why Lenin considered women an equal part of the Communist struggle. It’s why Russia under the USSR initially legalized abortion in 1920. This would unfortunately change when Stalin came to power, but at the outset, it was understood that women having economic independence was a huge part of allowing them to become equals to men in society, and allowing them to escape abusive men.
While A Modest Proposal shouldn’t be taken with any seriousness, it’s jokey demeanor makes very good points about the same ideas. There are all kinds of things you can do economically to incentivize reduced violence towards women.
The idea that higher pay wouldn’t have an impact on reducing violence towards women seems a bit short-sighted.
I appreciate the thoughtful response. That’s the way to disagree with someone without being a dick about it. Good comment.
Imagine you’re a wealthy CEO who funds politicians. Obviously you’re evil and the only thing you care about is money.
Suddenly you start making less money because people are upset about violence against women. The path to you making more money again is for the government to address this issue. So you use your considerable influence to make it happen.
Wealthy people are simple minded and easy to manipulate. Just make it more profitable to do what’s right and they will.