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Difficult to be a Guardian columnist these days

Progress can often be its own worst enemy. After a month in which the nation’s attention was diverted towards the inadequate understanding of the dangers women face from sexual predators, a new survey by King’s College London on perceptions of inequality reveals that the UK is exceptional among similar nations in its attitudes towards gender inequality.

In short, the British seem to have relegated gender inequality to the consigned-to-the-past category, with only 23% of those surveyed considering it a top concern.

Well, yes, perhaps because it might even be true. Britain is, as with much of Northern Europe, one of the most gender equal countries that ever existed. Might even be worth expending our efforts on some other problem as a result.

The people this poses a problem for are Guardian columnists. How to keep filling that page each week with whines?

In general, the King’s College report observed, British people were “much less likely to pick out inequality between men and women as a serious problem compared with other countries”; and countries that ranked higher than the UK in terms of gender equality still recorded higher levels of concern about gender issues. The link between Britain’s perception of itself in this regard and reality is seemingly as broken as it is in Saudi Arabia. We are much closer than we would like to think to countries where until recently women couldn’t drive. If we continue to congratulate ourselves on how far we have come, we can guarantee not only that progress will stall, but that ultimately it will be reversed.

Well, just keep whining, obviously.

13 thoughts on “Difficult to be a Guardian columnist these days”

  1. Well, I would agree that gender inequality is a problem. The situation of the poor oppressed men of the UK- white of course – is an utter outrage.

    But if we purge all of those like Nesrine Malik, we’ll have made a good start.

  2. Good, god, they’re saying the UK is barely any better than SAUDIA ARABIA?????? How on earth do these people manage to remember to breath?

  3. “If we continue to congratulate ourselves on how far we have come ‘invite’ people whose culture is that of Saudi Arabia, we can guarantee not only that progress will stall, but that ultimately it will be reversed”.

  4. “Britain also posts relatively high anxiety about racial and ethnic inequality – much higher than the European average – which seems to be at odds with the generally hostile environment towards racial justice campaigners since the Black Lives Matter protests last summer.”

    Oh, Nesrine, I think you misunderstood. The one has caused the other!

  5. Shouldn’t be that difficult for them.. After all, it’s only two drums they’re beating incessantly.

  6. We are much closer than we would like to think to countries where until recently women couldn’t drive.

    I’m not a big fan of Saudi Arabia, but I bet they don’t have to listen to dreary whining bitches like Malik there.

    Of course they also don’t import such people, except to clean the bogs. Perhaps a few lessons for us…

  7. Equating “gender inequality” in the UK with that in Saudi Arabia where woman were until recently classed as minors and still require a male guardian’s permission for many things shows an utter lack of comprehension. But this is the Guardian, where that is an employment pre-requisite.

  8. If the British are no longer so concerned about gender inequality, it’s clearly because they have a false consciousness due to ideological indoctrination.

    There’s plenty of copy for the Guardian yet. They will never run out.

  9. The people this poses a problem for are Guardian columnists. How to keep filling that page each week with whines?

    They could, perhaps, move to places where this is still a serious problem. While I would not expect them to move to Liberia or Saudi Arabia, but maybe Russia or China might have more use of their particular set of skills?

  10. ‘Perhaps a few lessons for us…’

    MC, I understand that the Saudis use the kafala system. This binds the foreign labourer to their employer. Sounds like indentured servants doesn’t it.

    I do remember seeing a picture of, I think, Ethiopians who were eagerly awaiting repatriation. Sounds as though it’d have just the right effect in the UK.

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