As part of the ongoing efforts of the VP External, the IW is exchanging articles with its counterpart in parallel universe MHECB-997. In this universe, the Tin Soldier is the official newspaper of the engineering society, and society is, well…different. Prominent masculinist Alexo Hogeveen has offered this article on the troubles plaguing the engineering society he knows.
Firstly, I would like to thank editor Angela Smithington for allowing me to write in the prestigious and female-dominated Tin Soldier. The ‘rougher sex,’ as we are called, has been silenced far too long and it is incumbent for this bastion of impartiality to ring loud and clear this call for equality.
We men have made significant gains in recent years, notably winning the right to vote in most jurisdictions of Canada (with the noteworthy exception of ultra-conservative Quebec). However, the stigmatization that men are not qualified to vote and should merely echo the views of their mothers or wives is not as easily changed, and we must work to encourage men to think and vote independently for ourselves. Furthermore, I dream of a day where men serve as elected members of parliament, perhaps even as cabinet ministers or premier of Ontario. It may seem a crazy dream right now, but with the right attitude, anything is possible.
Changing the attitudes of the greater sex will not be easy. We have been looked down upon and oppressed for far too long. Equal pay for equal work legislation is a step in the right direction, but pay rates for men remain a fraction that of women. This is partly due to more invisible discrimination where men are, in fact, capable of doing the same work but are given positions of less responsibility, thereby circumventing ‘equal pay for equal work’ regulations. Furthermore, the ‘iron ceiling’ in such high-paying professions as medicine and education loom large, with men facing adversity from the entrenched establishment. Though men have made inroads in areas such as finance and engineering, we must continually strive to seek equality in the nobler (and therefore high-paying) professions as well.
There are many simple cultural measures which must be propagated for the changes we need to take effect. For example, the male birth control pill has helped remove the stigma associated with unwanted impregnation, yet men still do not feel in control of our bodies. We are socially pressured to cater to the whims of the dominant gender, and though we may be de jure in control of our bodies, we often find ourselves powerless to make this known. For example, the tight, long pants we are encouraged to wear often stifle our sense of expression. And yet, if we wear shorts of kilts to cool ourselves in summer, we are ogled and stigmatized as ‘sluts’. Until we can wear what we want without fear of reprisal, our bodies are not truly our own.
Stereotypes about clumsiness, laziness, and general ineptitude continue to persist. At a recent interview, I was incensed to be told I didn’t have to ovaries to compete in “a women’s world.” When will employers and other institutions look past our gender to focus on our individual skills and attributes? Often it is less explicit, being told we are simply ‘not right’ for a job or promotion and attacking the root of this discrimination, not just its overt forms, is necessary for this to change.
Matriarchal society is not limited to the workplace but persists in the home. Even when men do find employment, they are still expected to return home, do the housework, cook a meal, and play the part of doting spouse upon their wives’ arrival. While the institution of maternal leave has helped, the continued expectation for men to take paternity leave and perhaps leave the workforce permanently to take care of children persists. Only when men and women are expected to share equal burdens in the home can we expect them to contribute equally on the job.
Brother and sisters let us unite in a call for equality: Men are people too!
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