The question

The central question of this blog: What would the world look like if feminism really had succeeded - and how far are we from that?

Let's not try, for the moment, to define "succeeded" - or, for that matter, "feminism". As a busy, sleep-deprived mother of young children, with lots of other irons in the fire, I'm going for low-hanging fruit here (which among other things means that I'll be drawing mainly on my own Western, white, middle-class experience, at least at first). The kind of thing you wish you could shoot back when someone says "feminism was all very well in its way - and, like, I'm not saying women shouldn't have the vote or anything - but there's no need for it any more". Whenever I hear this, I want to come out with a string of evidence to the contrary.

So this blog will be a place where I can gather suitable evidence. I mean stuff that's easy to measure - and difficult to refute, because engaging with refutation takes more effort than I have to spare at the moment. Big chunky factual facts - nothing nuanced, nothing that can be dismissed as biased opinion. (Yes, hardcore patriarchophiles will dismiss anyway; I'm not proposing to waste my time trying to convince them.) Ammunition, perhaps, for people who vaguely feel that things aren't quite as rosy as they're being asked to believe, but can't put their finger on any specific examples.

Some initial ideas: Average earnings. Gender balance in traditionally gendered jobs (barrister, secretary, truck driver, checkout attendant). Gender balance in easily defined groups such as elected politicians, university professors, members of professional associations. Figures on domestic work and care work. Relevant crime figures. Also, how gender affects some of the areas I'm personally interested in, such as what gets taught on literature courses, or how children are socialised.

Given my other commitments, I suspect posts will be sporadic. But I'm determined to do this - I've been thinking about it for years.