Take Women Seriously

Level: C2

This is supposed to be an enlightened age, but you wouldn’t think so if you could hear what the average man thinks of the average woman. Women won their independence years ago. After a long, bitter struggle, they now enjoy the same educational opportunities as men in most parts of the world. They have proved repeatedly that they are equal and often superior to men in almost every field. The hard-fought battle for recognition has been won, but it is by no means over. It is men, not women who still carry on the sex war because their attitude remains basically hostile. Even in the most progressive societies, women continue to be regarded as second-rate citizens. To hear some men talk, you’d think that women belonged to a different species!

On the surface, the comments made by men about women’s abilities seem light-hearted. The same tired jokes about women drivers are repeated day in, day out. This apparent light-heartedness does not conceal the real contempt that men feel for women. However much men sneer at women, their claims to superiority are not borne out by statistics. Let’s consider the matter of driving, for instance. We all know that women cause far fewer accidents than men. They are too conscientious and responsible to drive like maniacs. But this is a minor quibble. Women have succeeded in any job you care to name. As politicians, soldiers, doctors, factory-hands, university professors, farmers, company directors, lawyers, bus-conductors, scientists and presidents of countries they have often put men to shame. And we must remember that they frequently succeed brilliantly in all these fields in addition to bearing and rearing children.

Yet men go on maintaining the fiction that there are many jobs women can’t do. Top-level political negotiation between countries, business and banking are almost entirely controlled by men, who jealously guard their so-called ‘rights.’ Even in otherwise enlightened places like Switzerland women hadn’t even been given the vote until a few years ago. This situation is preposterous! The arguments that men put forward to exclude women from these fields are all too familiar. Women, they say, are unreliable and irrational. They depend too little on cool reasoning and too much on intuition and instinct to arrive at decisions. They are not even capable of thinking clearly. Yet when women prove their abilities, men refuse to acknowledge them and give them their due. So much for a man’s ability to think clearly!

The truth is that men cling to their supremacy because of their basic inferiority complex. They shun real competition. They know in their hearts that women are superior, and they are afraid of being beaten at their own game. One of the most important tasks in the world is to achieve peace between the nations. You can be sure that if women were allowed to sit round the conference table, they would succeed brilliantly, as they always do, where men have failed for centuries. Some things are too important to be left to men!

Glossary

acknowledge someone- to accept, admit or recognise the existence of someone

be borne out- to be supported by hard facts

beat someone at their own game- to beat someone or fight back against them by using the same methods that they use

cling to- to hold to someone or something tightly, especially because you do not feel safe

conscientious- careful to do everything that is your job or duty to do

contempt- a feeling that someone or something is not important and deserve no respects

day in, day out- every day, repeatedly

enlightened- having sensible modern views and treating people fairly and kindly

for instance- for examples

give someone their due- to give someone what they deserve or something that is their right to have

inferiority complex- a continuous feeling that you are much less important, clever, etc. than other people’s

intuition- the ability to understand or know something because of a feeling rather than by considering the facts

irrational- not based on clear thought or reasonable

know in you heart- to be secretly sure about something although you may not admit it

light-hearted- not intended to be seriously

maniac- someone who behaves in a stupid or dangerous way

negotiation- an official discussion

preposterous- completely unreasonably or silly

progressive- supporting modern ideas and methods

put someone/something to shame- to be so much better than someone or something that it makes the other thing seem very bad or ordinary

quibble- an argument, complaint or criticism about small unimportant details

rear- to look after a person or animal until they are fully grown

second-rate- not of the very best standard or quality

shun- to avoid deliberately

sneer- to smile or speak in a very unkind way that shows you have no respect for someone or something

struggle- a long hard fighting

supremacy- the position in which you are more powerful or advanced than anyone else

tired- familiar and boring

Collocations

win independence

a long, bitter struggle

enjoy an opportunity

equal to someone or something

superior to someone or something

a hard-fought battle

a battle for recognition

win a battle

by no means over

second-rate citizens

on the surface

make a comment

sneer at someone or something

claim to superiority

the claim is borne out

cause accidents

drive like maniacs

a minor quibble

any (job) you care to name

succeed brilliantly

in addition to

bear and rear children

maintain the fiction that

jealously guard something

be given the vote

put an argument forward

exclude someone or something from

all too familiar

cool reasoning

arrive at decisions

be capable of something/doing something

prove your abilities

shun competition

achieve peace