Population growth and women's status

Interesting article on status of women and population growth in today's Independent. It looks at the issue on a world-wide scale, linking high rates of fertility with fundamentalist religion of all kinds, as well as with women's economic status, and the amount of responsibility men take for the home and childcare.

How to be a real man

Yes, I said 'man!. I really like this article about 24-year-old Gareth May's website 21st-century-boy.co.uk

Welcome
There are those among us who believe the 21st Century is bubbling over with boys who can't be bothered to get out of bed let alone learn how to shave.

They seem to think we're born with an innate understanding of the female psyche and the instructions to change a car tyre are etched inside our heads.

But being a boy isn't easy. There's no manual to growing up. There's just a series of signposts scattered throughout our youth, pointing us in the right direction.

Welcome to 21st Century Boy, one of those signposts.

Includes articles on checking for testicular cancer, how to hold a baby, how to change a car tyre among others.

Mothers set up businesses

Article on BBC website, looks at women who set up businesses when they have children, as a way of ensuring flexibility, and escaping workaholic culture.

Too many women in jail

Article in today's Independent investigates why the numbers of women in prisons have risen so steeply, and what should be done.
I haven't read the comments yet, but expect there will be some 'equality' gripes.

Back to the home, women!

It seems that more men and women believe women should spend more time at home, looking after children, than was the case in the 1990s.
Guardian article examines in detail the reasons for this and the implications.

The best article I have seen so far was in the Daily Telegraph . I quote the final paragraphs:

There are two answers to the problem. One has two legs, often suffers from pattern baldness, and doesn't seem to figure in this report. If women find they can't manage work and family, it is because they either don't have men around or the men aren't pulling their weight domestically.

The other lies with employers who still seem reluctant to accept that Britain's long working hours are not something to be proud of. I'm lucky in being able to work a "normal" eight-hour day. Occasionally I take time off for a child's physio appointment. If there's no pressing deadline, I sometimes break off mid-sentence to do my other job at home. That principle doesn't just apply to my industry. I could go into it, but it's time to cook dinner... Sorry.

Brilliant.

The 'crisis in masculinity'

Zoe Williams article hits back.