Gender parity and Orwellian doublespeak
A Sunday article in the Review-Journal (“Boards pursue gender parity”) demonstrates the current inconsistency and inherent contradictions in the practical application of modern feminism. How can all of these beliefs, policies or goals be reconciled:
— Women should have full social, political, legal and economic equality.
— Men and women are the same; there are no practical or significant differences.
— Despite any differences, full equality is desirable for egalitarian reasons.
— More women in an organization or institution will make a difference.
— Women simultaneously need no special considerations or protection, yet need special programs to promote and protect them.
The answer, of course, is that not all of these can be reconciled. And as long as society pretends to believe all of them in a sort of Orwellian doublethink, there will continue to be problems.
If significant numbers of women in an organization will make a difference or change it, exactly what are those differences and changes, and are they good or bad? Do they make the organization more or less effective and efficient? If it won’t make a difference, what’s the big deal? Let’s get some answers.
