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Comment by sambeau | Hacker News Reader

Sexism is not a problem for men as long as men hold most of the power and are afforded most of the best opportunities.

Equality is not about uniformity — it is about the overall balance.

You are picking small examples where women outnumber men and are claiming cause and effect. Show me a genuinely powerful organisation or occupation that discriminates against men and I'll fight it with you.

Looking at Kindergarten teachers is a red herring. Look at board members, police & army chiefs, presidents, government minsters, nobel prize winners etc. THat's where the power is so that is where the sexism is.

Power & opportunities; not uniformity.

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You are using an extremist definition of sexism. I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree; when this is the foundation I could never agree with you.

I think that this uncompromising attitude harms your cause rather than help it, though. I am a big proponent of equality of opportunity, fighting for it whenever I see gender discrimination in my regular circle. But this adversarial form of feminism makes otherwise compromising men dig in their heels, and you end up with a battle of the sexes rather than the possibility for change. I will never support a cause that claims that 50% of the world's population is exempt from the right to claim discrimination. Thankfully only part of the feminist movement has views that are this extreme.

I'm amazed that you would think mine is an extremist view.

If you have a major flood in your garden you don't rush to sort out a dripping tap. First you tackle the flood then you investigate the tap. Anyone shouting 'the tap, the tap!' would be quite rightfully lambasted as unhelpful.

Nursing & childcare are statistically women-only due to sexism against women, not due to sexism against men. These are low-paying, low-power jobs where only the bosses tend to be male.

If some women are protectionist about men joining their ranks (which, by the way, I highly doubt until I see some evidence — I have met many of both) it is probably due either due to fears of pedophilia (almost certainly unfair) or due to fears that men will be promoted over them (very real).

Anti-male sexism in the work-place is a red-herring. It is a minuscule problem compared to anti-female sexism and, to my ears, carping on about it sounds as misplaced as white males going on about being discriminated by ethnic minorities.

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