Equality or invading spaces?

 The modern world throws up all manner of wierd and wonderful stuff as much that some of things that were wrong back in our day are at least recognized as such equal opportunities when it comes to subjects studied at school for boys and girls, equal pay for men and women and so on.

Football for girls has come a long way from I dare say some of our peers (or even our younger selves) said "Go away! Only boys play football" whenever any girl showed any interest in having a kickabout and when women were in effect banned from playing all together.

So we see a great national Women's Super League (the WSL), more girls teams being set up to cater for demand and a better share of the money from the Football Association to pay for this.

Recently though it was reported a teenage boys parents were pressing to have him join the Girls Team using a "grandfathered" F.A. rule from the 90's where then because of the shortage of Girls Teams, a girl could join a team comprising of boys.

One obvious thing is to say is the strength of children between the sexes changes after 11 and appreciably after puberty with boys being stronger and in general more able to play to almost adult standards compared to girls.

Often boys are"scouted" by the big premiership teams at 14 plus so what could be more discouraging to a girl than to have boys in her team getting all the breaks?

A pretty good question I'd ask is "Just what does a boy in his teens want BEING in a girls team"?

Most of us if there was a group that did something we were mad keen with boys joined them, we were comfortable with one another and wanted the benefits. We certainly didn't wish to be seen to just spend our time as if we were in a group of girls, far from it.

I only hope this nonsense gets stopped so girls can get on playing in girls only team developing as themselves and this boys parents are put in touch with a local team for their BOY to join so he plays with other boys at the level he's capable of.

Getting along 2023 style

 One of the long running conundrums of the modern era is finding a way that enables both sexes to get along as equals when so many traditional expectations and roles have changed as much much as that may of been necessary and may of entrenched dismissive and discriminationary attitudes.

Individuals which we all are are very much different when it comes to what may interest us, what we may excell in, struggle with and may have differing responsibilities in their lives and at least in the past we tried to create a shorthand to simplify based mainly around peoples gender based identities.

That may of worked for some fitting everything together but for many others it did not and moreover it became a limitation on aspirations suggesting you may not be interested in something just because of your gender and even opportunities as people only made them available to what they thought each gender needed.

Thus girls for a long time could not play football, struggled to get a kickabout in the playground being told they "don't" and boys who were interested in dance struggled to get a break and often faced hostility from men and their own peers even.

At another level we need to find ways of leading, taking responsibility and yet sharing varying aspects of life be it family life or the boardroom that are respectful and allow for full discussion without either dismissive or patronizing attitudes.

Personally I faced some issues for being prepared to play with girls, wishing to include them where a game or activity was something we all shared or for looking out for younger children with in inference that was "girls stuff" where to me that's about caring and caring and being a boy certainly can go together.

The same things sadly can run in adult life, men do not always have to be leaders and because you may be a women doesn't mean you should be expected to just make tea and biscuits at meetings as important as both things can be.

Everybody needs the ability to be free to be themselves, doing what they are best placed for and working constructively.