50´s - Women are going back to the stove?

The Mad Men fever has led to a trend in 50´s style (the TV series is set in 1960-63, but anyway...). Fashion mags talk about thin waists, bouncy skirts and matching shoes and handbag. Interior design magazines like Vogue Living talk about "ladylike florals, soft pastels and retro-mod shapes".

Unfortunately the gender roles also seems to have been influenced by the new love for the past. I found it shocking to watch "Social Network" and how the guys and girls interact. Feminist movements took respect for women and female intelligence a fair bit, but now it all seems to move backwards into history. The movie shows gen y and z, the smartest of them all studying at Harvard, the coolest tech kids of all creating Facebook. Modern, aware, on time. But their view of women sucks! 

In one scene, the boys are talking about what each of them are supposed to do in the new company, and the boys get roles, but the girls are not even asked for a contribution. They are simply there as "girls". Facebook itself was a result of Mark Zuckenberg being unlucky in love, and throughout the film we get to see women being alluring and half nude toys, while men are achievers. 

Just like in Mad Men, it is harder for women than it is for men to get recognition, and I am afraid this will spread.

In 2010 36 women have been appointed to S&P/ASX 200 boards, compared with only 10 in 2009 and 10% of company board positions are now held by women. But is this relevant, if inequality is in the heart of the Australian businesses?

In family businesses, representing 70% of small businesses in Australia, sons are five times more likely than daughters to succeed their fathers in family businesses. Only 5.9 % of business owners involve their daughters in the business.

I believe one of the reasons behind this is that women have been shy to put forward feminine energy, instead copying the male version, hence losing their natural pondus. Many women believe femininity equals "weak" and "soft", afraid of tapping into the Goddess energy, the Mother Earth style strength that we could use to take over the world - or at least get our fair share of it...

That 50´s are back in style is not because men are dickheads, but because women are, not respecting themselves. We treat ourselves badly. Girls still take their bra´s off, but not for the same reason as they did 1968 in the early stages of feminism...

Don Draper: Let me ask you something, what do woman want?
Roger Sterling: Who cares?