Gender Equality

If a Saudi company were advertising its home goods in the United States, we would expect its marketing materials to include photos of both men and women, and we would expect most of the women not to have their bodies and hair hidden in the photos. Though there is plenty of diversity in this country, those are the cultural norms. And chances are that because this is a country of ethnic diversity as well, we'd expect the company's catalogs and so forth to show some of that as well. So I am puzzled about the criticism of furniture giant IKEA . If the criticism were for replacement parts that aren't available when pieces break, as they almost inevitably do, or the lightweight quality of the furniture that accompanies its lightweight prices, it would be understandable -- even if it seems almost impossible to furnish a college student's room without a stop at the giant warehouse to consider whether the GAVIK or FILLSTA would make a better table lamp.

Today we celebrate the anniversary of female suffrage, a victory that took more than 70 years of political struggle to achieve. After women won the right to vote in 1920, socialist feminist Crystal Eastman observed that suffrage was an important first step but that what women really wanted was freedom. In an essay titled "Now We Can Begin," she laid out a plan toward this goal that is still relevant today. Eastman outlined a four-point program: economic independence for women (including freedom to choose an occupation and equal pay)

Women are overworked, underpaid and under-appreciated even in the most egalitarian nations, according to a study released Thursday. For the sixth year in a row, the U.N. Human Development Report ranked the world's countries on an index based on such criteria as life expectancy, education and income. This year, the researchers introduced gender equality as a factor.

Around the world, middle-aged and elderly men tend to be more satisfied with their sex lives than women in the same age group, a survey released Wednesday said. The survey, of 27,500 people aged 40 to 80 in 29 countries, found that a greater proportion of people in Europe, North America and Australia enjoyed sex physically and emotionally than in countries with less gender equality. It also found a gender gap. "Men are on the average substantially ...

I am writing in response to Mark Epstein (Letters, Feb. 2). He criticized screenwriter Linda Woolverton's assertion that the character Belle, from "Beauty and the Beast," is a feminist. His misconceptions concerning feminism need to be addressed. Feminists come in all shapes, sizes and colors. They do not need to fit any mold, particularly the character-type Linda Hamilton portrayed in "Terminator 2." In fact, there are even male feminists! Therefore, what defines Belle as a feminist is not her appearance, but her actions and beliefs.

Angela E.V. King, 68, a Jamaican diplomat who became a leading advocate for women's equality and the first special advisor to the U.N. secretary-general on women's advancement, died Monday of complications from breast cancer at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City, her former husband Wilton James said. During a 38-year career at the United Nations, King led efforts to end discrimination against women and promote gender equality. She was also one of a few women to lead a U.N.

The American Sociological Assn.'s annual meeting got underway Friday in Denver, and among the weighty topics to be discussed is the practice of “hooking up.” For any readers who are not familiar, hooking up refers to “casual sexual activity,” according to one of the more tame definitions offered by Urban Dictionary . A study to be presented on Monday focuses on the social consequences for those who engage in frequent hookups. Two researchers from the University of Illinois at Chicago examined responses from more than 19,000 students who completed the Online College Social Life Survey last year.

International Women's Day is today. How are you observing it, aside from perhaps noting the Google Doodle set up in its honor? Maybe you're signing an online petition seeking gender equality in medical research. Or tweeting using the hashtag "#womensday" to honor women's progress and to renew commitments to women's rights. If you're in Kabul, Afghanistan, you might be making a stop by that city's first Internet cafe just for women. International Women's Day is not nearly as well known in the United States as it is in other parts of the globe; elsewhere, it's marked by rallies, banners and even a day off. Many people in Armenia and Mongolia get time away from the job; in China, only women have that luxury.

Your editorial regarding athletics at UC Irvine ("Fair Play at Last in Collegiate Athletics," June 7) neglected to mention "sportspersonship." The arguments regarding gender equity and spending limits are important. But there was no fair play for the male athletes whose programs were cut at UCI. The notice was given to the athletes on the Monday before finals. There was no hint that the track program was going to be dropped. Athletes learn from their earliest competitions that playing fair is more important than winning.

Re "America's Model for Social Order Doesn't Work Anymore," interview, Commentary, Oct. 6: Everyone loves to listen to Lee Kuan Yew, senior minister of Singapore, but why? Lee congratulates the "avant-garde" (whatever that is these days) for giving societies an "edge," but maligns free expression because the masses (the other 95% who can't go to nice schools) can't handle the message. Lee blames culture for the failure of political, economic and social systems. Instead, it would be fairer to say that the oligarchic system that he espouses is twisted and unjust.