There. are. no. words.

[reynardo]

Something from Skud has ended up on Boing Boing and left me speechless.

Why women can't be Trade Commissioners A memo to the Director of Trade Commissions, Australia, 1968. Allow me to show you an excerpt:

It is extremely doubtful if a woman could, year after year, under a variety of conditions, stand the fairly severe strains and stresses, mentally and physically, which are part of the life of a Trade Commissioner...

If we engaged single graduates as trainees, most of them would probably marry within 5 years

There's worse. But I'll let you read it. And fume. And this is within my lifetime, and I know people who still hold these views.

We need to keep educating.

Comments

[polydad.livejournal.com]

Given that the date of the report is 1968, do we know if the author is even still alive to be educated? Or whether the report is still considered current?

best,

Joel

[polydad.livejournal.com]

I agree that culture is affected by history, but it seems to me the process of effecting change is better served by trying to change current behavior than by trying to change history. History seems rather resistant to it.

It was absurd for such a report to be published even in 1968, and if we were to try to take action about it now it would seem to me best to find whatever governing board or organization exists that might be successor to the one that sponsored the original report and get them to either publish a new one contradicting and revoking the old one, or to make a public statement disavowing the old one. If you feel it's a worthy focus for this level of attention, that is.

best,

Joel