Being the eldest of 4 with two younger brothers, feminism didn't enter into my head until I started work in 1966. At home we were all treated equally as regards schools, housework and pocket money. I had dolls but I also had "boys toys" such as a house building kit complete with blue prints and proper little bricks. I also had a large tin of my dad's meccano.
We went to state schools, unlike a friend whose brothers went to private school and she went to a grammar school. I think her mother thought that education was a waste for girls because they got married and had babies hence the state school. Over the years I've heard that from many friends. The head mistress of my friend's school had to persuade her mother to let her stay on at school for the 6th form. Then my friend wanted to become an accountant - heaven forfend! In those days you had to pay a fee in order to become an articled clerk. Luckily her father was persuaded to pay.
My father was very keen for me to go to uni but I just wanted to live in London and earn my own money. So, I got a job with an insurance company and I think that's when I first learned about inequality between men and women. I was doing the same work as the young men, studying for the insurance exams, just like them and that was when I found out that they were earning more than me.
The older men used to criticise my hair style. I used to go to Vidal Sassoon and the men used to ask when was I going to get a grownup hairstyle, ie a perm.
In 1970 I worked in the Chairman's department of the Electricity Council. How many of you remember Stirling Cooper? I had a couple of their outfits - jersey dresses with matching trousers which I wore for work. Until I was told we weren't allowed to wear trousers in the office. Being the type of person who used to splash the back of her legs when walking in the rain, I wasn't happy about that and so wore the trousers to work and took them off once I'd arrived in the building.
After that I worked for very small firms and eventually went into articles in the mid 70s. At that point the annual female intake was just 3% of the total but I was treated equally with the men and the salary was the same for the same level.
Thus, for the whole of my working life I don't think that I've suffered from inequality and I would consider myself to be a feminist. I'm aware that many women, especially those in more lower paid jobs don't always get paid the same as men who do the equivalent work.
When I read or hear young women talking about feminism now it doesn't seem like the same subject. When I hear of the things that some female undergrads get up to - pole dancing and going topless in bars I just don't get it. They seem to think that makes feminists.
Now it's over to you and I'm interested to hear your experiences.
