Justine McCarthy has a piece in todays Irish Times where she says that calling women girls in inherently belittling.
I couldn't agree more. My mother, a woman who was active in politics and women's rights and has held positions on State Boards, will still refer to a woman in her 40's or 50's working in retail as "the girl in the shop". Imagine if a man of that age was referred to as a boy?
It's always bothered me when I hear people, women in particular, referring to women in a work setting as girls. It automatically puts them in a secondary and subservient role; there's no way a girl could be in charge of a man, whatever about a woman being in charge of a man.
So, if you wouldn't refer to the Hon. Ms. Justice Elizabeth Dunne as "the girl from the Supreme Court" then don't refer to the woman in the shop as "the girl in the shop" and women, please stop referring to each other as girls in a work setting and if you do then please don't ever complain about men being sexist.
I couldn't agree more. My mother, a woman who was active in politics and women's rights and has held positions on State Boards, will still refer to a woman in her 40's or 50's working in retail as "the girl in the shop". Imagine if a man of that age was referred to as a boy?
It's always bothered me when I hear people, women in particular, referring to women in a work setting as girls. It automatically puts them in a secondary and subservient role; there's no way a girl could be in charge of a man, whatever about a woman being in charge of a man.
So, if you wouldn't refer to the Hon. Ms. Justice Elizabeth Dunne as "the girl from the Supreme Court" then don't refer to the woman in the shop as "the girl in the shop" and women, please stop referring to each other as girls in a work setting and if you do then please don't ever complain about men being sexist.