“ They wanted to bury us… They did not know that we were seeds ”, proclaims a brandished sign, illustrating one of the 200 pages of L'Atlas des femmes , a fascinating and necessary work published by Robert Laffont editions. Since 2017 and the global movement that emerged from the early hours of #Metoo , the situation of women around the world is finally experiencing a revolution. Free speech, collective awareness, media coverage of cases of domestic violence , harassment, feminicides , underpayment of female labor, the planet is on the move. However, there is still a long way to go. Very long. This is evidenced by the figures listed in this ultra badass atlas, the first edition of which dates back to 1986. Here are seven. There are plenty of others, presented in a non-boring way, thanks to a pop model, clear diagrams and short texts . A bible to spin.
6 minutes
In recent years, men have increased their participation in household chores by… 6 minutes. Wow! In France, they devote an average of 2.4 hours per day to unpaid domestic tasks compared to 3.9 for women. In Ireland, we go to 4.9 for women vs. 2.1 for men. In Brazil or Japan, male participation falls below the threshold of the symbolic 60 minutes per day (these obviously do not include the vacuum cleaner or the evening dishes but rather noble tasks such as changing light bulbs, homework or booking of holidays).
520 million women in the world cannot read
While literacy is on the rise, there is still a long way to go in this area, especially for women. 780 million people in the world cannot read (out of 7.5 billion people), of which almost two thirds are women. A proportion which has not changed for twenty years, proving there a well-established discrimination.
Between 2000 and 2015, 210,000 minors were married in the United States
The so-called developed countries are not left out when it comes to early marriages . As crazy as it sounds, in more than half of the US states there is no legal minimum age for marriage. As a result, of the 210,000 marriages in question, 5% involved minors under the age of 15. In the Tennessee, 3 of them were 10 years old. 86% of them have married adults.
86% of cosmetic surgery operations are performed on women
All over the world, the number of cosmetic surgery operations is exploding. The most widely performed globally is breast augmentation , and the one with the fastest growth rate is labiaplasty , which removes excess tissue from the vaginal lips. If, in rich countries, men are starting to pass through the doors of clinics, 86% of operations worldwide are still performed on women today. And 85% of certified plastic surgeons are… men. Or when one part of the planet shapes the other to its liking?
In Egypt, only 14% of the population considers that a woman should be able to choose her outfit
As of 2014, 50 countries still have at least one law or other official text that regulates the dress of women on a religious basis. To the question “ Should women dress as they wish? ”, 14% of Egyptians answered yes. In Pakistan, they are 22%, against 56% in Tunisia (which remains very little!).
When women “validate” domestic violence
These numbers are from 2011, and hopefully they have changed since. Asked whether a man can legitimately beat his wife for one or more of these five reasons: overcooked meal, argument, unauthorized going out, child neglect or refusal to have sex, men and women between 15 and 49 years old answered. In many countries, more women legitimize these “ punishments ”. Thus in Indonesia , where 17% of men find them normal against 35% of women, in Rwanda (25% of men vs. 58% of women), Ethiopia (45% of men vs. 68% of women) and in many countries. others ...
One in four women is a victim
Domestic violence is at the heart of debates in our society, and for good reason! In 2019, 25% of women in France declared having been victims of physical violence by their sexual partner at least once in their life! In the United Kingdom, they are 28%, 32% in the United States, idem in Vietnam, 45% in Cameroon and 65% in Bangladesh.
The Atlas of Women , Joni Seager, translated from English by Hélène Florea and Anna Postel. Editions Robert Laffont. Price 22 €
