Exchange your views on the following points. For further ideas and information read the supplementary texts at the end of the Unit

· We have to overcome the myth that gender equality is won.

· A lot of careers and job opportunities are still heavily based on gender.

· Behind every great man there is a great woman.

· The right man in the right job is often a woman.

· The high rate of divorce reflects the true level of marital breakdown and women’s independence.

· It’s time to tighten the divorce law.

· Paternity leaves – pros and cons.

· Male guidance at home is of paramount importance for children.

· Men need liberation too.

· While boys plan what they’ll achieve, young girls plan for whom they’ll achieve.

· The motto of the marriage is “Bear and Forbear”.

· Not all who have arranged marriages live loveless life and not all who have love marriages, continue to love.

· It’s a good wife who makes a good husband.

Role-play.

1. Imagine that you are a member of the organising committee of an International Women’s conference. Write down the problems to be raised and discussed at the conference. Exchange your opinions with the other members of the group.

2. Role-play this conference, electing the chairperson and the spokespeople in the problems you are going to discuss.

Writing

Write a report to be made at an international conference about the status of women in your country.

2. Make up a list of arguments and counter-arguments to be used in a talk-show “Gender equality: myth or reality?”

Write a letter to the editor of the magazine that published the article “The Qualities to Look for in a Wife”. Support the author’s viewpoint or criticize him and the editor for publishing this article.

Imagine you are a social worker. Write a newspaper article under the heading “Women and Work” in which you outline your reasons why women with babies should/should not be in the workforce.

Functional vocabulary

abject adj	to live in ~ poverty
abuse n	human rights ~, sexual ~
access n	~ to sth
advance v, n	to ~ the status of women, huge advances
affect v
angst n
allude v	~ to sth
assail v
assailant n
assert v	to ~ rights, independence; to ~ oneself
balance n	to be out of ~
benefit n	maternity ~
blatant adj	~ discrimination
bombastic adj
bruise v
cast v	to ~ down the eyes to ~ away
castigate v
chastity n
condone v
coerce v
coercion n
Composite, adj
conduct n, v
consume v	time ~ing chores
contempt n	to hold in ~
denigrade v
denounce v	to ~ human rights violations
devastate v	to be ~ed by grief
devastating adj	~ news, effect
ditch v, n	to ~ a career as dull as ditch-water a last-ditch attempt, effort to fight up to the last ~
dominate v	male-dominated world
dowry n	~ killing
drudgery n
dump v, n	to ~ on sb to ~ a boyfriend, ~ goods to be down in the dumps
elusive adj	an ~ goal
expertise n
flog v	to ~ a dead horse
fret v
frustrate v
frustration n	career ~
footing n	on an equal ~; lose/miss one’s ~
gear, n,v	to be in top ~; to be geared to sth/to do sth; to be geared up (for sth)
gendercide n
humiliate v
heartthrob n
Impunity, n
ingrain v
insipid adj
levity n
maintain v
maintenance n	home- ~ chores to pay ~ to sb
marital adj	~ status, ~ success
menial adj
mortality n	~ rate
mutilate v
prudent adj
relentless adj
resent v
resentful adj	~ of, at, about
retreat v, n	humiliating ~s; to ~ from one’s pledge/promise; to ~ into one’s thoughts
reverse v, adj	the ~ side of the coin
rivet v
shirk v	to ~ housework
shortchange v
scholastic adj	~ excellence; ~ institution; ~ degree
scratch n, v	to do sth from ~
screw v	to ~ up values; one’s courage
skyrocket v
shun v
stamp out v
stigma n	a ~ to sth
stymie v
steer v	to ~ towards sth; ~ on to sth to ~ a middle course; to ~ clear of sth
subservient adj
sweep v	to ~ away; to ~ sb off their feet; to ~ to victory/power
tangle v	to ~ cables; to ~ with sb
target n, v	to ~ on/at a ~ group; to be on ~ for; to miss the ~ a ~ of criticism/violence
wane v, n	on the ~

Phrases related to the topic

non-crease (wash-and-go) fabrics	matrimonial mates
child rearing	marriage for convenience
day care (child-minding) centre	flexible work hours
to be run down	flextime policies
behind the kitchen sink	marriage has many pitfalls
to pull in one’s belt	to contribute to the family budget
inferiority complex	the finances are touch-and-go
to put up (food for the winter)	means of self-fulfilment
processed food	to pursue a career
a two-career couple	to be too stressed
to juggle career and family
domestic violence	to work on flextime or part-time schedules
sex role stereotypes	to feel unfulfilled
to champion freedom/women’s rights	to be entitled to a (un)paid maternity leave
to shoulder the brunt	from cradle to grave
family-friendly policies/benefits	A high-powered career
to maintain a sense of one’s identity	the stay-at-home mom
unmanageable children	absentee fathers/truant fathers
marrital breakdown	to cling to one’s supremacy
a match-maker	sexual trafficking
cohabitation	to be in the workforce
social-wellfare policy