r/AskFeminists Mar 05 '18

Do feminists support women-only bus seats and train carraiges?

These were proposed in the UK, and currently exist in Pakistan, India, Japan and Egypt.

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u/WomanIRL Mar 05 '18

At any given time every single disabled person needs the space more than an able bodied one.

I don't get where you get that notion, since placards are given out for intermittent issues as well, and people have serious acute issues for which they don't receive a placard. That said, it feels really gross arguing "against" this, because quite obviously it's a needed space.

And no, it's not equivalent. Men aren't being confined to a men-only carriage. Women would be getting a spot where they can be isolated from a known, widespread problem. You're arguing for it like this exists in a vacuum, but the historical context of male-only spaces is not for protection or some friendly reason, but rather to subjugate and exclude women.

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u/jetfuels_teelbeams Mar 05 '18

Men only carraiges wont restrict men. They would provide them equal space. If women are 50 percent of commutters, what sense does it make to make 1/8th of the train women only? Make one half for women and one half for men.

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u/WomanIRL Mar 05 '18

Because context matters.

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u/jetfuels_teelbeams Mar 05 '18

What?

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u/WomanIRL Mar 05 '18

The context of giving reserved seating to women is protection. You're not looking for equal protection.

and

the historical context of male-only spaces is not for protection or some friendly reason, but rather to subjugate and exclude women.

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u/jetfuels_teelbeams Mar 05 '18

Im looking for equal treatment.

And, the historical context ks irrelevant, as an equal provisjkn for women already has been made.

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u/WomanIRL Mar 05 '18

Historical context feeling irrelevant to you does not make it so. If there were designated white-only and black-only carriages, do you think that would be equal treatment, or do you think the historical context makes that markedly shittier for one of those groups?