How attitudes have changed towards women?

1980s - One of my husband's workmates asked in amazement "Do you let her use your computer?" Husband used an industrial design programme and project management tools on a computer at work, therefore was an "official" user. At home on our co-owned one, I used Word to write letters, Publisher to produce a 12-page newsletter once a month with photographs and cartoons, a graphic editor to edit the photographs and draw cartoons, bought online, managed an Amazon Associates selling account to raise money for a charity, searched the internet for interesting information and articles, and did jigsaws and played cards. Later I designed and made several websites (this was before you could use ready-made templates)

But clearly it was thought dangerous for him to let me loose on his computer. (He didn't think this, I hasten to add)

I think it's swings and roundabouts. Some things are good - we can have a career and marriage - once you had to choose between one or the other. Some men took a while to catch up and lots of wives exhausted themselves by trying to do both perfectly. Many women still fall into this trap.

Education is a great thing. My mother should have gone to grammar school but it was thought not worthwhile to educate a girl. She missed out as the uniform was expensive but the money was spent on her brother's uniform instead.

Sexual freedom? I'm not sure. Germaine Greer et al thought that it would be great if women could behave like men and not be judged. Many events have shown this still not to be the case.

Reliable and safer birth control is obviously a big improvement. One of my neighbours was one of twenty children. Twenty! Few people choose to have such big families.

In 1972 DH and I visited Quarr Abbey on the Isle of Wight.He was shown round but I was excluded.I was jokingly told to come back in 10 years time. I don't know about that but I know women are welcomed as guests now.

Thinking about it, my father was very strict with my sister

Used to tell her she shouldn't wear jeans and pierced ears were a sign of prostitution

I pointed out that his mother had pierced ears which didn't go down well

I agree that things have improved generally.

Some examples from me:

- on taking a job in the construction industry (a management/ admin job, not on the tools) I was accused of "taking a man's job". In 1988.

- went to buy a car and spotted a Mazda RX7 - a coupe - and was not permitted by the garage to test-drive it because I was a woman and therefore unable to handle it. (I bought a Calibra - but from another garage!)

This was late 19990s.

- I was accused, in another job, of "only getting the job because I was a woman" (ie to fill a quota). This was in 2001.

- having to make tea and coffee for men of the same/ more junior status because "men are men ergo don't make tea". In 1988.

These are probably common enough examples and wouldn't even have merited a raised eyebrow!.

I had to be sterilised in 1979 but my DH was required to sign a consent form for this procedure?

The female Gynaecologist and I were spitting feathers as was DH. ??

That was odd about your friend asking if your husband let you drive your car!

My mother had her own car and was driving from 1950

I'm trying to think of something that has changed since I was younger but I can't

That doesn't mean nothing has happened! My memory is failing me

Interesting post though!

I'll come back when I think of something