Still a man's world?

'It's still a man's world on screen', laments Mirren.

That was one headline in the papers on Saturday. She went on to say, 'I'm looking forward to the time that at least there's a balance. Women represent half the population and I want to see as many female roles as there are male roles, because at the moment the balance is very unfair.'

TV and film is dominated by men, and it sounded from the article as though actresses still suffer sexism. Reading my Church newspaper, I am reminded that sadly the Church is no better. It's one thing to disagree on the basis of theological conviction, but I was disturbed to read a letter about sexist jokes in the pulpit. She makes the point that sexist jokes are a form of violence.

I must admit I've been surprised by the use of sexist jokes, by preachers who should know better. A few years ago I heard a well-known evangelist tell a joke which I thought completely inappropriate. What was almost more worrying was the fact that so few people found it disturbing (or perhaps they just didn't let on). What was he doing? Assuming that a male audience found it funny to make a sexually loaded joke?

I could rant on, but that's probably not very constructive. On a more positive note, but still reflecting the 'man's world' of the church, I've just been reading a blog post by Lucy Moore on the Share site. She laments the lack of women blogging on the subject, and whether that reflects a lack of women involved in Fresh Expressions (of course it could just reflect a lack of women blogging generally).

But since this is something I've noticed before. Why are there so few women involved in Fresh Expressions? or is it the fact that lots of women are involved, but they are not speaking or writing about it?

Perhaps it's time we generated a bit more thinking about this issue and ensured women's voices are heard in the world of Fresh Expressions....