It was the first time I'd seen the play and loved every moment of it. The film had a profound effect on me when I was a teenager. I saw it as a statement that Education could empower women. It made me think that knowing stuff could give me choices. Now I'm older I still want all that. I want to know stuff and I don't care if it gives me choices. I want to read books and poetry with understanding. I want to write a brilliant two hander play. I want to own the study of the set, with floor to ceiling books, although I probably don't need to hide the bottles of Scotch.
Sunday was International Women's Day and Twitter celebrated in its usual eclectic way. There was a great many tweets about making sure girls all over the world were in school and I thought, "Yes, let's educate all the Ritas and give them choice." The comedian Richard Herring spent the day reminding stupid men that there is also an International Men's day, so they could stop being silly (although I wouldn't do any breath holding on that one). I was beginning to despair and then I saw this picture:
In the thirty years between seeing the film and watching the play I wondered what had really changed for women and then I saw what the Sun have done to a female leader of a political party and I can only sigh and go back to my books.
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