A. Here’s a thread about women, & how they’re deliberately diminished/damaged by misogynist tropes.

Many have been watching the fuck-ups attacking @MagdaSzubanski this week. One of their main grievances is that she shouldn’t have been paid for an ad she made for the govt.

B. The amount paid was incredibly small, she says she donated it (not that she should’ve had to), & it was around 1% of what Scott Cam was paid by the feds for less work. & if the VIC govt. had NOT paid her, they’d be in even more trouble for asking ppl to work for free. However.

C. The main issue here is that Magda seems to be the only one who was attacked about the money. None of the male celebs also paid for these ads have been targeted, or at least not to anything like the same degree.

This is something women in creative fields face ALL THE TIME.

D. Women being asked to work for free is ubiquitous in freelance-type fields. In fact, creative women laugh (ironically) about the last time they were approached by profit-making businesses asking them to donate their time & expertise. It’s just considered ... normal. FOR WOMEN.

E. Yes, this probs happens to men at times, but far more rarely. It’s nearly always women: women who have bills, expenses & lives to lead, & can’t work “for exposure”. (& never forget that plumbers, accountants & CEOs are never asked to work “for exposure”.)

F. Women are also, as Magda has been, scorned for wanting to be paid for hard work. Many creatives (inc. MFW) have the regular experience of being told we’re terrible ppl for accepting donations & payment, despite that our work hugely benefits so many. This is pure misogyny.

G. Add the gender pay gap to this, plus the fact that women mostly have less super (becos they generally have more non-earning years), & it adds up to a tsunami of disadvantage for women.

The thing is: women are entitled to be paid for their work. If you EVER tell a woman or ..

H. .. a group of women they shouldn’t be paid for their labour, you’re no feminist. It’s completely anti-feminist to ask women to work for free or to complain about them being paid. It’s abhorrent. Just shouldn’t happen. Yet every woman creative has tons of examples of this.

I. If you’re consuming content of any kind made by women who aren’t paid or aren’t adequately paid, you need to look closely at why you feel you deserve to get it for free. What is it about women’s work that’s constantly under-valued? Why do you think you shouldn’t pay?

J. Even if it’s offered to you for free, why do you think you should take it? Women often produce content for free becos nobody will pay them for it: why would you accept or contribute to that?

In particular, why do we collectively allow an amazing woman to be trolled just ...

K. ... for being paid, without loudly protesting?

Pay women.
PAY WOMEN.

If you’ve any sense of wanting equality & fairness, walk the talk. Pay women for their work, & loudly defend their right to it. Until we all do this, women will disproportionally live in poverty.

End.