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Positive discrimination is still discrimination

You'd expect people to understand that favouring someone over another, based on gender, instead of curtailing them, also is discrimination. And you'd especially expect them to understand this, when they are in charge of a university. Yet, somehow the board of the Technical University of Eindhoven in the Netherlands decided to apply some positive discrimination.


People who know me, know I am always pro positive thinking, but this is overdoing it a bit. So, what's going on? Well, at the university they are having a bit of trouble with filling scientific positions with female employees. In order to be able to find women who meet the criteria, they decided to ban men from applying for the job. When after 6 months the position isn't filled, then the men can still apply.


This ofcourse sparked some negative reactions. And when asked about the negative responses the spokesperson said: "Ofcourse it's not nice, when you as a man think you can get the scientific job and you are now surpassed. But well... That is what happend to women in the past hundred years". And this is exactly why I have an issue with it.


I keep hearing myself say "all people are different, but should be treated as having equal value" Recently I was in a discussion with a person transgender equality. There's been a bit of a brawl in the skeptic community about transgender athletes. I found myself saying "the equality of one group, should never come at the cost of another group". But the technical university of Eindhoven seems to have no problem curtailing one group in favour of another.


When I read this, I wasnt going to comment on this matter. But then I remembered that just a couple of day a go, I responded to a youtube video on feminism with this:

"Is it okay, that I'm a bit bothered by "feminism"? I believe all humans should be treated as having equal value. The term "feminism" however seems to be loaded with a sense of overcompensation for not being treated as equally valuable in the past. I've even had a discussion with a feminist who felt, she deserved to be overcompensated, because women (perhaps she had a personal experience aswell, I didn't ask) had been oppressed for so long. Those things don't help. I'm all for equality, but I believe one should be wary for overcompensation. Equality for one, should never be at the cost of the equality of another."


This "overcompensation" that leads to prejudice about feminism is exactly what the Technical University is playing in to. They are actually damaging feminism with their actions. It already is loaded with this sense of overcompensation and they decided to put some more fuel on the fire. I would have expected the board to a bit smarter than this. They run a university no less.


Ofcourse they have their reasons for doing this. Men and women are different. They assess situations different and you would want a good mix of opinions, talents, views and personalities in your team of employees. But really? Was this the best solution you could think of?


I got a reply to my comment, which I want to share. Since this reply, by the person who made the video I commented to, fits the situation at the TU/e perfectly. She said

"I completely agree and for me, that IS what feminism is about. That’s why I was also I support of raising women’s car insurgence prices to match men’s. And that’s why I also support men being given more equal rights in family courts and thoroughly dislike positive discrimination - I’d never ever ever, for example, want to get a job over someone more qualified, just because I happen to be a woman"


Women are still not treated as having equal value to men. I know. Women are still being paid less for the same work. I know. But ask yourself this. Is banning men from applying for a job the right way to change this? Do two wrongs make one right?

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