Misandry in Latvia

In Latvia men die 11 years younger than women, are outnumbered 4 to 1 at university, comprise 80 per cent of deaths by suicide, and the high male mortality rate means that there are far more women than men in the country. Women in Latvia have immense empathy and are very concerned — for themselves. 
By OzzieMatt: Recently I was trying to find information about cultures where women outnumber men and how men are treated in those cultures and I stumbled across this article.
Latvian man shortage leaves women lost for love


The 2010 article by BBC Reporter in Latvia, Damien McGuiness, cites familiar statistics in the West that Latvian men die younger than Latvian women and are less educated.
But what sparked my attention was that in 2010, Latvia had the highest disparity of life expectancy between the sexes in the EU and that there are 8% more women than men.
It is no surprise in an age where misandry is acceptable public policy and discourse, that the article focuses on how this disparity affects women and throws in some man-bashing for good measure.
The article introduces Dania, one of these poor Latvian women who can’t find love.
Apparently Dania had recently been working at a film festival where 98% of her colleagues were women.

As Dania says:  “There’s nothing wrong with that” – the fact there are virtually no men in her workplace – “but just for the good balance you would want to have some more men to flirt or chat with.  It’s just more interesting.” Then she laughs, apparently.
So having someone for girls to flirt with is more important than equal opportunities or social justice for Latvian men?
The article then introduces sociologist and lecturer, Baiba Bela, who says there are 50 per cent more women at university than men.
But rather than say anything about how unfair it is that men are greatly under-represented at university, Ms Bela points out how hard it is for the Latvian women to find men with equal education.
So it seems snagging a husband of the same educational background is more important than equality of opportunity for Latvian men.
Does gender equality only apply to women?
The article then says that by the time women want to settle down, there is an imbalance in the genders where men are dying younger and four times more likely to commit suicide.
Again, the focus is on poor Latvian women being unable to snag a husband.
Ms Bela then lists what she believes are some of the reasons for the imbalance:
“Car driving, alcoholism and accidents in the workplace are mainly riskier for men than for women.”
I wonder how many deaths from car driving and alcoholism are incorrectly categorized suicides.
Our intrepid BBC reporter, Damien McGuinness, then claims one of the main reasons for Latvian men dying so young and killing themselves is the apparently still prevalent “Macho Culture.” This sounds an awful lot like victim-blaming.
The writer then quotes Latvian psychoanalyst, Ansis Stabingis, who treats men for depression and suicidal tendencies.
Mr Stabingis cites the economic crisis of 20 years ago as predominantly affecting men and claims that women have generally proven more resilient than men in coping.
I can’t help but wonder if women are more likely to get help and men know this.  I also wonder what services are available for men.
It strikes me that the whole article is from a woman’s point of view, or more particularly, a Feminist viewpoint since the writer is apparently male.
This is not balanced news reporting and once you get towards the end of the article, you can see where the real problem lies.
It is at this point the writer introduces Dace Ruksane: sex columnist, author, and editor-in-chief of one of the country’s most successful women’s magazines, Lilit.
Ms Ruksane says:
“The smartest girls are alone. The really beautiful girls are alone – if they are smart.”
“They want to find partners who are equal to them.  But a man, having all this choice, doesn’t need to be very perfect.”
“He just sits in front of the TV and knows he can get a woman.  And if she doesn’t suit him, he will get another.”
“Smart women simply don’t want to have such men as their partners.”
This is what the women of Latvia are being told by the editor-in-chief of Latvia’s most successful women’s magazine.
In summary, women snagging a husband of equal educational and economic background is of greater importance compared to the problem of men dying 11 years younger, being outnumbered 4 to 1 at university and being 80 per cent of deaths by suicide.
And apparently it is mostly men’s own fault because they have a bad attitude and don’t ask for help.
This is misandry.

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