I'm whispering here, but I have to admit that I've always had a bit of trouble with the whole third-wave rediscovery of traditional baking and crafting activity. I'm down with the anti-consumerist side of things (and I love cooking as much as the next awesomely cooking-skilled person), but somehow I've always sneakily felt that 'craftivism' was little more than another way for girls to avoid getting involved in 'real' artistic creativity. Encouraging them to spend their time baking cakes and knitting baby booties, as they have done for centuries, rather than learning how to play an instrument or master a CD or write a treatise or something. Continuing women's involvement in the private, domestic sphere, rather than the more high-profile and combative public arena. BUT. Randomly surfing old blogs led me to this delighful idea, posted on a LiveJournal community called Curious Cupcakes: the Pay Equity Bakesale!

"Finally one member came up with the BRILLIANT idea of holding a "Pay Equity Bakesale." In Michigan (where we lived), women make an average of 67 cents for every dollar a man makes at the same job. So we baked our hearts out, then charged women 67 cents, and men $1 for each baked good. On the bottom of each cookie, cupcake, and brownie, we had printed facts about the gender wage gap on address labels and stuck them on. When people said "Hey! That's not fair!" We replied with, "Actually, it is fair; it's the only thing that's fair. Women make less money." So we got to raise money AND awareness at the same time!"

That's such an ace idea! (And please feel free to email me with examples of more if you feel I am being unfairly anti-crafting.) If I'm ever involved in some kind of event where a Pay Equity Bakesale would be appropriate, I am so having one. I wonder when Ladyfest Stockholm is? :)

Labels: baking, crafts, cupcakes, feminism, ladyfest

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