Hungary's government has warned the country's women that they would not find husbands if the school system makes them much smarter than men.
The message was conveyed in a publication, called Pink Education, which published by the state audit office. “The phenomenon called ‘pink education’ has numerous economic and social consequences,” it stated. The audit office is close to Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban who is also a self-styled social conservative.
According to The Guardian, Pink Education claimed that because women will be over-represented at university, they will therefore find it harder to meet husbands who match their intellectual level. And this, the report stated, "could lead to a decline in fertility".
1/7 It’s Thursday and thanks to a study published by Hungary's State Audit Office, #Hungarian women now know that their over-representation in higher education is causing demographic challenges and puts boys at a disadvantage in schools. Thread from 1892 – sorry, 2022.— Viktória Serdült (@viktoriaserdult) August 25, 2022
The government report also argued that with 82 per cent of Hungarian teachers being women, young boys risk losing "traditional skills" including fixing broken computers or leaky taps.
"Growing up, even in their homes, young people are faced with a frozen computer, a dripping tap, or furniture that has arrived flat-packed and there is no one to put it together," the government stated.
“If education favours feminine traits such as emotional and social maturity and provokes the over-representation of women in universities, equality (of the sexes) will be considerably weakened.”
Pink Education also warned that if young boys are not allowed to develop business skills or take risks, they could develop “mental and behavioural problems”. These traits are “necessary for the optimal development of the economy," the publication stated.
Reacting to this, several Twitter users expressed solidarity with the women in Hungary.
"The women of Hungary, my heart goes out to you. To people that continue to negate and minimise women who say the world is still unfair and sexist, please open your eyes. We still live in a world where this can happen," commented user @juisharryera.
"Sexist Hungary officials warn education is becoming ‘too feminine’. State auditors express fears ‘pink education’ threatens boys’ mental health & country’s economy. Awful gender stereotyping & conformism. An attack on women’s & LGBT+ rights," wrote activist Peter Tatchell (@PeterTatchell).
