At what age does a woman become too stupid to understand what a woman is? According to latest estimates, by the time she’s in her 60s, she could be in a terrible muddle. After all, meanings change so fast, and women — at least the old-style, factory-settings, dinosaur women who grew up thinking of themselves as female humans — can’t possibly keep up.
In a recent interview to celebrate 80 years of Woman’s Hour, programme editor Karen Dalziel was quizzed on its handling of the “what is a woman?” question. When asked why the programme didn’t simply reflect the law as clarified by the Supreme Court, she offered a rather convoluted response: