Imagine: women in 100 years

Today, 100 years after women first got the vote, the Guardian asks ‘Will women be equal to men in 100 years?’

It’s a great question and ripe for science fiction.

But why is there no utopian future that explores this — or have I missed it?

I can only think of either bad imaginings — like the grisly Handmaid’s Tale — or silly ones like the less well known, and much more lightweight Two Ronnies comedy sketch The Worm that Turned.

This is what the future looked like to Ronalds 1 and 2 in the 70s, but it’s role reversal rather than role matching: The year is 1997 and the country is run by women. Big Ben is called Big Brenda and the Union Jack is called Jill.

The females are the breadwinners and Diana Dors is the head of the state police. Men wear dresses, are called female names and stay at home to wash the curtains and bake sponges.

It’s both mildly amusing and completely depressing — it doesn’t seem to realise it’s saying if treating men like this is so dreadful, why is it ok for women?

But it’s a relic from the 70s. What would a serious drama make of it? What would equality really look like, and will our great-great-grandchildren look on sexism as an ancient concept - as outdated as smoking, eating sugar and TVs will be by then?

I’d love to find out.