Over recent decades, women have spoken more openly about the inequalities and mistreatment they have suffered for hundreds of years. We have come a long way from not having the right to vote or move freely to building our own successful careers and traveling the world without anyone’s permission. But despite all the victories, there is still a long way to go. Sexism is still very real for thousands of women around the world. Sometimes it’s direct, but other times it’s so subtle that people don’t give it much thought. Here are 9 examples of casual sexism you should be aware of.
boos
Whether you are in an underdeveloped Asian country or a prosperous district of a metropolis, this can happen at any time. Women are still catcalled or booed when they simply walk by minding their own business. You don’t have to wear anything special or do anything; some men would still call you, yell nasty things, thinking they are paying you a compliment or something. If this happens to you, you don’t have to react. This is street harassment and is being banned in some countries. In fact, you can also report him if things get really bad!
sexist jokes
Sexist jokes seem to be kind of their own genre, which makes it even worse for women. How many times have you heard jokes about inadequate women treating their boyfriends or husbands in a way that no sane woman would? Or those numerous kitchen jokes that seem so out of this century? If you hear something like that (and I’m sure you will) you don’t have to pretend to like it. In fact, you better say out loud that those kinds of jokes are offensive and not funny. Explain why you feel that way if you think it’s relevant. In fact, people might change their minds.
Feminism
Feminism is about recognizing women’s rights and revealing social inadequacies when it comes to women. Naturally, we would all like to call ourselves feminists, but for some reason we avoid this word. Feminism has gotten a bad rap with a little help from its extremist members, but that’s all most men (and some women) seem to care about. People who are not very familiar with feminism condemn it as crazy and label all feminists as inadequate, making numerous jokes about it. Feminism has as many negative connotations as a dirty word!
Pretty means stupid
We live in a society where women are still judged by their appearance. If she’s pretty then she’s probably not smart at all. If she’s not attractive enough, then she must have the brain capacity of a genius. People are still surprised to see a beautiful girl have good grades and be interested in more than just beauty pageants and fashion. When it comes to building a career, beautiful women need to burst all kinds of bubbles to prove that they are smart and intelligent.
Double standards
When it comes to one-night stands and other intimate affairs, society is full of double standards. When a man does it, the more the merrier! This means that he is a hero and an alpha male that everyone should look up to. But when a woman does it? I think we all know what word will be used to describe it.
Office tasks
If you’ve ever worked in an office with mostly male workers, you’ve probably experienced that “special” treatment. Every time someone (especially the boss) needs coffee, getting some papers or organizing this and that, it usually becomes some woman’s chore. If she says no, she is a bad coworker and untrustworthy. If you say yes, you will do this and more all the time. When a man says no, it’s usually okay.
