By Jules Vanselow, Reporter
Of all of the harmful phrases a woman could be upset by, there is one that is particularly bothersome: “Sexism isn’t a problem anymore.”
Not only is this undeniably false, but it normally slips from the mouth of someone who has yet to live a day in the life of a woman: who doesn’t understand the sting of being underestimated — not because of your ability, but because of your gender.
Equal-rights activists have made great strides towards gender equality. I will not deny that. Women have had the right to vote for nearly 100 years. We have gained more reproductive rights (although we might need to check back on that one in four years), and we are working many of the same jobs as men. However, these things don’t resolve all the gender issues we still battle with.
There have been many instances in which I’ve felt that my intelligence and ability have been devalued because of my appearance. For example, I’ve been hit with the snarky comment, “At least you’re pretty…” from a classmate after making a mistake in my school work. Regardless of it being intended as a joke, or even a compliment, it’s backhanded. It was clear to me that a woman’s attractiveness is still being valued over their intelligence.
This issue that surrounds our education is not often purposefully imposed. Due to the subtlety of the matter, it’s hard to pinpoint the discrimination taking place in our schools. This makes it even more important for young girls to speak up.
Unfortunately, speaking up can often leave girls open to ridicule: being labeled as a dramatic or a “femi-nazi.”
When things like this happen in schools, staff members need to get involved. It is also important, as a community, that we learn to recognize the signs of sexism and tackle them head on.
One of the most prominent examples of subtle sexism is the dress code. The dress code has been a heavily debated part of school policy in the last few years, and schools across the United States schools have been changing their codes to be more lenient or strict in response.
Most dress code policies that are meant to address the entire student body only affect female students. Girls get chastised for anything from shorts to shoulders and are encouraged to cover up for the sake of maintaining a focused classroom environment for straight, male students.
Regardless of a school administration’s intention behind its methods of dealing with dress code, it often sends a message to young girls that a boy’s education is more important than hers.
In classrooms, the treatment of both boys and girls can be noticeably different. About 70 percent of D’s and F’s in school are earned by male students, according to a research paper by Amanda Chapman, from D’Youville College, who writes about gender bias. With this kind of statistic, it’s easy to assume boys are receiving less positive attention and help from teachers.
However, this isn’t true.
“Teachers socialize girls towards a feminine ideal,” Chapman argues. “Girls are praised for being neat, quiet and calm, whereas boys are encouraged to think independently, be active and speak up.”
This “feminine ideal” is promoted in the classroom setting and creates a grade gap between genders.
As a female student, I can say first-hand that this can be true. I notice that when I speak up and think independently in class, many are quick to shut me down or criticize. Being criticized for thinking outside the box and trying to answer tough questions is enough to make anyone a lot less likely to speak up in class.
Furthermore, it extends to the treatment of misbehavior. While young boys are usually treated as if their misbehavior is expected, young girls are treated as if their misbehavior is a character flaw. The saying “boys will be boys” spoken in our community enforces these stereotypes and encourages a gender gap within our education system.
This dynamic continues to appear in the world of post-high school, as students bring the knowledge and behaviors they have learned into the field they decide to pursue. Schools are a place that we learn how to be members of society, so by using mannerisms that treat genders as unequal, we’re teaching the future leaders of our world that sexism, however subtle, is the norm.