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Many of us, of course, are familiar with this word, but it can be difficult to give it an exact definition. Here are six sexist statements that women hear about them every day — they reduce self-esteem and harm the psyche.
1. “For a woman, you do surprisingly well.”
Women who achieve success in the until recently male field — for example, in science or sports — are no strangers to this «compliment». Speaking condescending words, many men, on the one hand, recognize women’s success, and on the other, they immediately devalue it. Have you ever met a man who was told at least once that he is doing something well, despite the fact that he is a man?
2. «Calm down»
When men express their opinions with passion, they are seen as bold and consistent. When women do this, they are called hysterics. Telling women to relax or calm down when they are expressing their opinion, especially in a professional environment, is to interfere with their work.
3. «Smile!»
Many women will confirm that they have heard this phrase more than once when they allowed themselves a neutral, thoughtful or angry expression. At the same time, it does not matter at all whether the woman was walking down the street, riding the subway, or concentrating on current affairs.
Be that as it may, if she does not smile, then she defies the female «duty» to look sweet and friendly
The artist Tatyana Fazlalizade, who addressed this topic in the project “Stop Telling Women to Smile,” expressed the problem in the best possible way: “When a man tells a woman to smile, it is unlikely that he wants to cheer her up. Rather, it is about demonstrating your power and control. He tries to make her look the way he likes. Women should smile only when they are in the right mood.”
4. “Cool… (name of any body part)”
A recent study by Cornell University found that 85% of American women are sexually harassed on the streets before the age of 17.
Harassment can take many forms — women are whistled loudly, shown offensive gestures, thrown dirty smirks and glances, but most often unwelcome comments are made that turn them into an inanimate object, highlighting certain parts of the body.
As a rule, men insist that they wanted to pay a compliment in this way, but the truth is that it is unlikely that they themselves have ever received such “compliments” from women.
5. «You should be grateful that I…»
Women are often told that they should be grateful that «something worse» hasn’t happened to them. This message is especially evident in a culture that blames women survivors of sexual violence for what happened to them.
Most men don’t live with the expectation that they have to be prepared for the worst all the time. Instead of continuing to uphold this norm, we need to create a world in which women live with the same basic sense of security as men.
6. «Your body/clothing/appearance is distracting»
The dress code in schools, universities and offices is not only annoying, but also violates the right of a person to have his own style. As a rule, it is mainly intended for women.
There is an unspoken belief that a woman’s body can be distracting, embarrassing, but a man’s can’t.
“It turns out that we want to support and protect only men,” says women’s rights expert Jessica Valenti. “That is, women distract men from work or study, and therefore it is their actions that should be controlled.”
Those who still carry out such messages have one thing in common — they come down to a question of power. They seek to completely concentrate it in the hands of men, giving them the right to belittle and defame the «weaker» sex. Is it worth reconciling or is it time to think about a different alignment of forces?