Sexism and the Smart Girl

Author(s):  
Shauna Pomerantz ◽  
Rebecca Raby

In this chapter, we explore the tension between girls’ assumptions of gender equality and the sexism they (or we) identified. When girls did not see sexism in their lives, it sometimes created tensions, which were in turn interpreted as personal problems that they needed to solve alone. We also juxtapose the stories girls told about their perceptions of gender dynamics in the school to those of boys, who offered a very different perspective. While girls often felt that boys were favored by teachers – allowed to joke around, play the class clown, and derail lessons on a dime – many boys expressed feelings of gender discrimination around assumptions that they were automatic troublemakers.

2021 ◽  
Vol 108 (Supplement_2) ◽  
Author(s):  
C Wong ◽  
W H Lim ◽  
S R Jain ◽  
C H Ng ◽  
C H Tai ◽  
...  

Abstract Introduction Gender discrimination remains pervasive in surgery, significantly impacting current and future surgeons and population health. This study analyses the gender barriers and critical retention factors for female surgeons and trainees in surgery. Method Five electronic databases were searched till May 2020. Titles and abstracts were sieved, followed by a full text review. Data synthesis and inductive thematic analysis were conducted using the Thomas and Harden methodology. Result 14 articles were included, involving 528 participants. Four themes were generated–unfavourable working environment, male-dominated culture, societal pressures and progress towards gender equality. Females in surgery often faced harassment, disrespect and perceptions of incompetence, resulting in hostile work conditions, which were aggravated by the inadequate support and mentorship. The persistence of male-dominated cultures was observed, with females facing prejudice and exclusion from professional and social circles. Differential treatment and higher expectations of female surgeons also arose from entrenched societal pressures. Despite these, increased acceptance of motherhood and greater recognition of contributions by female surgeons were reported, indicating some progress in gendered culture. Conclusions There is a need to increase female surgical leadership and allocate resources to address the deep-rooted causes of biased surgical culture and ingrained perceptions, to achieve greater gender equality in surgery.


2005 ◽  
Vol 8 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 91-120 ◽  
Author(s):  
Colm O'cinneide

The imposition since 1998 of a variety of positive equality duties upon public authorities has attracted comparatively little academic attention. However, these duties are a central part of current government equality initiatives, increasingly constitute a major part of the work of the UK's equality commissions, and have been described as an essential part of a new ‘fourth generation’ of equality legislation. It now appears likely that a positive duty to promote gender equality will soon be imposed upon public authorities, which will complement similar race and disability duties. Will the introduction of this positive gender equality duty add to, detract or complement existing statutory provisions? Given the danger that ‘soft law’ initiatives may undermine existing anti-discrimination controls, will the duty provide a clear steer to public authorities, or will it lack teeth, substance and direction, and possibly even prove counter-productive? Such positive duties are designed to compensate for the limitations of existing anti-discrimination law, by requiring the taking of positive steps to promote equality and eliminate discrimination, rather than just compelling a reactive compliance with the letter of the (equality) law. The justifications in principle for the introduction of such duties are strong: for the first time, the introduction of a positive gender duty will impose a clear legislative obligation upon public authorities to adopt a substantive equality approach and to take proactive action to redress patterns of disadvantage linked to gender discrimination. Serious concerns do however exist as to the extent to which such duties can be enforced, and the danger that they will simply encourage greater bureaucratic activity at the expense of real change. The proposed gender duty, as with the other duties that have been introduced, is no panacea. Nevertheless, it does constitute a good start, can serve a useful function by empowering public authorities to take positive action, and if effectively used will be a very valuable point of pressure to push for better things.


2021 ◽  
Vol 34 (3) ◽  
pp. 97-110
Author(s):  
Laia Perales Galán

This paper offers an in-depth review of the Soviet hit film Moscow Doesn’t Believe in Tears (1979). Focusing on its female characters, it analyses the gender dynamics that prevailed in the Soviet Union at that time and the narrative impact it had on the plot. The article is divided into three subsections: a brief historical and political context, a depiction of the state of gender equality in the Soviet Union, as well as the power dynamics that existed both in the professional and domestic sphere, and a summary of the different femininities portrayed by the characters, along with the role morality and fate played in the film.


Feminismo/s ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 359
Author(s):  
Almudena Machado-Jiménez

This essay examines contemporary feminist dystopias to study the phenomenon of gender pandemics. Gender pandemic narrative allegorises possible aftermaths of patriarcavirus, unleashing many natural disasters that force global biopolitics to hinder gender equality. The main objective of this essay is to explain how gender pandemics are appropriated in patriarchal utopian discourses as a pretext to control female empowerment, diagnosing women as diseased organisms that risk the state’s well-being. Moreover, the novels explore the interdependence between biology and sociality, portraying the acute vulnerability of female bodies during and after the pandemic conflicts, inasmuch as patriarchal power arranges a hierarchical value system of living that reinforces gender discrimination. Particularly, the COVID-19 emergency is analysed as a gender pandemic: the exacerbated machismo and the growing distress in the female population prove that women are afflicted with a suffocating patriarcavirus, which has critically gagged them in the first year of the pandemic.


Humaniora ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 433
Author(s):  
Christian Siregar

Gender inequality is often regarded as a divine creation (everything comes from God, or commonly known, already by nature). This is where the Christian theology actually gets a touchstone. Because theology should be a critical reflection religion on factual issues faced by the public, so that it should talk not only about the concept of invicible God, but also that metaphysical translated into social issues—particularly women's issues. At that point, theology of woman is a theology which explores the feminine aspects of God for the sake of gender equality. This study attempted to trace the theological dimensions of women as well as exploring the feminine attributes of God so that gender equality can be realized, or at least theology does not fold its eyes, or theology is to be fair to the existence of woman. This research is a literature study using representative literature data and relevant to the object of research. Research used philosophical approach with descriptive-analytic-critical method by doing interpretation, extrapolation, the meaning of the data in reaching a conclusion. Results showed that the lowering of woman feminine quality is equivalent to neglect the feminine quality of God. On that basis, gender discrimination actually has no theological justification, but is a denial of the reality of God as a whole. The reason is gender relations are impressively has been represented by God. 


2010 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 104-118 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark E. Moore ◽  
Bonnie L. Parkhouse ◽  
Alison M. Konrad

PurposeThe aim of this paper is to examine the effects of organizational characteristics, philosophical support, and substantive human resource management (HRM) programs on promoting gender equality within sport management.Design/methodology/approachA questionnaire is developed to collect data on philosophical support and HRM practices within sport organizations and sent to 500 collegiate and professional sport organizations in the USA; 196 respondents (39 percent) returned their completed survey forms.FindingsFindings indicate significant confirmatory paths between experiencing a gender discrimination lawsuit and philosophical support (t=−3.14, p<0.05), philosophical support and substantive HRM programs (t=9.56, p<0.05) and philosophical support and representation of female managers (t=2.36, p<0.05). The paper concludes that philosophical support of top managers leads to the development of substantive HRM programs to promote gender equality in sport management and greater female manager representation.Originality/valueThe paper provides useful insights into the effect of philosophical support from top managers on HRM programs that promote gender equality in sport management.


2011 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Constance J Newman ◽  
Daniel H de Vries ◽  
Jeanne d'Arc Kanakuze ◽  
Gerard Ngendahimana

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 123-134
Author(s):  
Savitri Shrestha

Gender refers to the complex social construction of men’s and women’s identities. Sex and gender are different. The biological or physical construction is sex, which is created by nature. Gender is  purely a social construct. Gender Equality is a concept that is yet to be materialized. Around the world different individuals and groups of people are marginalized and discriminated on the basis of various factors, but discrimination against women is universal. Due to this, women are not able to use their full potential or assert their rights to live healthy life, and it has a deep impact in economic development. Gender equality is not only matter of human right but also basic of economic development. Gender inequality is a severe obstacle to socio-economic development, human capital development and income generation. Gender inequality is harmful to long term development and growth. Unequal gender will never alone be sufficient for poverty reduction and economic development. Gender discrimination not only affects females but males as well. The discriminatory practices do not only affect individuals but national economy and world economy as a whole. Due to stereotypical division of work most men are over loaded with economic duties, while women are being limited to household works only. Fifty per cent of the world population is over-loaded with economic duties, while fifty per cent of the brain is underutilized. The economic value of the household work which is done by females is not calculated and reflected in a country’s economy. This devalues the effort and work done by females and also is loss for the national economy. Education and development goes together, for a better balance of gender, educational equality is must. Education is key factor to promote human capital, which ensures economic growth. Formal education, trainings, study programs improves the capacity of individuals to live a decent life, which is the basic of development. Gender will never alone be sufficient for development. Gender equality is not only matter of human right but also basis of economic development.


2019 ◽  
pp. 149-151
Author(s):  
Ye. V. Kovalenko ◽  
O. V. Pletnov

Affirmation of gender equality is one of the aspects of the mankind development process which can be compared by value and closely connected to the global democratization tendency. At the post-industrial stage, the development of men and women equality becomes one of the main aspects of social modernization. The essence of democracy is providing people with rights, the organization of the governmental state on the principle of social contract between equal individuals, who must have the same opportunities for making independent and responsible decisions. Therefore, gender equality is a rather sensitive indicator of the development level of a country. In the system of world renewal and reform, Ukraine tends to integrate into the Euro-Atlantic security model and create a civil society on a modern basis. Such an approach implies the obligation to define clear state gender strategies and the development of an appropriate state gender policy. One of the important aspects of ensuring equal and stable social development with the application of the most effective methods of state intervention is the introduction of the gender approach in the security and defense sector of Ukraine, which becomes a purposeful, systemic and multidirectional governmental activity. It should be noticed that gender policy in this area should be understood as the progress of militaryservice regardless of gender: equality in the perspectives of such service, rights and responsibilities. A new stage of active public assistance in the development of gender policy in the field of security and defense began in 2018 and is still ongoing. Many significant steps have been taken in gender equality in the army and in the fight against gender discrimination. But at the same time, it should be mentioned that today there are some problems in providing gender policy in the military spher; and solving and overcoming of such problems will contribute to increasing the efficiency of the functioning and development of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, as well as the positive implementation of the state gender policy in the context of European choice of Ukraine in the context of its world and European integration.


2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 25-37
Author(s):  
Natalia Kostiuk ◽  
Olena Antoniuk

The article deals with gender inequality in the economic, political and social spheres of Ukraine and the key reasons for gender imbalance in the observation and realization of gender rights. The topicality of the article is predetermined by the necessity of the systemic solution to the problem of gender equality in Ukraine that is declared in the country’s constitution as the pivotal principle of safeguarding legal rights and freedoms of people in a democratic state.The authors have made an analysis of the Ukrainian norms and laws in force as well as some ratified international treaties in the sphere of gender equality insurance. The current state of realization of the main directions of social policy of Ukraine in the sphere of gender equality has been determined on the basis of the World Economic Forum and in particular the analysis of the index of gender discrepancy in certain spheres of human activity as well as the gender monitoring of the representation of candidates in the special election of people’s deputies of Ukraine in 2014 and 2019. The impact of gender discrimination against women on the social economic development of the world countries and their national wealth level has been considered.The study has allowed revealing a positive tendency in the realization of women’s right to participate and be represented in the economic and political spheres of Ukrainian activity and offering further necessary state measures in the social policy pertaining to the eradication of gender asymmetry in the Ukrainian society. The need of redirecting the government gender policy to more effective measures for overcoming gender inequality, gender segregation and multiple forms of discrimination against women under the conditions of the severe economic, political and social upheavals in Ukraine has been pointed to. The authors have come to the conclusion that the development of the political and juridical concept of eradication of gender discrimination against women in Ukraine is the pledge of sustainable development of the Ukrainian society which in its turn is a necessary condition for forming a competitive human capital of the country that has chosen the Eurointergation foreign policy course.


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