What is sexism- 

Sexism has had a substantial impact on our society. It is discrimination towards a specific gender or sex and affects all aspects of our society and our daily lives, from government to personal relationships. Sexism is mainly targeted toward women and marginalized genders.  Because March is women’s history month, it is an opportune time to discuss a critical topic for women, showing that they fight and overpower the sexism they experience. All women are different, and all women need to be celebrated for who they are.

Types of Sexism- 

The types of sexism are hostile, benevolent, ambivalent, institutional, interpersonal, and internalized sexism. Hostile sexism is based on the behavior towards gender and sex; misogyny is a factor of hostile sexism. Benevolent sexism includes how women are framed as pure, fragile, and innocent. Ambivalent sexism is a mixture of hostile and benevolent sexism; it describes how women can be viewed as kind and innocent but also can be seen as manipulative, depending on the circumstance. Institutional sexism is when sexism has been institutionalized in organizations like the government or the media. An example of institutional sexism is the gender pay gap in the workplace. Interpersonal sexism is when sexism occurs in our interactions with people like family members or even strangers. Internalized sexism is when a sexist individual develops beliefs unintentionally because of exposure to sexism by other people. 

GC Student and Teacher views on sexism- 

Marylin Fosu ’24 described her experience with sexism when she was in 7th grade and stated that her teacher said he needed “strong boys” in his class to move the chairs. Marilyn expressed that she felt confused and shocked by his comments because they came from someone she admired. Moments like this express how those targeted by sexism are affected when it comes from someone they don’t expect it from, particularly from the people that they value as their role models. 

GC librarian, Mrs. Boyle, talks about how sexism impacts our society and school community; she states, “Sexism is almost a given in our society. It’s difficult to look at somebody without looking at their gender or sex. Judgment is often made on a person based on their gender.” She continues by saying, “at Good Counsel, we try hard to look at the individual as a whole person, not only what the person is on the outside.” 

The three ways that she combats sexism is by “1. surrounding myself with respectful people, 2. my personality which helps me engage confidently with people around me in various situations, and 3. how I have come to love that I’m a woman simply because I know that’s who God created me to be, and he never messes up!”

Hearing these perspectives on sexism reinforces how widespread sexism is in our society. They demonstrate how sexism is everywhere around us. That being said, we as a community need to ensure equality so that every gender feels equal. Working for equality may not end sexism but will allow people to take the movement more seriously. 

Sources:

Leonard, J. (2021, May 27). 6 types of sexism, examples, and their impact. Medical News Today. Retrieved March 25, 2022, from https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/types-of-sexism

Villines, Z. (2021, June 29). What is sexism? Medical News Today. Retrieved March 25, 2022, from https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/what-is-sexism