Reflecting on Sexism What consequences of sexism can I identify? What manifestations of sexism have I seen or experienced in my school? How have sexism and misogyny had an impact on my personal development and my life? If I am a woman, what are some steps I could take in my own life to question any gender roles that may have limited me in the past? If I am a man, what are some small steps I could take in my own life e.
Prev Next. This is because in most cultures, being male or masculine is more highly valued than being female or feminine. Sexism also affects people who were not assigned female at birth but who express themselves in a way that people perceive as feminine.
This includes trans and gender-expansive individuals. It is possible to be sexist toward men. However, because men possess more power and status in most countries, the harm that they experience is usually an indirect result of sexism toward women. For example, if a person believes that women are weaker than men, they may feel that they have to be strong or tough at all times — even if this means risking their health or participating in violence.
Sexism begins with prejudices. A prejudice is a bias against a person or group of people. It is often based on myths, stereotypes, and generalizations that a person learns from others. Biases about sex and gender can be explicit, something that a person is aware that they have. And they can be implicit, in which case, a person is not consciously aware of their biases.
This includes the stereotype that women are naturally better at looking after children than men — or that men are naturally better at math or science. Gender determinism also causes prejudice against transgender people. This is because people who believe that gender is determined solely by biology may not understand how being transgender is possible or refuse to accept that it is. This is known as cissexism. Learn more about cissexism and transphobia.
Prejudice based on sex or gender can have different forms. Some are more obvious and easier to identify, while others are more subtle. Types of sexism include:. Sexism can also occur alongside other forms of oppression, such as racism or ableism, affecting people who belong to more than one marginalized group.
Learn more about the types of sexism, with examples, here. Sexist beliefs can lead to discrimination. Discrimination is prejudice in action, and it occurs whenever a person or group treats others unfairly based on an aspect of their identity.
Discrimination does not have to be obvious or intentional to be damaging. Smaller acts of discrimination can have a cumulative effect on mental and physical health. These acts are known as microaggressions.
One location where gender discrimination occurs is the workplace. Gender discrimination also occurs in healthcare. In a study , more women doctors than men said that their gender had negatively affected their careers, limiting the level of respect that they felt they received. Learn about the effects of gender discrimination on health. Sexual harassment is sexualized mistreatment. Often, these comments are tinged with aggression.
Sexual harassment can take place anywhere, including workplaces, public restrooms, and between friends and family members. Unlike flattery or flirting, which happens between consenting adults, sexual harassment is often one-sided, and it exploits an uneven power dynamic.
This is what makes it threatening. Sexual harassment is also common in workplaces, particularly among women who work for tips, who work in male-dominated fields, or who do not have permanent legal immigration status. Sexual harassment can make people feel uncomfortable, scared, and even traumatized. Many organisations have made a commitment to diversity and inclusion to increase the number of employees from under-represented groups and improve their experience in the organisation.
The European Commission adopted a diversity and inclusion strategy in and the nine EU justice and home affairs agencies published a diversity and inclusion statement in [7]. Yet without organisational change to combat deeply entrenched gender stereotypes and unconscious bias, these efforts can be undermined. The Council of Europe recommendation on combating sexism states that sexism in the workplace includes:.
In practice, it can be difficult to agree on what constitutes sexism and to create an environment where everybody feels free to voice concerns.
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