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Gender Roles: The Instigator of a Divided World
Anusha Ladha
hundreds of thousands of years, since the beginning of mankind, there has been a prominent disparity regarding the roles undertaken by men in comparison to those taken by women. Even during the hunter-gatherer days of civilization, men had the task of acquiring food, whereas it would be the female's responsibility to nurture and care for the upbringing of their children. Advancing approximately 20 centuries in time, females have adopted an increasing number of roles in modern society, with these occupations reflecting many years of fighting and protesting. However, despite the seemingly large amount of progress made since the early centuries C.E., a substantial inequality between both women and men remains; and ultimately, it is the gender roles perpetuated by societal norms that fuel this divide. Given that human beings are creatures of habit, we generally enjoy the comfort of normalcy, consequently feeling threatened when external pressures seem to disrupt this routine. Thus, when women began to voice their desires to become part of a larger-scale society, the overwhelming population was not able to adjust to, much less comprehend, this shift. This inability to accept the progression of a woman's role in society lived in the minds of individuals, contributing to the cynicism that they have against females to this day. Though we are attempting to fully eradicate these predispositions, it is no easy feat; to change the mindset of every individual on earth would be to alter the beliefs and truths with which they were raised. Perhaps there is no way to truly rid us of the mental bridge that comes when thinking of man and woman. Protests and charities that advocate for women's rights, however, are a good start in ensuring that our voices are heard. Ultimately, though individuals themselves may not have the capability to change the mindsets of the global population at large, it is the eventual altering and shift in mindset that will pave the way for a better, more accepting world.
Sexism in TV Shows vs. Reality
Ananya Iyengar
Walking alone at night as a woman: scary, isn’t it? From a young age, we are taught the idea that we get to write our narratives, and no one can keep us from doing so. TV shows portray a classic trope of a child who relishes in desired freedom once they turn eighteen. But when are we taught that not everyone has this option?
As a society, we failed to systematically attack the foundations of r*pe culture by instilling the notion into girls that it’s not the boys who are the problem, it’s us taught a certain way. “Boys will be boys,” said political figure Mitch McConnell in response to a vulgar act of s*xual assault against congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. To even have the liberty of making such a statement proves the deficiency of our country.It is the centuries of oppression women have faced that have made many generations of women believe that they were in fact inferior. But isn’t society better than that now? Aren’t we better than making sexist comments against fellow congressional members? Aren’t we better than assigning blame to an uncontrollable factor? Aren’t we better than allowing this system to continue on for this long? But in order for us to break from this system of continued sexism, we must teach future generations to take responsibility for their actions and treat all people equally: let’s make the world a kinder place, one step at a time.
Gender Norms in STEM Fields
Aarushi Kodipyaka
The future of our world lies within the academic minds and sacrificial hands. From technological innovation to societal contribution, both facets blend uniquely between individuals and their passions. However, the unbearable truth about society is the prevalence of the glass ceiling - an unofficially acknowledged barrier to society that primarily affects women and minorities. As part of my eighth-grade history class, we learned about women’s suffrage; a movement for the right to vote. My immediate question following this lesson was ‘why do women need to fight?’ As I was exposed to more incidents of gender inequality, I kept asking this very same question, realizing that it applies to any situation in any field. As part of an AI workshop, I noticed I was 1 of 4 girls in a class of 30. I was shocked to see the lack of female engagement even in lower-level stem classes.
Teaching young girls that the endless possibilities offered in the fields of STEM allow them to pursue the future they have always dreamed of - one in which they live a happy, independent, and successful life. I have understood that it is impossible to create a big change without implementing smaller steps at a smaller scale. In order to increase participation from women at the university/workforce level, it is necessary to increase participation from girls at a young age. Educating these girls about the benefits and the experiences gained through working in STEM would make them more likely to pursue a field in the future. We must encourage girls to shatter gender norms.
About the writer: Hi! My name is Aarushi Kodipyaka. I am a sophomore at Dougherty Valley High School. I am very passionate about breaking gender norms within STEM fields and have a huge interest in AI. Some of my hobbies include photography and running. Instagram: @aarushik_photos
Gender Equality
Ariana Amiri
Feminism: the advocacy of women's rights on the basis of the equality of the sexes.
Women are often under-looked as "weak" or incapable. This has drastically affected society and how things are perceived today. Many people have this idea of women not being capable of doing things from the past and the different gender roles that we are shown in history. It was always the men that were the strong people who protected the family and women were seen as the "maids," who were responsible for cooking, cleaning and taking care of the children. This is still prevalent today as there are still many people who think that a woman's job is to do household tasks. Women aren’t able to do what many define as "manly" tasks because of their gender, and they themselves simply believe they can’t because society tells them they aren’t strong enough. It is seen as brave if a woman steps up in doing anything that a typical man would do.
My favorite quote supporting feminism from Zendaya is, "A feminist is a person who believes in the power of women just as much as they believe in the power of anyone else". This really sticks out to me because no matter your gender you should be able to do what you want without the worry of what your peers would think. Someone who supports feminism must believe anyone can do anything they desire regardless of everything else. To conclude, many women are looked down upon because of stereotypes that were created centuries ago. No one really takes initiative on stepping up for women because this stereotype is what the world believes and continues to believe. Feminism needs to be taken care of and it will only happen if everyone steps up.