What is misogyny? Let me tell you, reader. Misogyny is: "dislike of, contempt for, or ingrained prejudice against women." To simplify that, misogyny is basically the belief that men are better than women. So what is internalized misogyny then? I'm glad you asked, reader. Internalized misogyny is "the involuntary belief by girls and women that the lies, stereotypes and myths about girls and women that are delivered to everyone in a sexist society ARE TRUE." If you believe we live in a patriarchal society, then you probably understand how women having to deal with being treated as less than men and the double standards their whole lives would cause them to have internalized misogyny. If you're not buying this whole "patriarchal society" thing and don't believe that internalized misogyny could happen, don't worry I have some examples for you.
Being "one of the guys"
Have you ever heard the saying "just one of the guys" or maybe you've said it yourself. It's socially seen as a compliment to have guy friends. I've noticed, being a girl for twenty-two years now that women are taught by society to seek approval from men. That could be in a romantic way or a friendship way.
"I hate drama, that's why I hang out with guys"
"This point is stupid because girls who have a lot of guy friend are seen as 'sluts'" Great point reader, thanks for bringing that up! Just keep scrolling down to the next point and I'll answer your question there!
Slut shaming other girls
I'm guessing you got here from reading the point above. Slut shaming is...you guessed it, apart of internalized misogyny! You know, like most people, I wasn't born with this desire to shame other girls and to associate what a girl wears or who she's friends with to her sexual preferences. Slut shaming is when you shame a girl for having sex, wearing something you find inappropriate, working a certain job, hanging out with certain people, and honestly so many other trivial things. The patriarchal society we live in has ingrained in us that girls are not supposed to enjoy sex, want sex and that a girl's worth is solely based on her sexual history. If a woman has a lot of sexual partners, people don't respect her or see her as "wife material." Whereas if a guy has multiple partners he's just seen as having a "wild past."
Repeating and promoting myths about sex
You've might have heard, or even said a saying like "She's slept so many guys I bet she's so loose" before. This term "loose" is describing a girl's vagina. Sayings like this one are just a way of attaching a girl's worth to her sexual history. Don't get me wrong, guy's worth is definitely attached to their sexual history, a guy is pressured to sex and want sex all the time. Both are harmful.
Back to slut shaming, though. The fact that girls genuinely call other girls "sluts" and other harmful names, should be evidence enough that internalized misogyny is real.
Shaming other girls for being girls
"I'm not like other girls, I'm not dramatic or gossipy" I've definitely heard this coming out of my friends mouth before. Internalized misogyny is when harmful stereotypes of girls are so mainstream that girls start believing them. This. Is. Not. Okay.
Remember that women are amazing!
The patriarchial society that we live in has ingrained this "girl hate" into everyone so much, that even girls start hating girls. Remember that these harmful sterotypes againt women are not true and that women can be your greatest allies.
