Maybe its simply a matter of being in a more mature environment, or maybe the issue is being talked about much more, but either way the issue of deeply internalized sexism has risen to the surface, causing many women to stop and think about how they are treated in society. Women are finding more daily casual gender inequality that, for me at least, seemed to go unnoticed for most of my life.
It is becoming more and more obvious that women in the media are constantly being objectified, and it appears as though what a woman wears to her awards ceremony is more important than any accomplishment she actually did. Coming back from my first year at college, it seemed as though the first thing anyone did was check to see if a girl gained the classic "Freshman 15". It doesn't matter if she struggled through a whole year at a top school- if she gained a few pounds, that was what was most commented on.
The first thing I looked at was how I was raised. Growing up, I had two older brothers. I was raised playing dress-up, putting on shows, and doing ballet and gymnastics while receiving barbie dolls for almost every present. However, I also played soccer and was the only kid in my family who consistently tossed the football around with my dad. Point blank, I was never necessarily and completely told I could not do something since I was a girl- my mother is one of the most powerful woman I know and always raised me to know and understand that nothing, especially not gender, should stand in my way.
So why do I still notice this difference between men and women in society if not necessarily directly because of my parents? The difference I find goes back to one's childhood and has to do with the way society talks to children. If an adult first meets a little girl, for example, some common things one might here go somewhere along the lines of "what a pretty dress you have!" or "you are turning into such a pretty young girl!" The little girl may smile bashfully at your comments, but deep down it is rooting in her mind that the most important thing about her is her looks. If a girl wants to run around in the dirt, but is wearing a pretty little dress, parents might reprimand her, putting the cleanliness of her dress ahead of her genuine intellectual curiosity.
Boys, on the other hand, are usually a different story. An adult might comment on the impressive tower he built with blocks, or the way he moves his action figures in a creative, childlike fashion. Boys are almost expected to run around and get dirty, mess around with tools, and overall partake in activities that stimulate the intellectual curiosity that many kids possess.
These comments seem innocent and almost second-nature. But, your words towards a child have an impact on how they believe society perceives them. Next time you meet a little girl, maybe comment on what she is doing first. Ask her what her favorite book is, or what he favorite activity in her free time is. Stray away from this almost automatic act of immediately reminding a girl that she is beautiful and that's that. Remind her that her mind is so much more important than her looks, and raise an empowered little girl from the start instead of a girl who must struggle through most of her adolescent years until she realizes it herself.
