Prejudices Against Women

August 14, 2012
By: Fiona Livey

Prejudices surround us on a daily basis. They exist against every group within society. And although many individuals may believe in their validity, they are just that: prejudices. Yes, they do apply to certain individuals, but that certainly does not make them the universal truth.

So which ones do we face? Quite a lot to be fair. But here are some that I came about quite a lot during my research: We’re incapable of driving. We’re always on the lookout for Prince Charming (everyone is allowed a dream, aren’t they?). We’re emotional. And last but not least we’re intellectually inferior.

Everyone has heard this prejudice: We women cannot drive. Apparently research even supports this claim: a lack of hormone affects our spatial ability. So, our spatial ability might be different from that of men, but that doesn’t result in bad driving. It might simply result in us having a different style so to speak. Women also have a higher crash ratio, since we’re shorter. That’s why most car seats are adjustable aren’t they? Even so, even if we do crash more often, accidents involving female drivers tend to be less dangerous. I’d say men and women are even then. So the question remains: Are we bad drivers or simply worse drivers? I’d say neither. In my opinion, most women are probably less interested in cars and/or driving. For us, driving is means to get from point A to point B.

The search for Prince Charming. According to men we’re all looking for the “one”. To some extent every girl wants to be swept off her feet just like Cinderella or Snow White. This dream has surrounded us since our childhood: Disney propagates it, as do movies such as Pretty Woman or TV shows like How I Met Your Mother (who doesn’t want a relationship like Lilly and Marshall?). But the traditional gender roles are slowly disappearing. Men are no longer the sole providers and women the nurturers. We women have more autonomy nowadays. Thus, men no longer know how to sweep us off our feet. Stay realistic: we don’t live within a fairy tale. Me or you, we might both find our soul mate one day, but he might not be Prince Charming.

We’re far too emotional. Everybody has emotions. We women simply tend to express them more often. But does that really make us weak, inferior or irrational? Girls, it’s not necessarily a weakness. Did you know that crying is healthy? Sure we might burst out into tears now and then, but it’s not entirely our fault. Whilst talking to several individuals, I came to realise that the female “freedom of expression” of emotions might relate to our upbringing. Small girls cry and “big” boys do not! A boy in tears? Come on man up! You’re not allowed to display weakness… but we girls should? It’s time to move on: women are no longer inferior to men, time has progressed.

And last but not least, we’re supposedly intellectually inferior. A lot of men believe we women are not suited for positions of authority and leadership. That’s their ego speaking, they just do not wish to be undermined by the “weaker sex”. Truth be told, this prejudice is the one that affects our life the most. This line of thought contributes to women earning less and being treated as inferiors. But there’s no need to give up. More and more women occupy high ranking positions within companies, such Irene Rosenfeld, the CEO of Kraft Foods, the world’s largest food company.

So girls, don’t take these prejudices too seriously. They will always exist within society and might even be an obstacle, but that doesn’t mean they can be overcome. We can prove them wrong!