What is sexism in 2021? 4 ways to fight back against a sexist

This article was developed under the heading: Psychology.

Section: Movements.

In a world of open-mindedness and diversity of opinions, the demands placed on people are constantly increasing. Not only the personal qualities of a person are discussed and condemned, but also his external manifestations, interests, often in extreme manifestations even religion, cultural values, and nationality are affected. Recently, you can increasingly hear about stereotypes based on belonging to one gender or another. Psychologists call this phenomenon sexism. Let's take a closer look at it and analyze examples of sexism.

Sexism is one of the problems of modern society

What is sexism and who is a sexist

The concept of “sexism” was introduced by UNESCO only in 1981. Sexism (from the English sexism) is a manifestation of discrimination, bias towards an individual based on sex or gender. In a broader sense, sexism refers to an ideology based on patriarchal ideas.

From this we can conclude that most often sexism is discrimination against women, but in modern realities there is also discrimination against men, that is, the ideas of matriarchy are also popular, although they are much less common.

To understand who sexists are, let's take a closer look at the concept of patriarchy. The definition of patriarchy is the existence of a way of life where the male sex dominates the female. Adherents of the patriarchal way of life believe that historically, women are the “weaker sex”, their responsibilities are to maintain family life, home comfort, giving birth and raising children, and meeting the needs of men. And the man himself is the breadwinner, the hunter, the head of the family. We can say that the phenomenon of sexism is rather the result of a social system based on the ideas of patriarchy.

Who are the sexists themselves? A sexist is a person who adheres to the belief that sex and gender characteristics determine the way of life in society. Male sexists belittle a woman’s mental and physical abilities; female sexists, most often, are of the opinion that men have animal qualities, considering them a degraded species. One way or another, sexism is based on gender discrimination and confidence in one’s own superiority. Regardless of whether the sexist is a woman or a man.

In the modern world, the feminist movement acts as a counterbalance to sexism. Historically, feminism is a fight for women's rights, since previously women were deprived of many opportunities. Now feminism has become much more complicated in its content. Therefore, it includes both body positivity and the fight against sexism.

How did sexism appear?

Sexism began to emerge in prehistoric times. Of course, only as an unconscious phenomenon, and not as an ideological manifestation. This is connected with primitive society, when physical strength was the determining factor of power and authority. The leader always became the man who was physically stronger, able to protect the territory from invasion, and feed the entire tribe.

During the transition to a sedentary lifestyle, the role of women remained virtually unchanged. Given the high mortality rate, the woman carried children most of her life. Men continued to engage in heavy physical labor. The Middle Ages gave special importance to women, but only to those who belonged to a rich and noble family. Such women were married to consolidate political alliances. Naturally, appearance was an important component of the woman herself, but her dowry was considered even more valuable.

However, many note that matriarchy, not patriarchy, was originally born. For example, one of the evidence of a matriarchal society is the myths about the Amazons, since any myth metaphorically expresses real events.

Although history knows enough examples of the struggle for equality, sexism as the Women's Liberation Movement appeared only in the middle of the 20th century. This was facilitated, among other things, by the introduction of women's suffrage in most countries of the world. Representatives of the fairer sex began to actively fight to achieve equality.

An interesting fact is that women in Russia received their first voting rights only in 1906.

Sexism and the fight against it have a long history of development

What is the essence of sexist ideology

Sexist ideology is based on the belittlement of the capabilities of people of a certain gender, on their oppression and the superiority of the sex and the capabilities of the sexist himself. Thus, the ideology of sexism pits one sex against the other. Gender stereotypes play a large role in sexist ideology. Gender stereotypes are ideas that have developed in society about men and women. Many of them are the postulates on which sexism is based:

• Low endurance and physical qualities compared to men. Women are less equipped to survive as a biological type;
• Men who are warriors achieve greater success at work.

A sexist is viewed negatively in society. This is due to the fact that in the modern world the boundaries of what is absolutely “male” and what is absolutely “female” are being erased.

Some components of the ideology of sexism are identified:

1. Gender polarization. This component defines the opposition between women and men. Starting from “female” and “male” professions, ending with biological structure, hormones, genes.
2. Biological essentialism. Justifies gender inequality by its nature, noting the innate nature of characteristics.
3. Androcentrism. Places the masculine principle at the center of everything that exists, as the only true and correct one. Women and everything feminine are perceived as a deviation.

The ideology of sexism is based on the separation of male and female

Where is sexism prevalent?

At first glance, you can imagine that the existence and development of sexism occurred only in the past, and now can only be observed in eastern countries. But in reality, sexism is pervasive. It can be found in almost all public spheres:

1. Family (the husband is authoritarian and is the head of the family);
2. Healthcare (a male surgeon is better than a female surgeon in the same profession);
3. Education (In labor lessons, girls sew, boys plan);
4. Politics (Men have better oratory and persuasion skills, leadership qualities);
5. Hobbies and interests (girls who dance sports ballroom dances look beautiful and natural, while male ballroom dancers look effeminate).

You've probably come across fairly common phrases about female drivers and pilots. You can often hear negative exclamations from men that women in this profession are more likely to get into accidents. However, not a single profession and the effectiveness of its performance is associated with gender.

There are a huge number of such examples, and in most of its manifestations, sexism is not something dangerous or a threatening factor. However, in modern times, sexism has become quite mixed with the topic of harassment - harassment. The fight against sexism also includes calls to combat harassment.

Sexism is common against both women and men

“Where is the guy?”

Since I worked in a “traditionally male job”—as a loader—I often encountered sexism. I had to meet drivers, approve goods, unload the car, and put goods in the warehouse. Most often it was hard physical work in terms of the quantity of goods, rather than their weight. I was the only loader in the entire building of the enterprise, where offices and warehouses were rented out.

At first, I was paid less than the guy who previously held this position. I had to get a stable salary and bonuses. Our production volumes have increased. The amount of the bonus depended on the overtime work - and most often I physically could not count how much I did: I was a “bring-and-give” worker, and worked with small documents, and received and released drivers, and was a loader, and even for half a day or I replaced the shop manager for the day, while combining it with the rest of my work. I was a more versatile employee than my predecessor; I worked more. The systematic expansion of my responsibilities and the fact that I was already replacing not one employee, but two, meant nothing to management. My salary remained the same.

On average there were two or three deliveries per week. Very often I heard from drivers: “Where is the guy? Who will unload? How are you?” or “Why are you, girl, carrying goods?” It was even comical: an empty entrance for cars, I was standing with a cart for goods, and they asked me who would unload. I clearly showed that I was carrying because I could. When encountering the same drivers again, no questions arose.

I could include unsolicited help in working with a product as benevolent sexism. Sometimes they literally snatched it out of our hands to deliver it. They didn't ask more often - I think only one man actually asked if I needed help.

The elevator operator on the freight elevator regularly asked me: “What about you?” Why not someone else? But it’s time to get married, sit at home, don’t work, why aren’t you studying?” Although I successfully combined my studies with work. My colleagues - women of retirement or pre-retirement age - also constantly asked about marriage and children. The answers that I don’t plan did not satisfy them.

At first, the questions made me slightly furious. However, it helped in some way: I wanted to prove that the fact that I was a girl did not hinder me in any way. Then I reconciled myself. She ignored the questions or tried to answer them somehow with humor.

There were sexist jokes too, but I tried not to pay attention. I have not encountered harassment. I can attribute this to several factors: my work team was mostly female; communication with men was minimal; I looked masculine. Once, a worker from a neighboring workshop, seeing me in the women’s restroom, was surprised: “I thought you were a boy.” At the same time, it was extremely unsettling to work on weekends, when there were practically only men in the production building.

Maria, 31 years old, technical support specialist, Solnechnogorsk

The woman is sexist, is this possible?

Sexist women are much less common than men due to the fact that deviations from the usual, generally accepted “standards” in women are assessed more strictly. And there are quite few reasons for discrimination against men; many people think that their infringement is impossible.

Historically, men had more rights than women. Therefore, many people perceive the fact of discrimination against men as strange. However, this often happens in real life.

What is reverse sexism

Sexism can affect both men and women. It's all about opposing ideologies: patriarchy and matriarchy. This is why experts do not identify reverse sexism (discrimination against men by women) as a type or phenomenon. Sexism is discrimination based on gender, male or female. Possible facts to explain the existence of reverse sexism are:

1. The need to serve in the army. Although in some countries such a duty is assigned to women.
2. A man is obliged to support his family. Again, this statement is refuted by a large number of examples where men earn less than women and are involved in raising children and doing housework. In addition, the maintenance of a family by a man appeared, rather, not from reverse sexism, but from a completely ordinary one. For example, when a woman, due to discrimination, earns much less than a man in the same position.
3. Men face discrimination when applying for certain types of work, for example, in kindergarten.
4. In case of divorce, joint children remain to live with their mother. Here, too, one can argue about the presence of signs of sexism. In the vast majority of divorces, men do not even file a custody claim, so the courts do not even consider this possibility.

Experts do not define the concept of “reverse sexism”

Positive discrimination for men

Positive discrimination was created precisely to combat sexism; it allows oppressed and vulnerable groups to receive additional opportunities and quotas. Equalizes opportunities for men and women, for example, in career advancement. Although positive discrimination has its disadvantages:

• Leads to reverse discrimination. It is very strange to observe the distribution of quotas and the receipt of advantages only due to a certain gender, and not due to professional skills and capabilities.
• Falling level of responsibility. Acceptance of a student with a lower score but who is a minority.
• Even positive discrimination remains discrimination, although it creates positive conditions.

Positive discrimination

Svetlana Kovalenko

Psychologist, clinical psychologist

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Positive discrimination as a phenomenon is considered quite controversial. This term was first used by US President John Kennedy, who announced measures to support oppressed peoples in America. Surely, the idea was positive - to “atone” the centuries-old oppression of the black population. In fact, it created even more discrimination. Only now in relation to the white population. If you look at the events of recent years in the United States, it becomes clear that positive discrimination has developed into struggle and hatred between the American population.

Men have their own limitations in choosing a profession

In Russia, boys are taught from childhood that a man must support his family, he is the breadwinner and breadwinner. According to the results of our survey, a decent salary for a man is considered to be from 50,000 to 100,000 rubles.

This is the salary paid to drivers, technologists, doctors (not all), turners, machinists, managers, welders, and engineers.

But the average salary of a kindergarten teacher is 19,100 rubles, a teacher is 20,100 rubles, a designer is 40,800 rubles, a researcher is 33,400 rubles, a plumber is 30,000 rubles.

Men have their own “black list” of professions - even if they like a job, they have to give it up due to low wages.

Examples of sexism

For ease of understanding, we will divide sexism into two main types - sexism from man to woman, and from woman to man.

Manifestation of sexism from women to men	Manifestation of sexism from men to women
“A man is obliged to earn more than a woman and support his family.”	“A woman is obliged to run the household: cook, clean, raise children, etc.”
"All men are polygamous."	“A woman cannot have many sexual relationships before marriage.”
“Men don’t cry,” any manifestation of feelings for a man is weakness, which is unacceptable.	“Women are not able to carry out professional activities on an equal basis with men.”
“A man must have a specific, masculine profession”	"The army is no place for women."
“This is what a real man should look like.” The concept of a “real man” who does not have to do manicures or take care of his appearance, which is typical for women.	The image of a woman. A woman should always look beautiful, wear dresses and skirts. A woman's short hairstyle and baggy clothes are perceived as incorrect.

Examples of sexism

In reality, sexism from your partner can turn into abuse and constant pressure. If you encounter this, you don’t need to wait for your partner to understand and realize everything; exclude people from your life who are trying to suppress you.

Problems of the modern world5

The progressive development of science and technology on Earth in no way diminishes the parasitic spread of sexism. In an age of such rapid, it would seem, growth and rise, there is a problem that has gripped and continues to grapple humanity. This phenomenon only shows the level of stupidity and insignificance of those who join the zombie game.

In our time, there are no countries where women did not experience any oppression, were free from prejudice and protected in all spheres of life. In some countries, violence and murder are considered the norm and this is truly terrible. Women risk their lives by getting an education, getting married, and bearing their own children. But this risk can hardly be considered justified.

In the poorest countries in Africa or the most repressive countries in the Middle East and Asia, women lack the rights to make independent decisions and control their own destinies. And in other countries, women get married early, suffer from domestic violence, contract terrible diseases, and are attacked with intent to kill. They do not have the means or capabilities to save themselves.

Brief description of a sexist

With all the diversity of human manifestations, sexists have some characteristics that are unique to them. How to recognize a sexist? Here are some characteristics by which you can understand this:

1. Sexists are convinced of the exaltation of one's gender over the other;
2. Adherents of sexist ideology belittle the object based on mental and physical abilities in comparison with their gender;
3. When hiring, gives preference to a certain gender, regardless of the professional characteristics of the candidates;
4. Strives for dominance in relationships with the other sex;
5. A sexist tends to use physical or moral violence in open or hidden forms.

A sexist is very similar in characteristics to an abuser

Harassment

This is harassment. Behavior that violates another person's privacy. The word has a broad definition, but in matters of gender relations it is used to mean “sexual harassment.” Sometimes the definition is narrowed to mean “sexual harassment at work,” often using one's position.

Examples: crude jokes, spanking, harassment.

One of the most exploited terms for excesses: any signs of attention can, if desired, be called harassment. This also works the other way: supposedly in some countries you can’t give compliments because they are regarded as harassment.

Causes of sexism

Experts attribute the following to the reasons for the emergence and development of sexist ideology:

1. Stereotypical child rearing. Everyone knows the phrases “Well, you’re a boy” / “You’re a girl.” From infancy, children are taught stereotypes that pink is for girls and blue is for boys. Girls should play with dolls, boys with cars and construction sets.
2. Family example. This is also called genetic sexism. Parental relationships, family rules, attitudes.
3. Lack of self-acceptance, uncertainty. This symptom results in oppression and humiliation of others, including based on gender.
4. Well-established social rules. Each gender is subject to certain standards of behavior and requirements for appearance.

Sexism begins in childhood through parental attitudes

Types of sexism

Sexism can be found in completely different forms of its manifestation. It depends on the sphere, the ideological attitudes of a particular group of people, as well as on the beliefs of a particular person. Let's look at the types of sexism and try to understand them.

External aggressive sexism

External aggressive sexism or also called hostile sexism. This manifestation of sexist ideology is aggressive in nature. Adherents of this type are prone to displaying verbal aggression towards the object. They can be irritated by any actions performed by the other sex, humiliate and oppress. For example, a woman dressed too revealingly or cooked something that was not what the aggressively sexist wanted. Sometimes you can even hear opinions that people of the other sex are not people, second class. This, in turn, will already constitute open xenophobia.

Most often, the reason for the aggressive manifestation of a sexist is his internal dissatisfaction with himself, his position in society.

External benevolent sexism

External benevolent sexism? Sounds positive enough, but what can be positive about discrimination of any kind. This type is manifested in romantic glorifications of one gender or another; more often, with the help of images, a certain lifestyle and external characteristics are imposed. When women's fragility and beauty are extolled, and men are always strong and heroic personalities. More like some kind of fairy tales about beautiful princesses and courageous princes who have no flaws, and all readers should definitely strive for these ideals.

Internal sexism

Internal sexism manifests itself in the behavior of a woman (less often a man), in which there is unconscious support for gender stereotypes regarding one’s own sex. A woman with internal sexism herself is inclined to condemn other women who, for example, have had more than one sexual partner, are pursuing career advancement instead of starting a family and having children, or have chosen a “male profession.”

A person himself can become the cause of a sexist attitude towards himself

Everyday sexism

Each of us has encountered everyday sexism at least once in our lives. Everyday sexism is very similar to benevolent sexism. Occurs in the following manifestations:

• Division of roles within the family;
• A man opens the door for a woman;
• Helps put on a coat, pulls up a chair, etc.;
• Helps in cases where physical strength is required.

Similar situations can happen to anyone. But it is worth noting that it cannot be called sexism when a man gives up his seat on a bus to a woman based on considerations that she is having a hard time, she is carrying bags, she is wearing heels, or for other similar reasons. And not because women are the “weaker” sex.

Perhaps a man's help will seem harmless and even a pleasant act, but if a woman is confident in her abilities and is able to cope on her own, and on top of that, for example, has feminist views, then such gestures can be offensive to her.

Worker sexism

Gender discrimination at work is as common as everyday sexism. This is even evidenced by the fact that female employment in Russia is only 63%. And the so-called “glass ceiling” is present almost everywhere. The glass ceiling is the upper limit of a woman's career achievements; it is set artificially, mainly due to gender. In Russia there is also a list of professions prohibited for women, due to physical activity and negative effects on the body. This list includes 100 different professions, although until July 2021 there were 456 positions on the list.

Sexism at work is the most common type of discrimination against women

Dehumanization

The process of stripping a group of people of their human status. The desired group is declared unworthy, parasitic and the enemy. This means that every representative of this group must be fought. If you can’t exterminate (as is the case with women), then at least completely subjugate and control every step, otherwise you never know what these pests will do. The opinion of representatives of the group itself can be neglected.

Dehumanization begins with renaming, so you need to call a woman a chick, a skin, and whatever else you like. Women continue to be treated as chattel: in some places on this planet, women are bought, sold, regularly beaten and killed. And this is not considered a crime.

Example: “Baba is not a person.”

Sometimes biologism is used to confirm this point of view. This is an attempt to reduce all social relations to biological reasons - drawing direct analogies between the animal world and society, examples of the division of labor in the Paleolithic era.

Example: “On average, a man’s brain weighs more than a woman’s, which means men are smarter.”

Males are on average larger than females, which is why the size difference appears. Size matters, but up to a certain limit: a baby elephant's brain is larger than a human brain, but this does not mean that the baby elephant is smarter.

How people use sexism to their advantage

First of all, people with low self-esteem use sexism to their advantage for the purpose of self-affirmation. With the help of many stereotypes and statements that have already become commonplace, society imposes a certain way of life on a person. In dominant groups it is quite easy to convince a person that he is wrong.

This can be seen, for example, in a family. The daughter dreams of becoming a train driver, but her parents are against this choice. In such a situation, they will definitely begin to say phrases such as: “this is not a woman’s job”, “you can’t handle this”, “what will grandparents say”, “you’re a girl”, “we raised you to be a princess” and the like . Not everyone can withstand such pressure; it becomes even more difficult for a person due to a lack of understanding from loved ones.

“He said what a good girl I was, that I didn’t resist”

When I decided to leave my musical career and studies at the conservatory, the worst happened. I moved to St. Petersburg and for the first time looked for a job outside my specialty. I wanted to work in a cultural place and got a job in a Soviet-era museum, which was headed by an elderly man with teaching experience and a pile of publications about himself and the museum in the press.

On the third day of work, the elderly director sent me to a distant room to decorate the Christmas tree, and then came there himself. He started pawing me, telling me what a good girl I was for not resisting. And it was as if I was paralyzed. This all lasted a very long time - we managed to check each light bulb on several long Soviet garlands.

The next day I didn’t show up for work.

✊One of the components of the problem of harassment is that women do not consider themselves to have the right to express negative emotions

Not a hysterical woman, but a human being: why it is important for women to regain the right to be angry

How do people treat sexists in the 21st century?

Despite active efforts to combat sexism, gender discrimination still remains relevant. Many people themselves are sexists and share the ideology of sexism, albeit not always consciously. Every person at least once in his life was surprised when he saw a woman taxi driver simply because it was unexpected. After all, until recently it was difficult to meet a female taxi driver. And this is also a manifestation of sexism!

Of course, people's attitudes will be completely different. An aggressive sexist who believes that a woman on a ship is a sign of trouble and uses harsh language towards female representatives is sure to receive negative reactions, disapproving glances, or worse. And, for example, an employee whose boss, when praising her, used the phrase “for a woman, you did an excellent job,” most likely will not even pay attention to this.

Many people don’t even notice manifestations of sexism towards themselves.

How to deal with such people

Many people, when confronted with harsh, gender-biased remarks or inappropriate gender-related jokes, choose to say nothing in response, change the topic, or even support it. According to experts, sexist remarks cannot be ignored without a response. Thus, sexists violate a person’s personal boundaries and belittle your own self-worth. But you should also not get involved in direct confrontation. Then what model of behavior should you choose with such people? Psychologists advise resorting to simple rules:

1. Calm down, breathe out. You shouldn’t react impulsively to a sexist’s attacks.
2. Clarify the content of the statement. Usually, in response to the question “Do I understand correctly that...” the interlocutor is already thinking about what he might have expressed incorrectly.
3. Indicate your personal attitude to what you heard. The “I-message” technique will help with this. “When you joke about women’s intelligence (you name the fact), I feel offended (voicing personal feelings), because I am also a woman and I want my intellectual abilities not to be belittled (disclosing a need).”

Use these tips, then dealing with sexists will not be a disappointment for you. Moreover, you will be able to defend your personal boundaries and show the person that such statements are unacceptable to you. Further communication with a sexist can go in two directions: he will take into account your interests and find a compromise; your communication will end.

Should you do something if you are a sexist?

If you realize that you are sexist, homophobic or xenophobic to any extent, then be sure to pay attention to how you communicate in society. Self-analysis will help you understand whether your sexist beliefs interfere with you, and most importantly, with the people around you, in everyday life. If you notice negative influences, aggressiveness when meeting an object that contradicts your prejudices, be sure to contact a specialist to find out the true reasons.

Victimblaming

Blaming the victim. In this case, it is considered that the injured party is responsible for the crime, because its behavior somehow provoked the aggressor. A very popular public position on issues related to rape.

Example: “Why did you take the bus home on payday? I should have called a taxi, then my wallet wouldn’t have been stolen.”

Essentially, a defense mechanism of the psyche. When a person accuses a victim of wrongful behavior, he implies that there are rules that guarantee protection from crime. “I'm doing everything right. This will never happen to me." Unfortunately, what criminals do is break the rules, so this approach doesn’t work.

How to get rid of sexism

In the fight against sexism, psychologists note the benefits of the following methods:

1. First of all, try not to impose your sexist ideas on other people, especially children.
2. Don't support sexist jokes. Often such jokes, especially on the Internet, can offend a huge number of people. This will not stop as long as people support it, like it and repost it.
3. Choose the right expressions. Watch what and how you say.
4. Do not use your gender as an explanation for any behavior.
5. Try not to support sexism in society. Ignore advertisements that are obviously aimed at one gender or another.
6. If your rights and freedoms are violated, be sure to report to the appropriate authorities.

If sexism has an open and aggressive form, consult a specialist

Gaslighting

This is a form of suppression of another person, in which the victim is convinced that everything is fine, and the problems are made up. Gaslighting uses doubts about the victim’s appropriate behavior, questions about mental health, and reminders of the biasedness of the victim’s opinion.

Example: “You are a feminist because you don’t have a normal man. Stop doing nonsense, you’ll get married right away.”

What is the difference between sexism and patriarchy?

Sometimes you have to deal with the fact that people confuse the concepts of “sexism” and “patriarchy” or use them interchangeably. In fact, patriarchy and sexism are completely different concepts. Sexism is discrimination based on gender. Patriarchy is a way of organizing society, a way of life, where a courageous warrior is always at the head of the family, the state, and women are engaged in housekeeping and raising children.

Patriarchy (as well as matriarchy) gives rise to sexism as an independent phenomenon. Discrimination against women appeared along with the emergence of patriarchal foundations in ancient civilization. That is why sexism has not outlived its usefulness and is still expressed everywhere even in small things.

History of the term

The concept of “sexism” has its own substantive predecessors. It was not used by them independently, but was well comparable to their theoretical position.

In 1907, suffragist Käthe Schmirmacher, in a newspaper article on sexual ethics reform, diagnosed "sex bias in language." She outlined them as “sexualisms.” A similar argument was used by the writer Simone de Beauvoir in her work “The Other Sex,” which was published in 1949. In it, Beauvoir defended the concept of “sex” as, rather, a social construct and substantiated the central feminist theorem: one is not born “woman,” but is socialized.

The actual concept of “sexism” first appeared in English in the mid-sixties. They describe the naturalization of social processes (biologism) - the principle of action at which the concept of racism is aimed (sexism is included in this in the American human rights movement of the 1960s). At the same time, sexism meant not only individual prejudices, but also institutionalized discrimination. The first scientific attempts to explain sexism took place in the early 1970s, also in the United States.

In the 1980s, discussions of sexism intensified with discussions of its consistency with other forms of oppression like racism and classism. During this discussion about the relationship of oppression, the concepts of prejudice and, in fact, oppression stood out.

Today, intersectional research moves away from looking at oppression based on a single basis (such as class) to exploring how different vectors of oppression influence each other and mutually construct certain categories along which discrimination occurs. For example, white women are more privileged than black women, but less privileged than white men.

Famous sexists

You can see a large number of statements by famous people that include sexist ideas. There is even a Runet Award “Sexist of the Year”, which highlights several “nominations”: “sexist of the year”, “sexism in the media”, “sexism in advertising”, “women against women”. For example, in 2021, the sexist of the year was Archpriest Dmitry Smirnov, who said the following: “Women are weaker in mind. Of course, there are some Marie Curies, but they are still rare.” Meanwhile, in Russia the number of women with higher education exceeds men.

Another, more famous sexist is Mel Gibson, who, by the way, has had problems with law enforcement agencies more than once. Here is one of the phrases that confirms sexist prejudices: “Women and men are too different. There will never be equality between them."

Generalization

The philosophy of sexist attitudes is based on the idea that human beings can be explained and valued on the basis of key characteristics of the groups to which they belong, in this case men or women. This assumes that all people fit into the category of male or female and does not take into account people who identify neither or identify as both.

Gender	Hatred	Fear	Anti-discrimination
woman ♀	misogyny	zinophobia	feminism
man ♂	misandry	Androphobia	masculism
intersex people	misandrogyny	androgynophobia	LGBT
transsexual	transphobia	transphobia	LGBT
genderqueer	queerphobia	LGBT

Books about sexism

The topic of sexism is now so popular that you can find entire collections of books about sexist ideology.

1. “So the Captive Bird Sings,” Maya Angelou;
2. “Women and power. Manifesto”, Mary Breed;
3. The Handmaid's Tale, Margaret Atwood;
4. "The Virgin of Orleans", Voltaire;
5. "Joan of Arc", Mark Twain.

The origins of sexism go deep into the history of literature. The works of Russian classics contain the standard image of a “real woman” and a “real man”, which are idealized in every possible way by the author of the work.

Films about sexism

You may be surprised, but you won’t see such a huge amount of sexism as from everyone’s favorite Disney cartoons. You can safely make a list of cartoons about Disney princesses with elements of sexism. Examples of sexist films include:

1. Mulan (1998);
2. She's the Man (2006);
3. What Women Want (2000);
4. Soldier Jane (1997);
5. Billy Elliot (2000).

This year, the most popular series was “The Queen’s Move,” which was about a talented chess player. However, this series is not about a brilliant brain and the ability to think strategically, but about a woman’s struggle for equal rights. Women did not play chess on an equal basis with men; they had different tournaments. Moreover, even modern male grandmasters say that “women play worse,” believing that chess is an exclusively male activity.

The series “The Queen's Move” carries the ideas of combating sexism and discrimination against women

Objectification

Perceiving another person solely as a sexual object. The vehicle for sex can only engage in it, and other activities are not available to it. For example, work.

It’s important that we’re talking about the object, not the partner. It is assumed that you and your partner will agree on sex, and there is no need to specifically ask the object. After all, if something is invented for sex and only for sex, then it should be used for its intended purpose. No options.

Example: “Let’s put a naked woman on the poster in a motor oil ad, it always works.”

If a woman does not look attractive to a man, even if she does not intend to seduce him, they begin to blame her for this, and this is body shaming (body shaming).

Example: “Why are you giving a lecture here, you’d better lose weight.”

In general, a woman should always be sexually attractive to a man. And the world actively supports this male point of view. In movies, in literature, in games, in the media and everywhere else, a woman is portrayed in such a way as to excite and interest a man. This phenomenon is called Male Gaze - the male gaze.