A third grade boy is being chased down by another boy on the football field at recess, but trips on a rock and with a loud thud, and falls to the ground. The boy, not being able to slow down, falls directly on top of him, and next thing they know, they are being escorted by a teacher to the nurse. The two boys are sat on a bench and getting bandaged up when they overhear that same teacher saying, “boys will be boys,” in an attempt to excuse their behavior.
Excusing reckless behavior based on gender is one of many examples as to how misogynistic ideals have taken over in today’s society.
Misogyny is the idea that men are inherently better, stronger or more deserving than women, which has already been proven wrong in many aspects. Regardless, many men, and even some women, still believe this. According to a 2023 global study by the United Nations Development Programme, nine out of 10 men and women hold fundamental biases against women.
These misogynistic ideals have become a much too critical part of our lives, and there is still monumental work that needs to be done in order to truly make a change.
One of the most widespread examples of how misogyny has impacted society is through the objectification of women.
According to the Harvard Kennedy School, the Prescriptive Beauty Norm is how, “women feel social pressure to intensively pursue beauty.” This means girls feel the inherent need to keep up with the latest makeup, skincare, hair care and fashion trends that is rooted in making them more attractive to men. But this doesn’t just impact grown women, we also see this in teens.
Think of the last time you noticed a girl outfit repeating at school. When was the last time you noticed that in a boy? Probably not as recently, and this is because we have been inadvertently taught to notice the appearances of women more than men.
But it’s not only external care that is being impacted.
Period products are non-negotiable for many women, but they come at a cost. Unlike groceries or prescription medications, pads and tampons are under what is known as the Tampon Tax, which according to the Alliance for Period Supplies, is the rate that period products are taxed. This tax is more similar to that of decor, make up and even electronics, as opposed to other basic necessities.
Over time, this adds up. It is estimated by the National Organization for Women, that over the course of a lifetime, the average menstruating person will spend about $18,000 on period products.
This is a hefty cost that many women have had to bear for years, especially considering that they don’t choose to have periods or to have to use these products. The fact that these products are taxed so highly implies that they are a luxury, which undermines the basic importance that they hold to women.
On top of this, there is a known wage gap between men and women.
These stereotypes that men are better problem solvers make it easier for them to get higher paying jobs over women or even get away with passing off stolen research as their own. One of the most well-known examples of this was when Rosalind Franklin’s
DNA research was stolen by Watson and Crick, who were later credited with the discovery.
This dynamic of men being louder and smarter is not only in professional settings, it is also represented in some of the STEM classes at MCHS.
“Currently, we have a group of three boys,” says junior Biomed student Olivia Adams. “[The groups] are pretty much just separated by genders.”
Many of these female students, whether they realize it or not, are more comfortable working with other girls because of what we have seen in the past with these problems being specifically prevalent in the STEM field.
But if these stereotypes continue how will it help women get jobs with a high enough pay for the, “luxury,” of period products?
These actions against women have become so second nature, however, some men are willing to point out when the problem is being perpetuated.
“People want to be blind to the fact that there is misogyny and that it does exist,” says junior Matt Zurawski, “but people don’t see it because they don’t want to.”
In order to see just how many aspects of our everyday lives are rooted in misogyny, men need to adapt this mindset and expose themselves to people who are directly affected and don’t have the same inherently misogynistic views.
Women are often put in a box. Who they are supposed to be, how they are supposed to act and what role they are supposed to take in society is limited by the standards that have existed as long as people. We often think that we have made tremendous amounts of growth away from the idea that women aren’t as strong or smart as men, but this has become so ingrained in our society, that we are still far from the growth that is needed.