Prejudice and discrimination of the female gender
Gender discrimination has existed since decades ago. We have real life examples of the males being favoured over females in terms of jobs employment, education, religion, politics, family and etc. hence, females have been treated unfairly since then. In this recent year, this discrimination has been reduced significantly; however, it is still practiced in certain countries like China.
SECTION II
Females and males are drawn into this gender discrimination. Often, most people have this stereotype of males being more superior then females and hence results in the biasness. Females were to hold a position lower than males and they are in charge of producing son and other household matters.
This topic has been chosen as I feel upset for those being affected from the gender discrimination. Both genders should be treated equally in the society. There have been various examples of successful women in both the working society and in school and has thus proven that not all males are better than females and females are always stereotypes as the weaker ones.
Survey which involved several hundred women have been made to determine the job discrimination in the society and results shows that it is harder for females to find job even if they hold a degree as males are given the privileged of getting the well-paying jobs and most companies only ask for male applicants or even decline to interview female applicants.
Retrieved from (http://www.china.org.cn/english/education/196472.htm)
Gender discrimination has buried the females’ abilities and talent in contributing a part for the society and hence it may result to that country which may not be able to advance much and its economy might be pulled down just because of the existing discrimination of gender.
Such discrimination has also lead to violence against women which is so much of a hurtful incident. Girls are usually being aborted, drown, and sold away as people believed that it is important to have a male at home to carry on their family lines and to have their son to take of them when they turned old, as the females will eventually be married off.
Example 1:
Here is an example of prejudice against females in West African, newborn baby are buried in desert sand and are starved to death. An Asian saying alleges that “raising a girl is like watering a plant in your neighbour’s garden.” When she grows up, she will leave to get married or may even be sold into prostitution and thus be of little or no help in caring for aged parents.
Retrieved from (http://www.watchtower.org/e/19980408/article_01.htm)
Example 2:
This shows a stereotype of female’s ability of studying. Cambridge University psychologist Simon Baron-Cohen (“The Essential Difference”) says that males are good at leadership, decision making and achievement, while females are suited for “Making friends, mothering, gossiping, and ‘reading’ your partner.” (He has been quoted in the New York Times, in a Newsweek cover story, in a PBS documentary and in many other major media outlets.)
Retrieved from (http://www.alternet.org/story/42034/)
Example 3:
The chart below shows the mindset of men towards women’s abilities in the working society and education.
Retrieved from (http://filipspagnoli.wordpress.com/2008/05/09/human-rights-facts-10/)
Example 4: Gender Stereotype in Cartoon and Comics
In Superman, Spiderman and Batman, the women will always be the victim and they do not have the power to protect themselves and requires the men to save them.
Retrieved from (http://mcclungs.ca/2010/01/31/cartoons-stereotype-women-too/)
Female should only be the secretary and not the C.E.O.
Retrieved from (http://www.cartoonstock.com/directory/s/stereotype.asp)
Male cops are always stronger than Females.
Retrieved from (http://www.cartoonstock.com/directory/s/stereotype.asp)
SECTION III
This prejudice and discrimination have resulted in the female not being recognized in the society and hence, female graduates are unable to find job or if not they are given jobs that are paid lower than men.
Females are also being treated unfairly in families as they are only to produce boy’s babies, if girl’s babies are produced, they will be buried, sold or aborted, this will result in the decreased of females in the world and hence, sooner or later, there will not be females around to give births and thus affecting the population rate of the country.
The media has played a part in showing the stereotypes of gender to the world and has affected the different age group especially the kids.
The media is notorious for portraying females in roles including caretaker, housekeeper, and in administrative support positions.
Cited from (http://www.careerthoughtleaders.com/blog/gender-stereotypes-impact-women-in-the-workplace/)
Examples of such media are cartoons, advertisement and music.
Examples of Video: Gender Stereotyping of Women in the Media
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8z6ks8Z0X20&playnext=1&list=PL0EC8085A1A869164&index=6)
The stereotyping of women is always seen portraying by the media. In the following video on YouTube, you will see the Gender Stereotyping of Women in the various types of media which includes Disney cartoons such as Cinderella story and examples of some families where female or wife are determined to do all the housework and cooking and also various advertisement on cleaning products to be performed by females. Advertisements of children’s toys are also affecting the stereotypes of children such as Barbie dolls for girls. Interviews with children are also being carried out to find out the stereotype of gender roles they have in their mind, two dolls of different gender are used and the questions being asked are; which gender of doll likes to clean the house, who takes care of the babies and who goes to work. This video significantly shows the stereotype being delivered through various sources of media.
Statistics are found to support the findings on discrimination of gender.
Chart 1.1
The chart above shows the statistics of women being paid lesser in the same career as men.
Retrieved from (http://www.writeslikeshetalks.com/2009/03/03/gender-pay-discrimination-chart-by-career/)
Chat 1.2
The chart above shows the percentage rate of women being treated unfairly in different aspect; work family, magazines etc.
Retrieved from (http://www.un.org/womenwatch/confer/beijing/national/japan98.htm)
Chart 1.3
Above shows the differences in number of girls and boys being out of school in 2004, Girls at the disadvantage of gender discrimination.
Retrieved from (http://filipspagnoli.wordpress.com/2008/10/03/human-rights-facts-68-poverty-and-gender-discrimination/)
I have also done a survey with the students in Ngee Ann Polytechnic in Singapore and they too, both female and male agreed that being gender biasness affect the society. The female think that this mindset has started to change over the years and in this modern era, there should be no longer having this issue living with us. Most of them including the male think that countries whose female are still dealing with this gender bias issue should fight for their own basic rights as being a treat equally and fairly.
SECTION IV
As far as we know, gender discrimination usually affects on countries that are not modernized yet, hence one of the solutions is that, the females that suffer from this menace can form a human right group and voice out to the government about this issue. Thus, this make the gender bias issue aware to the whole world, thanks to the technological advance of media. With this issue being brought up to the whole world, the government will then know that it is time for them to make a change in order to advance like other developed countries and stop this gender biasness issue.
Modernized counties should send diplomats or even real life example of female being capable both in mind and heart to countries that still practices gender discrimination. One of the examples of some most capable and influential person is like Oprah. We should start educating these countries by telling them females can also be as successful as a male in whatever aspect.
