Get Inspired, Be Empowered Forums Sexism & Patriarchy Is Sexism Among Teenagers a Real Thing?

9 replies, 10 voices Last updated by DISHA SAPKALE 2 years, 9 months ago
  • Semantee Chattopadhyay
    Participant
    @semantee03
    #31319

    Sexism among teenagers is quite practical and needs to be addressed. Sexism is discrimination based on sex or gender, generally known as a gender stereotype. Children when divided into a boy and a girl have to face stereotypes since their birth. For instance, when we go shopping we notice that the toys for girls are basically in pink colour involving cooking sets, beauty sets, cleaning sets etcetera while for boys it’s generally cars and superheroes. Boys are generally expected to be tough and not “cry like girls” over petty things. In many Indian families, boys are not expected to learn the household chores and their sisters must help their mothers. Girls face sexism from their school itself. Usually, after they hit puberty girls were asked to wear proper clothes as their bodies may “excite” boys. It’s not “decent” to wear revealing clothes because “what will our relatives think”? Boys were told it was “girly” to keep their hair long. Many teachers practise physical violence on only boys and not girls although physical violence should not be practised irrespective of someone’s gender. Boys are assumed to be stronger and move the furniture and other heavy objects. Policies of uniform, makeup are not equally applied to all. Boys and girls are asked to line up separately and some were even asked not to talk to each other. These gender stereotypes can severely affect a child’s mental health. If a child does not behave as they are expected to he/she is laughed at and bullied. These gender constructs have widely affected the LGBTQAI + community and that’s why they fear to come out.
    This can only be solved if parents and teachers are more aware of the words they use. They should notice if the textbooks promote any sort of gender stereotype. They should keep a check that the library has an equal number of books of male and female authors. They should encourage gender equity of voice and participation.

    anshika agarwal
    Participant
    @anshika-2
    #31323
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    Definitely yes! Sexism among teenagers is a real thing. Sexism starts at the time of birth of a baby. When it’s a baby boy it’s the blessing fpr the family but when it’s a baby girl it becomes a curse.
    Girls are told by the society that they are made for growing long hairs, having beautiful physique and should wear pink because it’s a girl’s favorite color. They should do makeups to look beautiful because their all time work is to look beautiful. Have you ever seen the reactions of society when a boy does makeup? Society calls him crazy and consider him a guy from LGBTQ community. But when a girl does so, it’s fine because it’s made up for girls only. When a girl gets her hair bobbed. She is considered to look bad because girls should have long hairs.
    When a girl wear pants and shirts she is considered to like a boy. Because society has also set the dresses for a girl and a boy. All teens face these issues and it’s quite common.

    Agarwal Me
    Participant
    @agarwal
    #31325
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    I totally agree with Anshika’s point of view, with that i want to just add my opinion. Sexism is also faced in schools and colleges when male teacher don’t beat girls because they are girls. Teachers say to girl that why they have big nails or have mehendi on hand just to attract boys. If a girl is getting too closer to a boy it is treated wrong.

    nehachitroda
    Participant
    @nehachitroda
    #31352
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    Rightly said by you Semantee, I agree with you on said things like Boys are said to act tough and not to cry like girls, and have a personality like masculine and not girly, keeping hair long doesn’t mean that only girls can do, girls should not wear clothes which reveal the body, this is very basic practices seen around us each day. I would also add that, Sexism is not only towards one gender but men also face and women too in every situation, NOt only this but a very laid down reason or can say that boys are to assumed be taller than a woman and woman assumed to do what is said by men…
    In all cases of sexism, against males and females alike, both parties are always at fault (to what degree is dependent on the specific issue at hand); as in society at large is to blame most of all for perpetuating things under the guise of ‘manhood, womanhood, and roles. Things like this are only going to get better when we stop discrimination and blaming each other and differentiating between ‘I’& ‘you’ and focus on ‘WE’.

    Anika
    Participant
    @anika
    #31362
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    Sexism is the discrimination based on one’s gender, mainly to women.
    To answer the question that sexism among teenagers exists and is a real thing, Yes. It does exist.
    In school, many are not allowed to talk to boys because they feel that they might distract the boys. The uniforms have to cross a certain length otherwise they’re not allowed in school. It’s usually the boys considered for higher positions rather than the girls. They are often considered to be stronger than the girls. School in general has a lot of regulations but these aren’t valid or proper rules one needs.

    At home, the girl needs to do the housework but the boys aren’t considered for this. By assigning gender roles to basic tasks, we are further pushing a harmful stereotype.

    This behavior is normalized and students act sexist to their peers. Many judge girls for having friends of the opposite gender, judge them for having interest in sports, judge them for their interests, make remarks about their body, what they wear, who they speak to etc.

    Men are also victim to this. When someone isn’t their idea of what a man is, they often make comments about their sexuality, make fun of them for wearing makeup or acting any other way which isn’t the usual “masculine” way. They are also called girls. Is it bad to be a woman or be feminine? When you make “jokes” like these you’re further pushing the stereotype that girls are weak and men are superior and anyone who isn’t your idea of man is a bad or weak person.

    When you do not correct your friends on this, you are enabling them. Correct them before they can do anything more. Only then can we wish for a better society.

    VIPASHA .
    Participant
    @vipasha
    #31375
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    Yes, sexism is too common among teenagers .Girl gets discriminated at every third turn of her life . Some standards are set by a society for a girl and boy. On these standards, those girl and boy are forced to perform according to those standards only . A girl is expected not to talk too much, not to laugh more, not to play more, especially play boys’ games and not to wear clothes like boys The girls are expected to learn housework, learn to cook, become proficient in all the household chores. Boys are expected not to cry too much, not to do girls activities and not to grow hair, not to wear hair bands and not to argue in the streets because it is all girls’ work and does not suit boys. All these things are put in the mind of a boy and girl from childhood, when they start growing up, and since they start to understand a little in their mind, then things are put in their minds. The things that later take many wrong forms also, that is why we see so many cases in India.
    Different lines of girls and boys are made in the school. When girl and boy go for trip from a school, the place of the boy and the girl is different, they are asked to sit separately and even after reaching the place they cannot move around, they have to make different lines. Just like a girl turned 19 years old, then people start taunting her mind that now you will be married soon , but this is not said to the boy’s .Boys are told to be strong and speak, and girls are told to be calm. Weather ,everyone has a habit that sometimes a boy cries, nor is he told that are you crying like a girl, here we are not showing boys strong , Rather we are showing a girl weak and this is the thing that a society and we do not understand. Why does not a boy can take out his emotions? Why is there so much discrimination between a girl and a boy?
    All of us must have read the adolescence chapter in our ninth and tenth grades. Till now, I had once noticed that Indian teachers do not enhance it properly. A different kind of atmosphere is created. Even in some school girls and boys are asked to sit in different classes so that the teacher can separately teach them .We all find this common thing, but all these things are increasing in sexism among the teenager .
    We all need to have a great focus on all these things and try to reduce all this differences among teenager because the teenager are the upcoming future of the country which is very essential for the growth . As this will also increase the difference between the gender . Everyone equal either a boy or a girl all have equal capability .

    Manpreet Singh
    Participant
    @manpreet
    #31394
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    When the whole patriarchal society of India is filled with the sexist mindset then how can we think that sexism does not exist among teenagers? It a cause of concern that young people are not improving their situation regarding sexism as compared to other issues. This is a cause of concern because youth is the harbinger of change and they have the power to remove weed from society. The study has shown that teenagers hold the same old views regarding the gender roles of society and that girls are only meant for the pred defined roles of society.
    Other than primal roles, there are emotional issues also that need to be corrected. It is generally said that boys can not cry like girls and they cannot show their emotions. This thinking has caused mental distress among many teens and has also driven them towards suicide. The sexist behavior has equally wrecked havoc on the mental health of girls equally.
    Other than that, the girls are at the receiving end of the whole sexism thing. All kinds of restrictions are put on them, thereby restricting their freedom and liberty to chose the path of life which they wish to pursue. Their wings are clipped at a very young age. A lot of bright talent is wasted in such a manner.
    The solution lies in the dismantling of the whole patriarchal setup which is the root cause behind sexism. When our constitution has provided equal rights and opportunities for everyone, then why we are still holding the same old archaic view in modern times? Along with that, we must promote such a curriculum in the education that promotes gender sensitization among young people. They hold the key to change and they must be prepared accordingly.

    PALAK KASHIV
    Participant
    @palak
    #31740
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    Yes, sexism is very common among teenagers, sexism basically refers to discrimination between genders teenage girls and boys, for instance, girls are not asking pick the heavy things, boys are asking for that girls should make stand in a different row and boys in a different row for boys, in school also girls are not allowed to share bench with boys, even when children buy toys there are discrimination in-between color girls will have pink color kitchen set, or doll and boys many things in blue color. Even when kids go on birthdays got different return gifts for boys and girls, small things lead to sexism. Teenagers get used to it seems normal to them. Also, male sir in school or colleges are not allowed to beat or punish girls and they can beat boys, there should be equal treatment for both. Boys are not taught to do the household chores or help their mother in cooking but some girls must learn all the housework even if they don’t have an interest in it. Girls are asked to fully cover their body and boys are allowed to for night-outs, but girls are restricted to go out at night. We can stop this by encouraging gender-neutral toys and games, collaborating with families, and training them to stop sexism. Awareness among children.

    Shubhangini Shaktawat
    Participant
    @shaktawat9
    #31747
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    Is Sexism Among Teenagers a Real Thing?
    Yes, sexism among teenagers is a real thing. Sexism basically is a theory that discriminates between the two genders and usually also suggests that men are superior to women in case of our society. Teenagers are the strata which a large population of our society belongs to. As they are social beings, children our quick to pick up things from the environment around them and put it into themselves. It first becomes a part of them, and then a natural habit. As they grow up, they grow into it. Hence, sexism as a matter of fact is one of these things that most of the teenagers of our society have grown into.
    Mostly teenagers belonging to socially backward families have this thing engulfed into them, which is why they just cannot see girls and boys standing equally in their eyes. In school children, this is very prevalent. Why does a boy think he has the permission to keep his hands on a girl’s waist in the recess time? Why is it so normal to see mostly boys playing around in the playgrounds while girls sit down under the tree and study? This is nothing but a mindset that these children have developed over the years while at home.
    Girls usually start to learn household work and help their mothers in it by the age of 13-14. It is because they think they have to do what they have always seen their mothers doing. On the other hand boys can loiter around, have fun with their school buddies, just come home to eat, and it is never a problem because they have seen their fathers do something that they are currently doing. They think it is absolutely fair for them to leave their sisters at home to do all the work, cook for them and keep their food ready by the times they come back home as they have seen their mothers being treated the same way by their fathers. This is the reason why once they grow up, this same sexism that was earlier at a small level, becomes much greater. These same children are the ones keeping their wives from working after marriage, stopping their daughters from being social, avoiding modernized education, etc. Parents must understand how grim and grave a situation this can turn out to be. One must know what sort of an impact one’s actions and words can cause on children’s lives.
    A woman myself,
    Shubhangini Shaktawat

    DISHA SAPKALE
    Participant
    @42disha
    #31757
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    Sexism among teenagers is still there between boys and girls. People mostly stereotype girls they portrayed in such a way that girls can’t do work like boys or there is also lot of comparison due to which it affect children. Some of them always teach there children that work will do boys only not girls like all the outdoor work boys will do and girls should do all household work like cooking, washing utensils, washing clothes, etc. But there should no be comparison between both equally work should be given or it is not like that boys should not do household work they can do girls can also do outdoor work it is all how we teach our children that there should be equality. When mother taught girls household work then both together should be taught household work there should not be any kind of inequality between them. We can also see that girls are very particular about there choice at shopping also girls always get attracted towards clothes and accessories and on otherside boys are very quicker to get there shopping done they don’t take much time. Like small kids while parents take them for shopping they girls always get attracted towards kitchen set, Barbie dolls or things in pink colour, etc and boys get attracted towards car, cricket kit, football, etc. In school also female teachers need any kind of help they will ask for girls to help them and same goes with male teachers they ask boys to help. We all know that both male and female teachers give punishment to boys and even beat them for not doing homework etc. But girls will not get punishment or beat for not doing homework etc. There should be equal punishment decided by teachers for both girls and boys. Children should aware of all the things going around them mainly they should understand the equality between both boys and girls.

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