Sexism In Society Essay

The discrimination of a person based on their sex has always been prevalent in society, and even though both genders can be affected by sexism, it has typically been associated with females. In the article “Sexism in Society,” the author states that “sexism is an oppression that is hard to avoid, as it is difficult to rid ourselves of the social institutions of gender that we have been taught at a very young age.” Throughout history, women have been expected to avoid vying with men regarding education, employment, politics, and the media. In the past, higher education was not recognized as important for women since men thought that intelligence was not necessary for tasks like child-bearing and housework. Gale Collins, in her book “When

Equal rights were practically nonexistent in the workforce. For instance, it was legal for employers to discriminate and deny women employment, and men were paid much more than women. There were even rules at some businesses forcing women to quit once they got married. At job interviews, single or widowed women were often asked if they planned to get married soon; their reply would likely determine if they would get hired or not. The belief that marriage should end a woman 's chance to work only provided more job opportunities for young men. Because of their gender, females were often interrupted or dismissed by males in the workforce. This made women lose their confidence and view themselves as insignificant. Sexual harassment also became a bigger problem once women in the workplace became more common. This made women dislike the workforce, and they dreaded working because they were seen as incapable. Collins describes this oppression by saying “the world around them had been drumming one message into their heads since they were babies: women are meant to marry and let their husbands take care of all matters relating to the outside world”