Don’t take women for granted in our society

It’s amazing the things we as Americans take for granted: health, food, technology – and as… It’s amazing the things we as Americans take for granted: health, food, technology – and as quiet as it is kept – women. As America continues to advance and reform, over half of our population is still not receiving their equal due as members of our society. Even in the 21st century, women’s roles are still being trivialized. Unacceptable gender bias is common in our politics, education system and media as well.

In politics, it is very apparent that women are not given the credit they deserve. Sen. Hilary Clinton, D-N.Y., expected to run on the 2008 democratic ticket, is an individual who has seen the inner-workings of a successful presidency firsthand. In more than 200 years, we have yet to see a female president. While current trends would have one assume that women are only fit to serve as secretary of state, hopefully the tradition of having a male-dominated presidency will be broken with Mrs. Clinton.

When examining our educational system, the numbers of females that are in positions of leadership at our educational institutions are despairingly low compared with men in the same positions. While many more women are becoming principals on the elementary level, it is still very rare to see women solely in charge of institutions of secondary and higher learning.

In the media, quite possibly the most viciously exploitative area of women, women are viewed as sexual objects, rather than intelligent and coherent beings. Children get bombarded with negative images of women as soon as they become aware of media.

At a very young age, our daughters are taught that they are princesses and that they should wait patiently for their prince charming to rescue them from loneliness and whisk them into a world of marital bliss. Fairy tales such as Sleeping Beauty and Snow White and even our modern day Shrek perpetuate this ideology.

The media’s portrayal of women as large-breasted, unintelligent subordinates is largely to blame for the conditions women find themselves fighting against today.

A mere 10 minutes of “MTV Jams” or “BET’s Uncut” further confirms the trivialization of women as sex objects and inferior citizens. Furthermore, television shows like “Baywatch,” “Desperate Housewives” and “Sex and the City,” although popular women’s programming, tend to portray women in a negative light, i.e. desperate and promiscuous.

Psychologist Letty Pogrebin says our current sexual stereotypes give children two basic messages: first, boys are better and second, girls are meant to be mothers.

Preparing young women at an early age to be dependent on men for their happiness creates insatiable women, and this is just as discouraging and problematic for men as it is for women. Pogrebin continues that men are to be “God-like, omnipotent and successful-of course, – sexual powerhouses. Taken altogether those are impossible standards to meet.”

In the U.S. there are approximately 7.8 million more women than men. It is this mere abundance of women that contributes to the under-appreciation of women.

Men view women as dispensable and in some instances even interchangeable. We’ve all heard it before – “what that girl won’t do, there’s a hundred more, more than willing.” Do not misunderstand this quote as being exclusive to sex. If your lady won’t cook, won’t clean, won’t be quiet during the game, drop her, because she is expendable. It is misogynistic ideas like this that not only demean the value of women but the credibility of men as well.

“You would think that as time goes on, there would be more equality between men and women; unfortunately, trends are moving in the other direction,” according to globalissues.org.

Some form of protest seems necessary if we expect any type of reform to come. I would suggest the burning of bras; however when considering Victoria’s Secret’s prices – ones that I stumbled upon for research purposes – that’s a sheer waste of money.

It is imperative that we begin to recognize our women as the competent, intelligent and strong-willed individuals that they really are. If we continue to place emphasis on feminine beauty and other superficial factors, we must realize that not only are we doing women a disservice, but our society overall.

Instead of burning your bras, send them to Brandon. E-mail him at ble@pitt.edu to schedule a pick up.