We live in an overtly sexist society and face manifestations of misogyny every day without even knowing it. And this is our main problem.
Cave sexism is still a backdrop to our lives that we have to put up with. Job ads for a beautiful, slender, young girl with long legs, white teeth and model parameters have not disappeared anywhere. TV presenter Alla Mikheeva in an advertisement for a well-known telecom operator portrays a pretty little fool. Yegor Creed is "looking for" a bride through a TV show. A Muscovite tries to enroll her daughter in computer animation courses, but in return she is offered only "handicraft and modeling" - it's not a woman's business, they say, it's business - to draw graphics! Finally, the dean of the Moscow State University Higher School of Television believes that the deputy Leonid Slutsky "has the right to put his hand on a woman's knee or other place." All of these examples are just the tip of the iceberg called misogyny. Someone will say that against the background of many other politicaleconomic and social cataclysms are not up to feminists and their "contrived" problems, but this is not true. Sexism is an equally acute and dangerous problem that must be dealt with here and now, and here's why.
Sexism = discrimination
Sexism is a direct consequence of patriarchy. Someone, probably, believes that women have achieved everything they wanted in the centuries-long history of the struggle for equality, but this opinion is far from the truth. Unfortunately, in Russia, some manifestations of sexism are enshrined in legislation. For example, in our country there is still a list of professions that are closed to women under the specious pretext of health care. Basically, these are really dangerous or harmful industries, but the idea of “taking care of women's health” should not be the reason for the ban: women can work wherever they want, and no one has the right to restrict them.
Discrimination also exists in other labor rights of men and women. The most obvious example is when applying for a job. Most often, women between the ages of 20 and 30 face it for a simple reason: it is believed that it is this age that is most favorable for creating a family and having children. According to the employer, fertility will distract a woman from work and affect her quality. Another vulnerable category is women of pre-retirement age: they are most often denied jobs simply because of their age, for no other apparent reason, calling the absurd requirement an “age limit”.
Another example is the difference in wages. Women receive a quarter less than their male counterparts: Deputy Prime Minister Olga Golodets said this last September. De jure, labor discrimination on the basis of gender is prohibited in Article 3 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation, and Article 19 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation declares equality of rights and freedoms regardless of gender and other social categories - but in fact, as often happens, neither one nor the other simply are respected.
Wage discrimination - a planetary phenomenon. Claire Foy, who played the Queen in The Crown, was paid less than Matt Smith, who played her husband.
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The attitude of government officials to women's discrimination is very different. It is noteworthy that these representatives are women. So, even earlier, Golodets, head of the Commission of the Public Chamber of Russia on social policy and labor relations, Natalya Pochinok, announced about salary discrimination. Deputy Speaker of the State Duma Irina Yarovaya has a different opinion: the deputy opposes the policy of gender equality. The politician believes that "in the West, the position of women has devalued", and in Russia "we are for women's privileges", pointing out among them "politeness, delicacy, care, attention, complementarity."
“The fact that a woman who is engaged in politics broadcasts sexist views is sad, but, unfortunately, very typical for Russia,” says Marina Vasilyeva, co-author of the Feminists Explains channel. “So far in our country all systems and institutions are aimed at supporting the so-called“traditions”. It is logical that people who agree with this end up in power, so they have to overcome less resistance. As far as “female privilege” is concerned, it seems to me that this concept is easiest to explain with a simple illustration. You can remember how people usually behave with pets or children: they feed, clothe, open the doors on demand. And everyone knows the jokes about how great it is to be a cat, and that the cat is the main one in the apartment. But such "privileges" appear because their recipient cannot (or thinks,which cannot) do something by himself. The cat cannot open the door by itself. The woman in the crinoline could not move her chair. A woman who was forbidden by law to own property and work could not pay for herself. The system in which such privileges exist assumes that their recipient is impaired. And helping with bags and giving up a seat is cool, and cheers up all the participants in the events. But it is necessary to help those who need help, and not people selected on the basis that has nothing to do with the case. A man may well be, for example, dizzy in transport, and it will be great if someone gives him a seat. "in which such privileges exist, assumes that their recipient is impaired. And helping with bags and giving up a seat is cool, and cheers up all the participants in the events. But it is necessary to help those who need help, and not people selected on the basis that has nothing to do with the case. A man may well, for example, feel dizzy in transport, and it will be great if someone gives him a seat. "in which such privileges exist, assumes that their recipient is impaired. And helping with bags and giving up a seat is cool, and cheers up all the participants in the events. But it is necessary to help those who need help, and not people selected on the basis that has nothing to do with the case. A man may well be, for example, dizzy in transport, and it will be great if someone gives him a seat. "if someone gives way to him. "if someone gives way to him."
Sexism = Violence
Sexism is associated with sexual objectification - the presentation of a woman as an object to satisfy a sexual need. Objectification is often used in advertising: many advertisers believe that sex is still the most powerful engine of commerce (although this is certainly not the case). Today, portraying a woman as a sexy fool has become an eerie bad manners, but still sexist posters or videos designed for an extremely unassuming audience are not uncommon.
The ambiguous hints in American Apparel ads will no doubt make it into an advertising textbook one day as an anti-example.
Tom Ford often used sexual motives in his advertising campaigns, but today the designer has abandoned such a strategy.
The danger of objectification lies in the fact that sex appears to be something readily available, and its value is leveled. Most certainly, such advertising is not conducive to sexual literacy. As a result, there are dangerous stereotypes. It is believed that if a girl says “no”, it doesn’t mean “no”, it is a way of flirting, they say, get me, and I will say “yes”. Those men who do not understand the difference between flirting and refusal run the risk of committing the worst crime - rape.
Meanwhile, even the official information on rape in our country is striking. According to the Federal State Statistics Service, 3,900 sex crimes were committed in Russia in 2017. The chairman of the RF IC, Alexander Bastrykin, then noted that this number is 9% less than in 2016. His words sound optimistic, but there is every reason to believe that the real numbers of such crimes are much higher. For example, the Sisters organization, which helps survivors of violence, claims that only 10% of all survivors of violence go to the police.
There are several reasons for this. People who the victim trusts are often raped: the girl's young man may be the culprit. In addition, there is stigmatization: it is believed that a girl is inclined to “provoke” a criminal herself when she puts on a short skirt, high heels, or puts on bright makeup. “It’s her own fault!” They say to her. It's crazy, but a woman can still hear such verdicts, so often the victim is left alone with her problem, blames herself and does not know where to look for justice.
Harvey Weinstein.
Another strongest attitude of a patriarchal society is the presentation of sexual relations in the form of a “commodity” that a woman allegedly sells and a man allegedly buys. Closely related to it is the problem of harassment, which has developed tremendously over the past six months. When it became known how the disgraced Hollywood film producer Harvey Weinstein abused his position and how many young actresses became his victims, it was believed that these actresses through sex got him roles, fees and Oscars from him, and then accused the "benefactor" of all mortals sins.
“To condemn the victims of violence is to admit that they themselves are responsible for what happened to them,” says Nastya Krasilnikova, editor and author of the Robber's Daughter Telegram channel. “Leaving a hotel room when you are held by a huge man much stronger than you is physically impossible; “Not agree to sex” if you are being raped by a huge man much stronger than you is also physically impossible. The cruelty and narrow-mindedness of the people who say that the victims of violence are "themselves to blame" is striking. I understand how it works: accusers think that if they find the reason for what happened in the insufficiently modest outfit of the raped actress or her "consent" to be raped, it will help them continue to live in their familiar world, where there is nothing with the "right people" that doesn't happen. This is the logic "if I (or my daughter) do not wear a mini-skirt, nobody will touch me." Unfortunately, statistics tell us that you don't have to look or behave in a certain way to be raped: it can happen to anyone. Victimblaming, which is flourishing in Russia, is probably a way to protect yourself from the terrible outside world, but for some reason it is not easier. As for the argument “you had to tell before, then we would have believed them”: remember when was the last time you told the whole world about your traumatic experience? It is unlikely that this has happened to you. Yes, sometimes it can take years and decades to tell about the grief that happened to you, and many probably will not be ripe to share something like that. "no need to look or behave in a certain way: it can happen to everyone. Victimblaming, which is flourishing in Russia, is probably a way to protect yourself from the terrible outside world, but for some reason it is not easier. As for the argument “you had to tell before, then we would have believed them”: remember when was the last time you told the whole world about your traumatic experience? It is unlikely that this has happened to you. Yes, sometimes it can take years and decades to tell about the grief that happened to you, and many probably will not be ripe to share something like that. "no need to look or behave in a certain way: it can happen to everyone. Victimblaming, which is flourishing in Russia, is probably a way to protect yourself from the terrible outside world, but for some reason it is not easier. As for the argument “you had to tell before, then we would have believed them”: remember when was the last time you told the whole world about your traumatic experience? It is unlikely that this has happened to you. Yes, sometimes it can take years and decades to tell about the grief that happened to you, and many probably will not be ripe to share something like that. "remember when was the last time you told the whole world about your traumatic experience? It is unlikely that this has happened to you. Yes, sometimes it can take years and decades to tell about the grief that happened to you, and many probably will not be ripe to share something like that. "remember when was the last time you told the whole world about your traumatic experience? It is unlikely that this has happened to you. Yes, sometimes it can take years and decades to tell about the grief that happened to you, and many probably will not be ripe to share something like that."
Sexism = prejudice
Many believe that gender inequality is a natural result of human evolution. Supposedly, a man is a breadwinner, hunter and protector, and a woman is a keeper of the hearth, a faithful wife and an exemplary mother. In our time, this point of view, to put it mildly, is archaic: women in "primordially male" spheres of activity achieve no less success than their male colleagues. In addition, today women should be relieved of the need to give birth simply because "this is a predestination from nature," and advice "to give birth for yourself" or "to improve health" should be recognized as sexist and very harmful: a woman should give birth only when She will make this decision herself, without agitation from outside.
An ideal patriarchal world: a woman washes the dishes with a smile and styling …
… and cuts a cake with children while her husband is busy at work.
Gender prejudices are actively imposed by popular culture. And from an early age: children's encyclopedias, for example, teach girls needlework, home economics, and even the interpretation of dreams, and books for boys teach history, technology and military science. Remember children's cartoons: the main female character is certainly a princess who sings songs, watering flowers and communicating with forest animals all day long. The main male character is a prince, certainly brave and handsome, who will definitely free his beloved from captivity and will take care of her until the end of his days. This attitude is not only utopian, but also harmful: the girl, tenderly cherishing the thought of her own exclusiveness, unwittingly indulges sexism herself. Nevertheless, it is she who often becomes the basis for raising children. “Why are you roaring like a girl, be a man,” says mom to her son. "You are a girl"- says another mother to her daughter with and without reason.
Poster of the cartoon "Cinderella".
Poster of the animated film "Sleeping Beauty".
“It's one thing to change laws, and another to stop the cultural wheel, which has been accelerating for centuries,” says Irina Izotova, Ph. D., author and co-organizer of the Moscow FemFest festival on gender equality. “Of course, it is foolish to refuse the works of Immanuel Kant just because he believed that a woman was not meant for important matters. But to revise history, culture and reveal the presence of misogyny (hostility, prejudice towards women - ed.) And androcentrism in them is an important task of our time. It is impossible to completely protect the child from the imposition of gender norms. It is impossible to hide from advertisements and opinions of ardent carriers of gender stereotypes. But you can create a literate climate in your family by teaching children about gender analysis and critical thinking. Then children will consciously choose those roleswho resonate with their soul and allow others to freely exercise their choices. It doesn't matter if it is the role of "married woman", "childfree" or "Childe Harold" ".
Sexism = complexes
In children's encyclopedias for girls, homeliness and … attractiveness are recognized as the highest blessings. A girl should be beautiful, slim, well-groomed, stylish and fragrant with freesias around the clock, not because she herself wanted it, but simply by her birthright. Because it is necessary and she must, otherwise the girl will face the greatest female curse, with which mothers and grandmothers are afraid - "they will not marry."
That is why female appearance is very important in a patriarchal society. It is believed that a woman is successful when she is beautiful, and the chances of a successful marriage are directly proportional to how attractive a girl is. An example is the insanely archaic female beauty contests, sexist by definition: judging a woman by how long her legs, what size her bust, and how many centimeters her waist circumference is a favorite pastime of patriarchal society. Beauties from the pedestal are a source of women's complexes: not everyone has the "cherished" 90-60-90, hair to the waist, perfect glossy skin, a snow-white smile and other signs of conventional female beauty.
Winner of the Miss Universe 2017 contest.
But it's one thing to find a husband, and quite another to "keep". A patriarchal society blames a woman for problems in relationships, so it is she who must look for ways to improve them, so that ultimately a man - God forbid! - did not leave her. The Internet is replete with the most delusional recommendations: from harmless “surprise him” to shocking “be dissolute”. Many would-be coaches have grown on this fertile ground, offering their students a wide variety of courses and trainings, the main goal of which is the same: to find and keep.
The advice they give is striking and outrageous at the same time. Olga Valyaeva, for example, talks about how to accumulate the mythical “female energy” (spoiler: wear skirts and keep a diary of “thanks to her husband”). The guru of interpersonal relations Denis Baiguzhin teaches women how to properly "breed" a man for expensive gifts and what to do if your target is caught by "rogue convulsions." To make it clear to everyone, the coach generously flavors his recommendations with juicy obscenities. A certain Mila Levchuk went farthest. On her website, which is pompously referred to as the "Institute of Feminine Dignity," three female types are described in detail: a woman-plus, a woman-zero and a woman-minus. "Plus" is successful in her personal life, she is "the same reptile who is given gifts"; “Zero” is the wife of an alcoholic, and “minus” is a career woman competing with a man “on his territory”.
All these courses, as useful as they may seem, have nothing to do with reality: their goal is to siphon money out of your pockets relatively honestly. A competent psychotherapist in a difficult situation will help much more.
What is the result
Displaying misogyny can no longer be the norm. On March 8, 2017, in Zaventem, Belgium, for the first time, a fine was issued under the article for public manifestation of sexism. The convict was a 23-year-old boy who cursed a female police officer after she tried to detain him for trying to cross the street in the wrong place. “Shut your mouth, I don't talk to women. A police officer is not a woman's job,”he said and tried to hide. The attempt, however, was unsuccessful: the violator was caught in a nearby market and was fined three thousand euros.
It is important to understand that sexism in all its diversity, from jokes about "chicks" to outright harassment, is an absolute evil. It is important to learn to see it and prevent it. Do not let in your address anecdotes about "female logic", "blonde behind the wheel" and others that make women less smart or talented. Do not make dirty jokes in your address. Do not accept congratulations on March 8 in the spirit of "the weaker sex from the stronger." And, of course, don't be afraid to state all the types of violence you've faced: it's time to say Time's Up to sexism.