5 Misogynistic Mentalities I Will NEVER Understand – Column

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Despite society’s progressive advancements, discriminatory and misogynistic mentalities are still very prevalent. Although these mentalities are slightly more subtle than they used to be, there are still certain social stigma and limitations for the actions of women.

1. Women are STILL earning less than men. Yes, it’s true. After years of fighting for equality, female employees are still earning a significant amount less than their male counterparts. In the USA, “Democrats have argued that wage disparities persist, and pulled out the oft-cited figure that women, on average, earn 77 percent to a man’s dollar.” How is this still happening?!

2. The attempts to make abortion illegal. People have their own reasons for needing an abortion, and although it definitely shouldn’t be used as a form of regular contraception, you need to do what’s best for everyone involved. If someone is not ready for a child – whether that be due to financial circumstances or the inability to properly care for a child at that point – they should not have to go through with it. If a person can’t afford a pregnancy, they DEFINITELY cannot afford a child.

3. Women are STILL blamed for being raped. NEWSFLASH: It does not matter what a women is wearing/how she looks – RAPE IS NEVER OKAY. No one is ‘asking’ to be violated in such a horrific manner. No one is ‘asking’ to be sexually assaulted. Rape victims should never be blamed for what they couldn’t control or couldn’t stop.

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4. Only men can ‘sleep around’. For some bizarre reason, casual sex and relationships only seem to be available to men, and this appears to be for a variety of reasons; women are perceived as ‘too emotional’ to handle casual relationships, whereas men are perceived to be more ‘laid back’ and ‘comfortable’ in those kinds of situations. Men are also praised for their ability to engage in casual sex, whereas women are chastised and portrayed as “sluts”.

5. The over-sexualisation of the female body. There’s no doubt that the media definitely takes advantage of the current sexualised mentality surrounding the female anatomy, and it’s not difficult to locate an advertisement that thrives off of this sexualisation. The brand American Apparel is particularly known for an emphasis on sexualisation:

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I mean, is this really necessary?! I’m sure there’s a way to advertise the garments without the exposure of a woman’s backside. For the women who enjoy sexualising their bodies, go right ahead! It’s your body, and it’s your choice. However, the constant string of media advertisements portraying women as mere sex objects are continuing to be especially harmful in the perception of women as a whole.

It is clear from these mentalities that humankind still has a long way to go in regards to total equality, and we can only hope that society one day reaches that point.

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