Simply Because You Are A Girl

You’ve spent your entire life being judged. Simply because you are a girl.

‘You can’t play soccer! You’re a girl.’ Yells a young boy in 4th Grade to a girl in the same grade in India. The girl walks away in tears, saddened by the fact that she can’t play simply because she’s a girl. The boys yell after her, calling her a ‘baby’ and a ’sissy’. They yell how she’ll never be allowed to play soccer with them. A boy of 7 years is taught that he is better than girls and taught that some some activities such as sport and computers are only for boys while other activities are for girls. Another girl in grade 8, is being ridiculed for enjoying and liking engineering. The boys that laugh at her are younger then her, they’re in the 6th grade, but they think that it’s okay to laugh at her. When the girl tells them to stop, they say ‘Don’t be so bossy’ and ‘Are you on your period? ‘cause you’re so grumpy.’ They laugh at their ‘jokes’ but the girl looks hurt and she turns away.

Sexism in all it’s forms is shown in the media, in schools and in the workplace. All over the world women experience inequality of varying levels. It’s vile, women shouldn’t have to fight for basic rights. But they do and that’s a problem. Every girl that was interviewed said in one way or another they had been the victim of sexism and sexist bullying. It ranged from being told that they can’t do a sport to being laughed at because they like engineering. Girls had been told to their face or it was done subtly. All the boys said they most likely had been sexist unintentionally and some even said they had told the girl to their face that they couldn’t do something because they’re a girl.

Sexism makes girls feel worthless, unwanted and unable to do things. People who stand up for women’s rights are ridiculed by others for standing up for girls young and old. Gender equality is closer than ever. Women fight to earn their dollar instead of 75 cents. Women fight to be treated equal. Girls who are 10, telling boys that they can play soccer because they are equal to boys. Women in their 90’s telling stories of how they helped in a war, even when women were treated inferior to men. These women stand up for what they believe in. They stand up so that the next generation doesn’t have to.

But sexism can be fought by joining together as a community. We can teach boys from a young age to see girls as equal. We can let girls do sciences and engineering without being ridiculed. Let boys do cooking and other domestic activities so they can learn. Don’t make fun of girls who want to play with ‘boy-orientated’ toys or vice versa. The new generation is coming and with them comes a world free of sexism. But only if we act now.