I
April
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Sexism still prominent in today's society
C alley L athrop
Staff Reporter
Women were given the
right to vote in 1920. Over
the next 50 years, many
worked tirelessly to ensure
women gained more rights
in their male-dominated
world. The issue hit home
when, in 1972, Title IX,
which prohibits
discrimination
in schools and in jg jF
school athletics
on the basis of
gender, was
passed. Many would like to
say that women and men
are equal today. On paper
and in the mainstream, that
is somewhat so, however, a
close look at the issues we
face today proves that all
men and women are not
treated equally.
Eliot Spitzer, former
mayor of New York, recently
resigned after it was leaked
that he had been deeply
involved in a prostitution
ring. This was the epitome
of hypocrisy as Spitzer spent
much of his career fighting
white collar crime and
fraud. However, much of
the negative attention was
turned to his wife, and she
received a great amount of
scrutiny for "not taking care
of her husband," as several
analysts called it.
"When the wife does not
focus in on the needs and
feelings sexually, personally,
to make him feel like a
man, to make him feel like
a success, to make him feel
like her hero, he's very
in our local media, as the
front-page headline in The
Oregonian, summarizing
her visit to Portland,
read: Clinton gushes over
Oregon's green steps.”
Would a newspaper ever
have used that description
if it had been a male
candidate's visit? I don't
think so.
susceptible to the charm of
some other woman making
him feel what he needs,"
Dr. Laura Schlessinger,
psychiatrist and radio talk
show host, said, in a Mar.
11 interview on "The Today
Show" She was later asked
by the host if Spitzer’s
wife should be to blame
for her husband's
A majority of the victims
of sexual harassment are
women, and countless
cases are seen at high
schools and middle
schools across the country.
According to a musc.org
survey, 83% of high-school
students experience sexual
harassment during their
school careers. In the same
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promiscuity. "Yes, I hold
women accountable for
tossing out perfectly good
men by not treating them
with the love and kindness
and respect and attention
they need," Schlessinger
said. The idea that women
should sacrifice their own
needs to protect a man's ego
is outrageous.
For the first time in our
country, a woman has a good
chance of becoming a front
runner in the presidential
campaign. However, this has
not come without criticism:
Hillary Clinton has been
described as "too tough,"
or, conversely, "too tender"
to run the country. She has
been wrongly characterized
A
fest Linn High School,. 5464 West A Street, West Linn, OR 97068
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T
Some of Clinton's critics
say that, if she becomes
president, her husband,
former President Bill
Clinton, will really run the
show. Why? Because he's a
man? I have heard this from
several other students, and
the idea is ridiculous. This „
implies that in a household,
the men have the control.
This "man of the house"
concept was one that should
have died long ago. Sen.
Clinton is formidable; she's
proved that time and time
again. I don't think she
would allow any man to be
on the top of her totem pole.
Sexual harassment, which
stems from sexism, also
shows its ugly head quite
frequently, even at West Linn
High School.
"I was in a PE class,
going about business as
usual when all of a sudden,
completely by surprise,
I felt a sharp hit against
my bosom. I was taken
completely aghast. Only
minutes after touching my
chest, the same boy slapped
me on my bottom. I was
humiliated. He had taken
away my dignity and pride
as a woman and turned it
into an atrocious feeling of
self-loathing and grief," an
anonymous female WLHS
student said. Although the
administration is very firm
about sexual harassment and
maintains strict rules, some
male students still consider
these inappropriate acts to
be acceptable.
4
survey,
56% of males reported abuse
sometime in middle or
high-school as well. Sexual
harassment comes from a
lack of respect for victims,
often women, and in many
cases this is really a lack
of respect for women in
general.
Another issue in
our society is that of
discrimination in the
workplace.
Whether women
are capable
of carrying
out the same
tasks of men
is sometimes
debated.
However,
no employer
has the right to
tell their employee,
woman or man, that they
cannot hold a certain
position or carry out a
certain task.
’1 work
very closely
with men, and if
anything, we are held to
lower standards that we
abide by. If women were
held to the same standards
as men, they would
wish that they weren't.
Personally, women have it
easy; if they whine, moan
and complain about it, I say
that they should be made to
do everything a man does.
Unless women as a whole
are willing to start working
harder, sexism will always
exist,” an anonymous female
WLHS student said.
Personally, I do not
agree with this statement,
as women are often held
to higher standards than
their male counterparts, and
often have to work harder
to be accepted in roles that
used to be reserved for men.
I feel that some women are
also sexist which only serves
to reflect a segment of the
society.
Whether standards
in the workplace will
be the same regardless
of gender, who knows,
but everyone should be
entitled to that right and
challenge. One thing
is for sure: women are
capable of any task a man
is. Yes, physical strength
must be addressed, but
nothing should keep a
woman from thriving and
excelling in her workplace.
Don't stand for sexism
in the workplace, the
classroom or anywhere else-
If you do feel discriminated
against in a working
environment because of
your gender, then act. Talk
to the person, whether it be
an employer or co-worker
so that they know their
behavior is unacceptable.
There are laws against
discrimination in the
workplace, and
don’t hesitate
to hold
employers
accountable
for how you
are treated.
If you are
ever harassed,
sexually or
otherwise, report it
to someone: a teacher,
friend, counselor or
administrator. They can
and will help
you.
Look
around. In many ways,
this is a world that is
dominated by men.
That needs to change. In
many places, women are
not allowed to vote (like
Kuwait, Taiwan and the
United Arab Emirates), hold
office, or even go outside
without the accompaniment
of a man, according to the
United Nations Office at
Geneva.
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