” You could be one of those female mechanics.” ” Don’t you think you should be a nurse instead of a doctor?” “You only take wood-work class to flirt with boys.” ” You should wear makeup if you ever want a boyfriend.” ” Wearing that is asking for it.”
It doesn’t seem like much, but yesterday it was a girl’s birthday in school. The girl whose birthday it was repeatedly told the teacher to ask if she could pass out the muffins she’d brought to share. The teacher ignored her, even as many other girls tried to get his attention. Then ONE BOY (without raising his hand) asked the teacher about her birthday, and the teacher immediately turned around and started to pass out the muffins.
I was once told by my shitty supervisor that if I’d lived in the middle ages I’d have been burned at the stake for being an uppity woman. Pretty funny!!! But less funny when contextualised by the fact he once told a joke about me going to the dentist and ‘getting something in my mouth’.
This boy in our class makes racist jokes and told a french girl to shove a baguette up her vagina and ranks girls on the size of their breasts
One of the worst memories of my teenage years is the one I have of sitting in the reception of my high school having a headache when a boy who was older than me by a couple of years sat down next to me and draped his coat over my leg and began touching me intimately. I was shocked (this was happening in front of adults) and I didn’t know the boy or how to speak up being only 13 myself. I later told my mother who played the whole thing off as “maybe he just liked the feel of your trousers” Later I began working and having started at only 15 I would regularly be the subject of pointed stares, jokes and sexual comments from male co-workers the term “if there’s grass on the wicket” was bandied about more than once. Manager and colleagues in workplaces would often apologise to me for swearing (as I was the only woman) or ask me to fetch drinks/arrange catering (not my remit) The worst experience in the workplace came later where a colleague who was 30 years my senior grabbed my wrist and pulled me into his lap resting his hand on my rear at a Christmas party whilst he berated me for not having received an order routed through my department. I was a manager he was ranked below me in the company but still felt entitled to touch me. Each of these experiences were intensely uncomfortable and have stayed with me. I’m glad of the opportunity to voice them and show how ingrained sexism is in the behaviours of some in our society
When I was in 5th grade me and some friends would get called b****s by some 5th grade boys. It was horrible and it continued until mid high school when they all moved away.
I was watching my younger sisters baseball game. Her team is the 16U girls team which is also known as team British Columbia. Since baseball is not generally the most welcoming sport for girls as many people consider it a “boys” sport I was happy to see an entire team of girls all playing ball together. I was also proud to have parents in the crowd supporting the girls and I truly believed that all of the parents were feminists, especially because they all seem to believe that girls should have just as much opportunity in sports as boys. I still believe a lot of the parents feel this way but recently my positive spirits about this community were shifted due to a man in the stands comment on my vocal support towards the girls. Every time the girls start doing well or I feel that they need some encouragement I cheer words such as “let’s go girls you’ve got this”, “let’s show these boys what you can do”, “lets go *insert individual girls name*!” And today in the stands I said quietly to the parents “I really hope the girls beat the boys today, I think they should be beat because I think the girls are the stronger team and they can do it!” A man in the stands (from our own team!) quickly told me to shut up as he was shaking his head and I replied by saying “I’m never going to stop supporting the girls!” He then said “you’re such a little bitch” in a very harsh tone and then proceeded to tell me that no one wants to hear what I have to say. These comments hurt because this was coming from a community that I thought was sort of a safe haven for feminists, a place for women and men to support each other. I told him that by using misogyny to defend his own misogyny will never silence me supporting girls baseball! I then turned to some of the mothers and grandmothers in the stands looking for support but instead heard comments such as “I can’t believe she is bringing this up at a ballgame!” And I was told that my response to the man was wrong and was encouraged once again to stop speaking. During this time the man continued to call me a “bitch”. My mother stepped in telling him to never say that to a woman again. My mother’s support gave me the courage to share my story because I know there are women out there that will support me and share ideologies such as my own. Even if my comments were a little too “out there” I will never apologize for sharing my voice with the world and will never ever be silenced by such hate. Thank you Laura for making this absolutely phenomenal site and allowing me to share my story of being referred to as a “bitch” at the ballgame. I hope this story empowers other young girls to refuse to be silenced by men who don’t want to hear our voice.
Hello, I am a young 18 year old girl from Australia and I have a few things to say about everyday sexism that I have experienced. The first thing I think of when referring to this topic is the many times I could be walking down the street with either my sister or by myself to find some cars passing by honking or cat calling out to us. The worst time this had happened was when I was alone waiting for an early morning bus into work and a group of four young man loudly shouted out and called to me and then proceeded to drive quickly in the direction of shop bus station. Luckily they just drove around the parking area and didn’t disturb anymore than that. During school I had found sexism occured when people would perceive my love for biology as a weird thing for a girl, or the time I picked up a grasshopper to place it outside it was seen as a “boyish” thing to do. Another instance I have experienced is both in public and at home where people will actively insult or tease me for having both small breasts and butt; some even saying I have the chest of and butt of a boy. The only other form of sexism I have experienced is in every relationship I have has so far with a male has involved sexist insults and assumptions. Generally the male I have dated were surprised by my independant nature to the point of complaining to me about it or calling it a flaw. There has also been a common belief among them that because I am a girl that likes them sexual intimacy and sending nudes is something I am meant to do and they didn’t always listen to the word “No.” I have also had all my opinions ignored constantly and dismissed as being “over dramatic,” or “maybe she’s on her period,” or “her hormones must be acting up.” I have also had my ex’s parents try and shove the idea of children down my throat even when I may seem uncomfortable as I want to put my energy into my career. Usually when I tell them that they tell me how “different” I am from most girls who would dream of a family and kids from a young age unlike me. (sorry for the long post. As soon as I started to write I realized just how much sexism I have experienced and thought nothing of.)
Last year was I was in 1st grade of middle school and it was woman’s day. I think we had started chatting in history class about it (the teacher was female) and then a boy (good student, seemed good) said that women are mops( or something like that). I really couldn’t believe that he actually said that. It seemed ( and still seems) so stupid. If this happens in 1st grade of middle then what will happen in my next years of school? I am SO glad this website exists so that it can ( at least a little) prepare me for what’s waiting in the next years to follow. School will start in about a month. This year I will really try ( because I’m an introvert and shy and not very social) to stand up when people are being sexist.
Race for Life? Cancer Research UK’s Race for Life is a series of women-only events raising money for research into all 200 types of cancer. WHY IS THIS WOMEN ONLY!!!! I’d like to raise money for Cancer but can’t run alongside my wife and daughters. I’m allowed to hand out drinks from the sidelines apparently. But I can’t actually enter the event and help to prevent cancer, because I’m a man.