Sexism In America Essay

Is daily sexism unrecognized in America?

Many people may assure that gender inequality does not exist in America in 2015. Unlike some decades ago, nowadays women can vote, have access to education and job opportunities and even be part of the government. All that reasons may turn sexism into a non-clearly-visible phenomenon, unrecognized by a large proportion of society. However, none of those inaccurate, simplistic and superficial arguments imply that gender inequality does not exist. On the contrary, there is no doubt that we live in a society in which women are victims of sexism.

In America, manifestations of gender inequality seem to be accepted, condone and, often, not recognized by many people. Unlike other cultures in which women cannot walk alone in the streets, women in America can do that. But does it mean that there is gender equality? Does it mean that women can walk freely on the streets? Not at all. Street sexual harassment is a clear manifestation of sexism. It denotes how women are treated merely as objects for sexual pleasure instead of as human beings

Even though there is more legal protection in America against rape than in others in which, for example, marital rape is not criminalized, the attitude towards rape victims shows that the underlying values and beliefs are sexist. This patriarchal society tends to blame the victim. Both, men and women, assume that if a woman was raped it was because she was dressed “provocative”, she was drunk, she was alone at night or she was “promiscuous”, among many other sexist misconceptions. We have to understand that when a woman is raped she is only the victim of it and the rapist is the only responsible for that despicable act: she was outraged against her will. The main problem here is that our society teaches women to avoid getting raped instead of teaching men not to