Why do you get paid less money when you do the SAME job as him? Why are your opinions, ideas, and credibility underestimated by your male counterparts because you’re a FEMALE? Why is it that when a woman is promiscuous she’s termed a “whore” but when a man does the same he’s a “player”? Why do your parents allow your male sibling to do everything they don’t allow you to do, and their excuse is “because he’s a boy.” But what is it that separates boys from girls besides their anatomical makeup, is it something that surpasses this? The answers to these questions are DOUBLE STANDARDS; this is when two groups are judged against different standards.
Have you ever taken the extra initiative to succeed in your internship or career, but all of you efforts seemed futile? This is because; metaphorically there is a glass ceiling, which is “an invisible barrier that blocks the promotion of a qualified individual in a work environment because of the individual’s gender, race, or ethnicity”; unfortunately, despite your ambitious efforts your hard work didn’t even touch the surface. The concept of gender inequality isn’t only represented in the career field it’s also seen in the dating world—especially in college. The question I asked before “why is a woman coined a whore when she’s promiscuous but when a man does the same he’s a player?” is a prime example of this. Fathom this: if a man is partaking in the same activities and has the same level of promiscuity as a female, why is it acceptable behavior for him? According to society’s norms, it’s become a standard and praised mentality for a man to juggle 2 to 4 girls at a time, but it has a negative connotation when a female decides to do the same. This is a recurring problem on campus after we hear rumors about a female with quite a few partners she’s termed a “promiscuous girl” even by the female population, but when a man does it we just call him a “dog”, and still ignorantly chase him—so at the end of the day he’s receiving all of the praise, and the female is catching the short end of the stick.
Sadly double standards are embedded in the fiber of our society. There’s no possible way to get past it, we can just hope to keep progressing and making strides in history. So ladies, challenge the stereotypes of society and achieve careers and statuses that are unconventional; so become an astronaut, a CEO, a surgeon, or a politician—don’t just stay within the realms of what’s expected for females. I’ll leave you with these words, if people are judging and looking down on you for doing the same as your male counterpart (but praising him)try to look past their ignorance—because society is always evolving, so maybe in 50 years it’ll be “acceptable behavior” for females; until further notice “DO YOU BOO BOO!”