Introduction
Sexism is a great problem in the world today, and it affects both men and women. Sexism refers to the unfair treatment of men and women based on gender. Women and girls have faced gender discrimination due to their sex, and their experiences have been more evident. When sexism leads to the discrimination of men and boys, it is referred to as reverse sexism. Reverse sexism is seen in everyday life. There have been many affirmative actions to combat discrimination against women and girls, increasing their social status and education. Affirmative actions have made women rise above their previous statuses, leading to a backlash through which men have started feeling the pinch of reverse sexism. Sexism against women and girls is severe in most parts of the world despite the developments in gender equality. However, contrary to the common perception that only female human beings face discrimination based on their sex, discrimination against men and boys also happens, and men have started coming out to share their ordeal.
In recent years, there has been a rise in the perception of discrimination against men and boys. People have begun to come out and share their thoughts about reverse sexism, and they argue that it exists. Research in the United States showed that over 40% of adults believe that men face little or a moderate amount of gender discrimination in the U.S. (Manzi, 2019). Even though the number of men facing gender discrimination is low compared to women, many men believe that male discrimination is on the rise and is expected to be more prevalent as time goes by. The rising cases of anti-male discrimination are caused by women’s recent social advancement and gender-related policies that focus on women (Manzi, 2019). Some men see initiatives such as increased academic diversity programs aimed at women and girls, not boys, as discriminatory.
There are several incidences in which men have reported that they have experienced reverse sexism. When men were asked what was sexist towards men and what society accepted, they raised many views that point out that men experience reverse sexism. For instance, one man replied on a thread shared by AskReddit that “When you’re a dad, and everyone assumes you don’t know what you’re doing, especially if mom isn’t with you” (Tandon, 2022). Society has always expected that men are unable to take care of children. This is a form of reverse sexism since it discriminates against men in their roles. Another Reddit user pointed out that there are no baby-changing tables in men’s bathrooms, which shows that reverse sexism affects men greatly. The absence of baby changing rooms in men’s bathrooms poses a big challenge to single fathers who want to take care of their children.
Reverse sexism is the unfair treatment of men, and the comment section on Reddit shows that “society judges men and women equally” but for opposite things. For instance, women are judged for working after marriage and having kids, and men are expected to be the breadwinners of their families. Society also expects mothers to take care of their children, but a father is considered less of a man when he takes care of children. Even though gender discrimination against women and girls has been severe and experienced for a long time, society discriminates both men and women based on their sex.
For a long time, men had many privileges compared to women. For example, “men today earn about 20% more than their female counterparts” earn and hold 96% of fortune CEO positions. Men also constitute more than 80% of House and Senate positions and have a higher probability of winning the presidency in the U.S. However, American men are also increasingly likely to point out that they face discrimination. A research study by Casino (2016) points out that “men are prone to seeing discrimination as a zero-sum game.” The zero-sum game view means that discrimination against one group benefits the other and vice versa. Therefore, American men believe that policies benefit women and girls and amount to discrimination against men and boys. Even though there are affirmative actions that are advantageous to men, it is not clear how the policies that help women result in discrimination against men.
Contrary to popular belief, men and boys are also subject to gender discrimination. Society encourages men, and rarely women, into military conscription and combat, leading to many men’s deaths and many others getting physical and psychological problems. Men are also victims of domestic violence and sexual assault, but society takes their complaints less seriously because of the traditional attitudes towards men; men are fearless, strong, and capable of defending themselves. The consequences of gender discrimination against men and women differ in many ways. Men face discrimination in workplaces just like women; however, men’s historical advantage and higher social status shield them to some degree from negative experiences compared to women (Manzi, 2019). Nevertheless, just like women, men face negative outcomes as a function of the specific gender group they belong to.
Solutions and Recommendation
Sexism is a major problem in the world today. Even though reverse sexism has not been reported a lot, like discrimination against women, it is evident that men are discriminated against based on their sex. Therefore both men and women should work together to solve the problem of sexism. The reality is that both men and women are tortured by sexism, and the situation can only be changed when they understand that in a good society, men and women should be allowed to do whatever they want without being judged. Therefore, society should not judge people regardless of their gender and decide for them what they should do or how they should behave.
Many men are hesitant to report cases of gender discrimination. They are concerned that when they make such complaints, they will be considered less manly, and they try to “man up” as they deal with the harassment. However, men must understand that they also have a right to be in a friendly environment free from gender discrimination and harassment. Men should be free to share their cases with people around them in order to be helped. When at the workplace, they should report to their leaders so that those involved in discrimination are told to stop.
There are many men in society. Men should not complain of reverse sexism; instead, they should stand up and take actions that will help them reduce the cases of sexism. Men are privileged in society and should work towards addressing traditional stereotypes used to discriminate against them. For instance, since there are many men in the United States House and Senate, they should work towards pushing measures that ensure that men’s bathrooms in the United States also have baby-changing rooms. This will help single fathers to take care of their children.
Government officials should also come up with a policy for ensuring that children, regardless of their sexual orientation, complete their studies. There are numerous boys among Americans with the lower social status that drop out of school. The government should ensure that the boys continue with their studies. Government officials should ensure that there is equality among all Americans regardless of their gender and social status. These measures will help the government to solve the problem of reverse sexism that is continuously increasing in the country.
Conclusion
Sexism is a significant problem and affects both men and women. Sexism is a societal discrimination that is found in schools, families, communities, and working environments. Sexism refers to the unfair treatment of people because of their sexual orientation. Women and girls have faced gender discrimination for a long time, and their cases are more evident. However, men and boys have also been facing gender discrimination, but their positions and societal stereotypes have prevented them from lamenting. Many affirmative actions and policies work towards combating female sexism, and the cases of reverse sexism continue to rise in the United States and worldwide. Men should be free to share their complaints about reverse sexism to get assistance. Both men and women should work together and develop policies and affirmative actions to combat sexism.
References
Cassino, D. (2016). Why more American men feel discriminated against. Harvard Business Review.
Manzi, F. (2019). Are the processes underlying discrimination the same for women and men? A critical review of congruity models of gender discrimination. Frontiers in psychology, 10, 469.
Tandon, A. (2022, September 26). Men face sexism too, its called reverse sexism, here are a few examples. SheThePeople TV. Retrieved December 1, 2022, from https://www.shethepeople.tv/top-stories/opinion/sexism-against-men-reddit/
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