A GirlGuiding UK survey in 2014 found that more than a third of girls over seven had been made to feel stupid because of their gender, nearly two thirds of young women reported having been sexually harassed, and almost all felt they were judged on their looks rather than their ability. Tachers write online about trends in the classroom where girls are ridiculed by boys for speaking. A recent National Union of Students survey about the 'lad culture' now pervading universities found that more than a third of women had faced unwanted remarks about their appearance, just under a third reported gender-based verbal harassment and 37% siad they'd had ynwanted sexual advances.Online harassment is overwhelmingly directed at women, with death and rape threats.
Why is this happening and why does it seem to be getting worse? It may be that the accessibility of pornography, viewed for the first time by boys at an average age of 11, is changing the way they see their female peers. Studies show that such films can increase misogyny and sexism in the men who watch them. Images that once would have been 'top shelf' now surround us in advertising and the music industry.
The HeforShe campaign, fronted by Emma Watson, is a 'solidarity movement for gender equality'. It is important to support girls in the family but it is equally important to bring boys up well too. Talk about the issue and help them understand sexism and ways to fight back.
Author: Zoe Williams
- Share stories of great women in history and in your family. Talk about how their bravery, imagination and resilience changed their lives and others.
- Avoid labels and limiting language that say all boys or girls behave in a certain way, whether negative or positive. (e.g. 'girls don't do maths' or 'girls are tidier than boys'.)
- Encourage and support them to question and challenge sexist language among their friends or in the media - show them the brilliant viral video #LikeAGirl on YouTube.
- Avoid commenting on looks and clothes, as people often do with little girls. Focus instead on appreciating their inner qualities, such as kindness, creativity or knowing their own mind.
- Build a community of strong role models around them of women, and men, who boost their self-esteem by seeing them as capable, lovable people they want to spend time with.
Feature in Good Housekeeping March 2015
